Employee Solicitor Training

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Employee Solicitor Training

• ____ Company
• dd/mm/2007

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Congratulations!

• You have been selected to play a vital part in
• this years United Way campaign because
• youre someone who inspires others to do
• great things.
• Youre someone others trust.

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As a Campaign Solicitor
You will be the voice of United Way. With
encouragement from your organizations Campaign
Leader, you will meet individually with
co-workers to ask them to support United Way.
This presentation will give you an idea of how
United Way gets results in our community.
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What does United Way do?

• United Way provides leadership and resources to
  help people in metropolitan Chicago overcome
  lifes challenges and become independent.
• United Way works to understand the needs in each
  community.
• United Ways funds a network of programs to
  address those needs. If no programs exist, we
  launch new initiatives.

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What does United Way do?

• United Way holds its partner programs accountable
  for achieving lasting results
• Its not about how many at-risk teens enroll in a
  mentoring program. What matters is how many of
  them graduate high school.
• Its not about how many people are served by a
  soup kitchen. What matters is how many of them no
  longer need the soup kitchen because theyve
  gotten back on their feet.

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Why is United Way so critical?

• Because each of us has inherited a wealth of
  community support services that improve the
  quality of life here in metropolitan Chicago,
  such as
• programs to help our neighbors, or our families,
  cope in the face of home fires or other
  unexpected crisis
• efforts that keep our youth in school and on
  track for success
• programs that help the working poor remain
  self-sufficient and care for their families
• And much more

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Why is United Way so critical?

• Government funding for these services has
  declined every year for the last four years. This
  has a negative impact on services
• Many agencies have to cut programs due to lack of
  funding
• Some agencies have been forced to skip payroll
  and even close

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Why is United Way so critical?

• After the government, United Way is the leading
  funder in Chicagoland of these critical programs.
  
• We provide the largest source of unrestricted
  funds
• United Way funding allows our partner agencies to
  leverage additional fundingup to seven times
  morefrom many public and private funders, who
  view United Way investment as a seal of approval.
  
• Yet in Chicago alone United Way has just 1 of
  funding for every 3 requested.

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Our network of support is not guaranteed.

• It is up to
• each of us to protect and sustain it.

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Currently, United Way is working to address the
greatest challenges facing people in Chicagoland

• Educational Achievement
• Financial Stability
• Access to Healthcare
• Affordable Housing
• Crisis Support

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Educational Achievement

• About 1/3 of Illinois first graders are not ready
  to learn when they start school.
• Half of Chicagos youth do not graduate high
  school, making them 72 more likely to be
  unemployed than those who do.
• Nearly 2/3 of jobs across the metropolitan region
  require some form of post-secondary education.
• Your United Way support provides
• Affordable daycare and early childhood programs
• Early intervention programs for children with
  special needs
• Tutoring, mentoring and stay-in-school programs

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Financial Stability

• Illinois continues to lose high-paying jobs and
  replacing them with lower paying jobs. From 1990
  to 2005, average pay plummeted 29.2.
• A two-parent family with both parents working
  full time and earning minimum wage (21,424)
  would need to spend 25 of their income on child
  carefor just one child.
• Wages arent keeping pace with the rising cost of
  housing, healthcare, and utilities.
• Your United Way support provides
• English-as-a-Second-Language classes and GED
  programs
• Specialized job training and placement
• Transportation assistance and affordable daycare

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Access to Healthcare

• 1 in 6 Illinois residents under the age of 65 is
  uninsured, and 80 of them are from working
  families.
• Approximately 18,000 people die every year due to
  a lack of health insurance.
• Only 16 of youth in need of mental healthcare
  receive any treatment, and only 1 in 4 receive
  the level of treatment needed.

• Your United Way support provides
• Subsidized healthcare clinics
• Counseling and support for people with mental
  illness and substance abuse issues
• Specialized care for seniors and services for
  people with disabilities
• Assistance in accessing Medicare and Medicaid

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Affordable Housing

• Nearly half of Chicagoland renters must spend
  more than one-third of their incomes on housing.
• A worker needs to make 17.33/hour to afford a
  2-bedroom apartment in our region at the
  fair-market price of 901 per month.
• Your United Way support provides
• Financial literacy training
• Assistance in locating and securing affordable
  housing
• Subsidized apartments for working families
• Home ownership programs
• Legal aid for people who are at risk of losing
  their homes

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Crisis Support

• I in 4the number of women who will be a victim
  of domestic violence at some point
• 15,000the number of people who are homeless on
  any given night in Chicago
• 500,000the number of people in Cook County alone
  who depend on food pantries to eat Every year,
  nearly 166,000 people in metropolitan Chicago
  experience homelessness.
• Your United Way support provides
• Food and temporary shelter for homeless
  individuals, victims of home fires and other
  disasters
• Safe houses, counseling, legal support, and job
  training for victims of domestic violence
• Emergency food pantries and rent assistance for
  families

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United Way knows how to address these complex
issues.

• Our funded programs
• deliver RESULTS

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Proven success

• Educational Achievement

• 88 of preschoolers who were enrolled at the St.
  James Early Childhood Center mastered the skills
  they need to succeed in first grade.
• Children learn and grow both academically and
  socially, preparing them to be successful
  students throughout their lives.

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Proven success

• Financial Stability

• 88 of people who completed the Bethel New Life
  employment training program found jobs that
  enable them to provide for themselves and their
  families.
• From learning basic job skills to identifying and
  pursuing more promising career paths,
  participants move towards financial independence.

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Proven success

• Access to Healthcare

• 89 of individuals with chronic mental illness
  who participated in the Metropolitan Family
  Services adult mental health program increased
  their independent living skills.
• People enrolled in the program are linked with a
  continuum of services, including counseling,
  psychiatric care and daily living assistance to
  help them remain active participants in their
  communities.

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Proven success

• Affordable Housing

• 97 of formerly homeless families that
  participated in Bridge Communities Transitional
  Housing Program are now able to maintain
  permanent, stable housingand nearly one quarter
  own their own homes.
• Program participants, many of whom are single
  parents or survivors of domestic violence, are
  connected with the resources and knowledge they
  need help stabilize their families and become
  self-sufficient.

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Proven success

• Crisis Support

• 86 of women who enrolled in the Family Rescue
  transitional housing program for victims of
  domestic violence were employed within six
  months, and 92 met their educational goals.
• Survivors of domestic violence receive
  comprehensive support, including housing,
  financial assistance and life management training
  so that they can find safety and rebuild their
  lives.

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United Way does much more than fund the most
effective programs.

• Many of todays complex challenges cannot be
  solved by any one organization or program alone.
• United Way has the widest network of
  relationships with government, health and human
  service providers, the corporate community, as
  well as donors and volunteers.
• This means that United Way is uniquely positioned
  to coordinate community efforts to address
  complex issues.

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The United Way Immunization Initiative

• The Issue
• Doctors recommend that all children receive the
  MMR immunization (against Measles, Mumps and
  Rubella) by the age of 12 months.
• In Chicagos Austin neighborhood, 80 of three
  year olds had not yet received these vaccines.
  Hundreds of children were at risk of acquiring
  devastating yet entirely preventable diseases.

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The United Way Immunization Initiative

• The response
• United Way launched the Immunization
  Initiative to keep kids healthy.
• The Immunization Initiative trained
  home-based daycare providers on which vaccines
  are needed throughout a childs development, as
  well as how to work with parents to access and
  keep track of immunizations. Daycare providers
  were also taught how to pass their knowledge on
  to others, making the program self-sustaining.
• Leaders in Chicagos Humboldt Park
  neighborhood have asked United Way to replicate
  the successful Initiative in their community.

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The United Way African American Initiative

• The Issue
• According to leaders and health human service
  providers who work with the
• African American community, the most critical
  issue is helping African American
• males, ages 10-16, transition successfully to
  adulthood.
• The Response
• United Way created the African American
  Initiative to ensure that African American
• boys ages 10-16 will
• understand the value of staying in school and on
  track to graduation.
• develop a positive understanding of employment
  opportunities, possibilities and
  expectations.
• understand and assume healthy family and social
  roles that will help them
  become positive,
  productive young adults.

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The United Way African American Initiative

• The African American Initiative is working in the
  communities of Englewood,
• Bronzeville/Grand Boulevard, North Lawndale,
  Rogers Park and Greater
• Roseland, creating a solid foundation for African
  American youth to succeed.
• For example
• In Greater Roseland, a plan to establish
  multi-family support groups that will nurture the
  development of communication and social skills,
  self-esteem, conflict resolution and community
  advocacy is in place.
• And in Bronzeville/Grand Boulevard, youth are
  being engaged to participate in the political
  process and advocate for community change in
  Springfield.

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The United Way Latino Initiative

• The Issue
• Latinos have become a strong social, political
  and economic force in Chicagoland.
• 40,000 Latino-owned businesses in the region
  generate over 7.5 billion in
• revenue, for example.
• Latino youth, however, still face significant
  challenges.
• Half of Latinas become pregnant before the age of
  20
• One third of Latino youth in the region are
  limited English speakers
• Only 14 of Latinos have completed college.

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The United Way Latino Initiative

• The Response
• The United Way Latino Initiative will focus on
  helping youth transition successfully into
  adulthood, particularly in communities of rapid
  growth.
• Will support programs that center on families and
  build connection to the community. Development of
  the Latino Initiative has involved agency
  partners who serve a Latino client base of 40 or
  higher and a panel of experts that represented
  corporations, academics, foundations and advocacy
  groups.

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The United Way Endowment
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The United Way Endowment

• Government support is declining annually
• The number of people at risk growing
• But United Way is working to ensure that
• people get the support they need in the
• future.

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The United Way Endowment

• To commemorate our 75th Anniversary, United Way
  of
• Metropolitan Chicago is launching the Endowment.
  The
• United Way Endowment will
• Provide resources for a quick and effective
  response to unexpected crisis
• Stabilize human care services when resources are
  less available
• Serve as a source of revenue to address emerging
  needs

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The United Way Endowment

• In addition to an Annual Campaign
• contribution, a one-time gift to the United
• Way Endowment creates a personal legacy
• for improving lives for generations.

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Your Role in the United Way Campaign

• Meet individually with a select group of
  co-workers
• Educate them about United Way
• Ask for their support
• Provide a year-round voice for United Way within
  your organization

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Asking for Support

• Determine when and where to ask
• Bring the appropriate materials
• - donor brochure pledge card (for everyone)
• - labor card (for union members)
• - leadership giving information (for management)
• Use United Way Talking Points
• (these can be found in your Solicitor Guide)

and always remember to say thank you!
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Asking for Support

• The most common reason
• people dont give is that theyve never been
  asked

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Requesting Leadership Gifts

• Always make the ask one-on-one
• Ask specifically for a leadership gift of 1,000
  or more
• If you have information on a donors previous
  gift, consider requesting a strategic increase to
  the next Leadership Giving Level

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Thank you. You are vital to the success of our
campaignand to our community.