Thanks to the incredible generosity of more than 25,000 individual donors, more than 2,600 volunteers and hundreds of businesses who partnered with United Way in 2019, we are thrilled to announce the investment of $19,167,099 into our community this year. These dollars are going toward programs and strategies that achieve measurable results in the areas of education, income, health – the building blocks of well-being. These investments ultimately help maximize people’s potential and make our community stronger.

This total exceeds our 2019 campaign goal of $18.3 million, thanks to the leadership of Campaign Chair Dave Orr, as well as success in securing additional funding through grants, major gifts and other opportunities (led by Jac Garner).

Investment decisions are based on the work of our Vision Council and dozens of volunteers led by Chair Barbara Nichols. United Way invests in more than 80 programs in the Agenda for Change (our community’s greatest needs) and 750 nonprofit organizations. Here are just a few examples of investments that demonstrate the depth and breadth of the innovative work our community’s generosity makes possible:

• $1,200,000 will boost 2-Generational (2-Gen) collaborations that provide multi-generational support to families with children under the age of five. These collaborations will support families with young children through early childhood development, early literacy, employment/education/housing and health services.
• The 4 collaborations are: The Second Chance Apartment Project (The Road Home, YWCA Madison, RISE), Early Childhood Zones (RISE, Children’s Hospital of WI Community Services, Community Action Coalition, Porchlight, Dane County Human Services, Northside Planning Council), The Playing Field East (The Playing Field, The Road Home Dane County, The Plumber’s Union), Family and School Readiness (Goodman Community Center, Anesis Therapy, The Madison Children’s Museum, Rainbow Project) Goals include improved family well-being, increase in family economic stability, stable housing for families and/or increased Kindergarten-readiness.
  • “United Way is at the table with us trying to help us solve problems. We know that housing, education and health are all interrelated, and United Way helps The Road Home put those pieces together and more holistically help families maximize their potential,” explains Kristin Rucinski, Executive Director of The Road Home Dane County.
• $270,000 will support the Reducing School Mobility work being done in Stoughton, Madison and Sun Prairie to help families that are at risk of becoming homeless. Case Management along with some rent and utility assistance is provided to keep the families in their housing thereby allowing their kids to continue to stay in the same schools. Goals include increasing economic stability and stable housing.
• $113,000 will be invested in helping to launch Centro Hispano & Roots 4 Change’s Project Bienestar. This program aims to become a self-funded and sustainable community health worker/doula program with the support of local healthcare partners. Project Bienestar will focus on maternal child health outcomes and the social determinants of health that have lasting impacts of the Latinx community. Project Bienestar will enlist academic partners and work with community-based organizations to develop protocols for community engaged research and culturally competent health care procedures and policies.

“I’m humbled to have led this campaign knowing how much good will be done as a result of the investments,” says Dave Orr. “And beyond the dollars, I’m consistently impressed by the role United Way plays in bringing our community and various agencies together to tackle Dane County’s toughest issues.”