United Way of Atlantic County Will Do More with Less
Announces 2004-2005 Fund Distribution

Galloway – United Way of Atlantic County’s Board of Directors announces the distribution of nearly $2.4 million to local and national charities. This includes grants made during the second year of United Way’s phase-in of core priority funding, a strategy centered on achieving greater impact by funding programs focused on solving community problems.

“Although the total reflects a decrease of more than $200,000 from 2003’s record-high funding, we are being more effective with these dollars,” explained John Emge, executive director of United Way of Atlantic County. “Through our Community Impact Agenda, we’ve targeted the community’s most pressing needs, and we’re funding more programs at more local agencies to better address these needs.”

United Way fund distribution for 2004-05 is as follows: $1,370,475 in grants and allocations aimed at addressing the areas of most need in the county; $437,222 in donor designations to local United Way partner agencies; and $575,580 in donor designations to other nonprofit agencies.

“In this year of continued change and decreased available funds, our volunteers worked especially hard to ensure that every dollar invested would make the most impact,” said Mark Sachais, vice-president/controller, Caesars Atlantic City, and vice-president of Community Impact, United Way of Atlantic County Board of Directors. “Each program was evaluated and chosen based on its ability to improve the quality of life for people in our area.”

In recent years, United Way of Atlantic County, like its counterparts across the county, has been moving beyond its traditional role as a fund-raiser to take more of a lead in helping solve community problems.

In 2001, United Way of Atlantic County conducted a Community Needs Assessment, which surveyed local residents, agency directors, and community leaders, to identify the areas of most need in the county. In 2003, United Way’s Community Impact Agenda was born from the results of this study as a strategy designed to tackle the county’s greatest health and human service needs. The strategy comprises five core priorities: Reducing Substance Abuse, Providing Basic Needs and Increasing Self-Sufficiency, Supporting Community Health Issues, Fostering Safer Homes and Neighborhoods, and Promoting Mental Wellness.

United Way phased in funding for Reducing Substance Abuse in 2003. This year, United Way added Providing Basic Needs and Increasing Self-Sufficiency and Supporting Community Health Issues. Fostering Safer Homes and Neighborhoods and Promoting Mental Wellness will follow in 2005.

“We are encouraged that after just one year of investment in innovative and proven education and prevention programs aimed at Reducing Substance Abuse, we have already reached more than 1,100 young people to prepare them to make the right choice when confronted with alcohol, tobacco or drugs,” said Sachais.

In the past, through the traditional allocations process, local agencies would request program funding from United Way based on the specific needs of that program. Now as United Way focuses on Community Impact, a Community Advisors Council, made up of experts in each area of need, develops a plan that reflects the needs of the community in each core priority area.

A team of community volunteers conducts a comprehensive review process of each program proposal and evaluates the program’s ability to provide the outcomes identified in the plan. United Way awards multi-year grants, on a competitive basis, to local agencies that provide programs satisfying the objectives of each plan and will subsequently report back to the community on what has been accomplished. For 2004-05, United Way awarded $819,454 in grants to address Reducing Substance Abuse, Providing Basic Needs and Increasing Self-Sufficiency, and Supporting Community Health Issues (see charts below).

“Programs that focus on job-training, prescription assistance, homeless youth and the need for additional bilingual, bicultural services came up high on the list of areas of unmet needs created by our Community Advisors Councils,” said Sachais. “By concentrating on our desire to fill these needs and carefully analyzing how to maximize our funds, we were able to fund these programs for the first time. Additionally, we were able to provide funding for rent, mortgage and utility assistance.”

United Way also distributed $551,021 through the traditional allocations process to address needs in the Fostering Safer Homes and Neighborhoods and Promoting Mental Wellness Core priorities (see charts below).

In addition to the $1,370,475 in grants and allocations, United Way will distribute $437,222 in donor designations to local United Way partner agencies and $575,580 to approximately 300 local and national non-profit agencies.

Remaining funds from last fall’s campaign efforts cover administrative costs, uncollected pledges, and several direct services in the community such as United Way’s Volunteer Center of Atlantic County and Success By 6®. The Volunteer Center recruits and matches individuals and groups of volunteers to more than 100 health, recreational, cultural, and social service nonprofit organizations in Atlantic County and also recognizes the contributions of volunteers in this community. Success By 6 is a community-based collaboration that is dedicated to addressing the critical issues that face children from infancy to 6 years of age: age-appropriate immunizations, early literacy, pediatric dental issues, parenting skills and pre-natal care.

United Way of Atlantic County is a local, nonprofit organization that aligns the investment of available financial and volunteer resources with the community’s health and human service needs. Each year, United Way-funded programs touch the lives of over 100,000 people in Atlantic County. Volunteers closely monitor these programs to ensure effective and efficient use of donor dollars. For more information on United Way of Atlantic County call 609-404-4483 or visit www.unitedwayac.org

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