News Release

United Way Volunteers Make Difficult Funding Decisions
Responding to Community Needs

Dayton, OH, May 27, 2005 – Volunteers for the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area have allocated $5.6 million to 100 local health and human service programs from undesignated gifts to the 2004 United Way Campaign. Reviewing 142 proposals in the competitive process, they based their decisions on the 2004 Community Assessment published by the United Way and resulting funding priorities approved by the Board last fall, program deliverables, agency capacity, and available resources. The three areas guiding the funding decisions in order of priority were: Children, Youth and Families, Positive Living for Vulnerable Populations, and Community Capacity.

The $5.6 million represents the funds available for the United Way volunteers to distribute from the 2004 Campaign. An additional $3 million was directed to more than 500 nonprofit organizations providing a health or human service in the Miami Valley from individual donor contributions directed to specific agencies. And, nearly $100,000 will support community initiatives so that United Way can work on long-term solutions to needs in partnership with others. In total, $8.7 million from the campaign will support services.

With state and local government shifting responsibility for meeting basic needs to the local level, including the private nonprofit sector, five programs that address survival needs received increases: The Foodbank, Daybreak Emergency Shelter for Youth, Preble County Domestic Violence Shelter Program of the YWCA, the Epilepsy Association Support Services and Emergency Prescriptions, and Yellow Springs Community Council.

Also, eleven new programs meeting high needs within the three priority areas were funded:

"  $20,000 for Emergency Food Assistance, the food pantry at Catholic Social Services experiencing a large increase in requests from working families.

"  $16,000 for Harding Place Transitional Housing, a homeless shelter in Greene County operated by the Community Action Partnership

"  $12,000 for Preble Meals for the Elderly, home-delivered meals to Preble County residents, another program of the Community Action Partnership.

"  $10,000 for Web-based Training, a joint project of Daybreak, Family Service Association, and other United Way Partner Agencies to meet mandated staff training needs related to licensure and other requirements in a more cost-effective manner.

"  $25,000 for Families and Schools Together, a program provided by Family Service Association that involves parents to help at-risk youth succeed in school.

"  $3,000 for Scouting for Health to the Treaty Line Girl Scout Council to promote fitness and prevent obesity among girls in Preble County.

"  $14,460 for Emergency Prescription Assistance to Reach Out Montgomery County, a health clinic for the uninsured.

"  $10,000 for Home-based Personal Care provided by United Rehabilitation Services for persons with disabilities.

"  $12,500 for Senior Transportation provided by Wesley Community Center that takes senior citizens to congregate meals sites, medical appointments, and to meet other essential needs.

"  $2,500 for the Preble Y Leaders Club to the YMCA of Dayton for youth programming in Preble County.

"  $10,594 for the Safe Sanctuary for Children, daycare for homeless children provided by the YWCA of Dayton.

The remaining programs were funded at a flat or reduced level because the available funding was down 5.7%. The 2004 Campaign raised $11.6 million, an eight percent decline from the prior year. The United Way Board of Directors reduced the operating budget by 14.44% in order to lessen the reduction to services. Administration and fundraising account for $2 million of the campaign. The balance reflects pledges that were made but will never be received.

“United Way is about mobilizing resources to support a vital network of services, United Way President Marc R. Levy said. “The double-digit decrease to the United Way operating budget is very challenging, but shows the community that we remain committed to directing the maximum dollars to services.”

Two-thirds of the programs were funded for three years. The remaining third – comprised of the new programs and those with significant changes – received a one-year allocation. Six current programs, but only one agency, did not receive continued funding.