Orange County United Way Community Impact Journey

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Orange County United WayCommunity Impact Journey

• 5th Annual Community Forum
• On the Conditions of Children in Orange County
• Presented by Juan Carlos Araque, Ph.D.
• Vice President, Community Investments

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Mission of the United Way System
Improving lives by mobilizing the caring power of
communities
Orange County United Way Mission To Impact Human
Care In Orange County Communities Through Focused
Strategic Partnerships
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Overview of Orange County United Way

• Represents 34 cities
• Largest private funder of health and human care
  issues in the county
• Employs a staff of 53 dedicated professionals
  organized in 3 groups
• Campaign, Finance, Community Investments
• Connects over 2,000 volunteers countywide
• Raised 30,849,753 last year
• Works with 1,100 corporations and over 75,000
  donors

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Orange County United Way 2006
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Orange County United Way

• Despite our success and our efforts, the facts
  remain that many OC families and children are
  falling behind.

• A child is born into poverty every 2 hours in
  Orange County
• Over 260,000 renters in Orange County cant
  afford a one bedroom apartment
• There are over 35,000 individuals in Orange
  County who have no place to live. 22,000 of them
  have jobs.

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• Why Economic Self Sufficiency
• Orange County United Way can no longer address
  only the symptoms of health and human disparities
  in Orange County.
• We must address the key root causes that prevent
  individuals from becoming self-sufficient.

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What Orange County United WayIs Doing About It

• Our Economic Self Sufficiency Action Plan Moves
  People
• FROM needing direct services and subsidies
  through the Safety Net of Health and Human Care
• TO becoming self sufficient and no longer
  needing direct services and subsidies through the
  Safety Net of Health and Human Care
• BY working with a specific targeted population
  with resources and support for
• Attainment of safe and secure housing
• Attainment of high school or post high school
  education
• Employment at a self sufficiency wage

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LONG LASTING CHANGE STRATEGIES2006-2009
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Orange County United Way

• United Ways Goal
• MOVE PEOPLE THROUGH A CONTINUUM FROM THE SAFETY
  NET TO BECOME ECONOMICALLY EMPOWERED AND SELF
  SUFFICIENT.

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The Federal Poverty Line (FPL) and the
Self-Sufficiency Standard

• The Federal Poverty Line (FPL) takes
  one-size-fits-all approach to define when a
  family is living in poverty. In 2006, the FPL for
  a family of three is 15,260 annual income.
• The FPL was developed in the 1960s, at a time
  when a family spend about 1/3 of their income on
  food. The food budget was multiply by three, and
  that became the poverty line.
• In Orange County, a single parent with an infant
  and preschooler needs to make 49,791 to be
  self-sufficient and not have to rely on
  government subsidies. A difference of 34,531.
  How are low-income families supposed to make up
  that difference?

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The Self-Sufficiency Standard and the
Self-Sufficiency Calculator

• In 2006, Orange County United Way launched a
  public education campaign focused on key issues
  of economic self-sufficiency for working
  families.
• The Community Impact Team was formed with over 50
  organizations representing all sectors public,
  non-profit, and private. This group of
  stakeholders recommended that United Way
  spearheaded the economic self-sufficiency
  movement, bringing the self-sufficiency
  calculator to Orange County
• The Self-Sufficiency Calculator is a web-based
  tool that applies the Standard to a familys
  economic situation and generates a series of
  customized reports detailing client income and
  expenses before and after work supports and tax
  credits.

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The Self-Sufficiency Calculator

• Web-based tool any person/agency/program can
  use
• Be available in December on 2006.
• In collaboration with the Community Impact Team,
  Orange County United Way will do the following
• Pilot the calculator as a companion tool to move
  people out of poverty - 2007.
• Fund key collaborative groups that are working to
  move families from low-income to
  self-sufficiency.
• Collect and analyze the data to show variance
  among participating families.
• Publish report findings, promising practices, and
  successful programs/collaborative efforts.

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Who Is Our Target Population?

• Orange County individuals or families who have an
  income between 30 - 50 of median income as
  defined by HUD. (25,000 - 40,000 annual income
  for a family of four Over 130,000 families in
  OC.
• Research Conducted by Orange County Business
  Council Income, Housing and Educational
  Attainment in Orange County.
• Focus on 15 distressed zip codes, which are
  located primarily in Santa Ana and Anaheim and
  were determined by Distress Level Indicators.

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Example of Economic Self Sufficiency i.e. Long
Lasting Change
Earned Income Tax Credit TAX DAYS equals revenue
through tax refunds to low income individuals
equals incentive to continue to be employed.
Financial Literacy Classes equals education on
managing funds and investing funds for long term
security.
Individual Development Accounts (Saving For The
American Dream) equals matching incentives to
manage and save funds with a goal of home
ownership or tuition payments for higher
education.
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What is the Earned Income Tax Credit?

• Federal Income Tax Credit for low-income workers
• 1 Anti-Poverty Program in the U.S.
• Enacted by Congress in 1975
• Credited with lifting more children out of
  poverty than any other single program.
• The Internal Revenue Service estimates that up to
  25 of Orange County's eligible tax payers did
  not claim the Earned Income Tax Credit,
  totaling approximately 65,000,000.

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A Few Other Examples of Self-Sufficiency Programs
in Orange County

• English Works Program The key objective is to
  bring 50,000 youth and adults to become
  proficient in English by 2010. A collaborative
  effort with the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and
  Santa Ana College.
• High School Inc. Academies Focus on education
  relevance and improving graduation rates. A new
  high school that brings career paths, technology,
  and vocational instruction to support for over
  2,000 students at Valley High School 2007.
• Womens Empowerment Portfolio Focus on
  financial literacy and starting a business
  programs for women and minorities.
• Latino Educational Attainment (LEA) Initiative
  Focus on parent involvement in their childrens
  education. A collaborative effort with Cal State
  Fullerton, Orange County Business Council, Orange
  County Department of Education, Orange County
  Register, and others.

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Summary

• Community Impact means investing in the Safety
  Net for Health and Human Care
• AND
• Investing in the Economic Self Sufficiency Action
  Plan for Long Lasting Changes

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