United Way of the Greater Dayton Area

The State of United Way
(Excerpts from the 1997 Annual Report)

"We are pleased to report that our accomplishments in 1997 resulted in a very successful year for United Way and provided the momentum for continued solid performance in 1998," said Craig Chancellor, President, United Way of the Greater Dayton Area.

Community Partnerships
1997 was the year to implement the changes that had been designed in 1996. Of major significance was our departure from a standard allocations system to a contract system based on outcomes. Under the volunteer leadership of Annette Casella, Community Partnerships Chair, and through consultation with affiliate agencies, we reached agreement on outcomes for more than 90 programs in seven distinct categories. These contracts are being signed in early 1998.

Just as significantly, we signed a new agreement with the Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross that will establish them as one of our largest Outcome Partners. The transition agreement is one of the most far-reaching in the United Way field and is being held up as a model by United Way of America. This agreement would not have been possible without the foresight and cooperation of our local Red Cross leadership.

Managed Services
After careful deliberation, we restructured our leadership with both The Center for Nonprofit Resources and Information & Referral. Prior to 1997, both were operating divisions of United Way. Under the restructuring, they are now fiscally independent units each governed by a Board of Directors. They maintain an administrative tie to United Way guided by a Memorandum of Understanding. The new arrangement allows both CNR and I & R to pursue financial and geographic growth opportunities as well as new collaborations with other service providers. The Task Force that pioneered the change was led by Bill Graber and Jim Hagedon.

A Look Into 1998
The changes that were put in place in 1997 have positioned United Way to have a greater positive impact on the delivery of human services in our three county area. We continue to work closely with the Family and Children First Councils in Montgomery, Greene, and Preble Counties toward the development of a coordinated human services agenda. Our Public Policy Committee is very active in the search for solutions to the problem of Out-of-School-Youth.

Still, our primary task is to increase resource development through the annual campaign. Central to this effort is to increase the level of undesignated funds. While we value the right of the donor to choose, we know it is the unrestricted funds that are the strength of our system. It is the unrestricted funds that are used to leverage grants from outside sources into our community. It is the unrestricted funds that are monitored to assure that outcomes are being met.

We believe that we are positioned to build on the momentum from 1997, but the test is in the outcomes. Subscribing to the philosophy of "Do as we do, not just as we say," United Way will lead by example. We have put in place our own organizational outcome measurements that will drive our business in 1998 and beyond. We are confident that we will meet those outcomes.

If you would like to request a copy of the United Way of the Greater Dayton Areas 1997 Annual Report or an Outcome Evaluation Report please