At United Way of Knox County's Annual Meeting on February 15, 2011, board members, volunteers and partner agency representatives gathered to hear about United Way's impact on lives during 2010. The following reflects United Way's work to Advance the Common Good for Knox County in 2010:

UNITED WAY’S WORK TOWARD ADVANCING THE COMMON GOOD

• More than 40 Community Impact Panel volunteers interviewed and rated programs of prospective partner agencies for 2011; Fund Distribution Committee members recommended a 2011 investment of $524,645 in 39 programs from 19 partner agencies.
• Thirty-one community project sites hosted 120 volunteers who completed 400 hours of volunteer service on Community Care Day.
• Four Challenge Grants were awarded, investing $10,560 in new and expanded programs. Promoting people’s health was targeted in three Challenge Grants: Kno-Ho-Co Ashland Community Action Commission’s Health Services’ Healthy Mom-Healthy Babies program; Alcohol and Drug FREEDOM Center ’s Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder F.A.C.T.S. program; and American Red Cross of Knox County’s SAFE Start program. Financial Stability was targeted through Muskingum Valley Boy Scouts of America’s Explorer Post program.
• Monitored program outcomes of 40 programs from 21 partner agencies serving Knox County in 2010.
• Saved area families $39,868 with the FamilyWize Prescription Discount Card; pharmacies reported 4,675 claims, an average savings of 27% off of $145,449 in prescription costs, and saved an average of $8.51 per card use.
• Organized a free Robert’s Rules of Order workshop training 42 participants.
• Initiated Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program and provided a free age appropriate book to 817 Knox County children through December, 2010; 3,594 books were mailed to 672 households in first seven months of program; secured more than $21,000 from local sponsors and supporters to cover book and mailing costs.
• Poverty Simulation sessions were held for 130 area residents, social service workers, volunteers, school representatives and business representatives as part of United Way’s Financial Stability Initiative.
• Assisted 311 area residents with free tax preparation assistance; clients served represents more than $480,000 in tax refunds and a savings of more than $60,000 in tax preparer fees; 41% of clients received the Earned Income Tax Credit; 13 volunteer tax counselors were utilized, along with one paid counselor through an Ohio Benefit Bank tax program expansion grant.
• Received $9,692.75 from Ohio Children’s Trust Fund Grant; developed reusable Conscious Parenting strategy billboards and Imagination Library billboards targeting families with young children, in addition to sponsoring a Day of Action 2010 early learning event offering a free movie to children while 22 parents received two hours of free training on Conscious Parenting strategies to improve communication with their child; Conscious Discipline materials were purchased for future family trainings and for use at area childcare centers and preschools.
• Received an AEP Ohio grant of $4,813 in rent and mortgage assistance.
• Coordinated Leadership Knox Social Service Day and provided assistance in matching potential board members with appropriate organizations.
• Completed United Way Worldwide’s annual membership certification.
• Received a clean annual independent audit, and a clean IRS exam.
• Secured $677,434 in pledges, 96.8% of the $700,000 campaign goal as of 2/11/2011 ; with conservative projections of $21,580 on 30 accounts not yet reported, the campaign is on track to achieve at least 99.86% of the goal.
• Including designations to United Ways outside of Knox County , almost $713,000 was pledged overall in the 2010 campaign, an increase of 3.5%.

Download United Way's 2010 Report to Stakeholders here.

To learn more about the impact of United Way funded programs in 2010, download United Way's Community Impact Report here.