Meeting with the Docs Who Rock planning committee today. We're working hard to put on another great show this year. http://ow.ly/b68sH

Want to: Support your community ~ play Cornhole ~ Win $100? Find out how: http://ow.ly/aYZys

Thanks Dr. Ned Hill for his plug for Ride UNITED during the Roundtable event today. If you haven't signed up yet, why not? http://ow.ly/aYYIw

United Way seeks a exceptional CFO and IT professional. Read about the requirements and apply here: http://ow.ly/aQysR

Tomorrow is Project Homeless Connect, a 1-day, 1-stop event to provide services for people experiencing homelessness http://ow.ly/aKFbA

Thanks to the great students at UAkron's Z-TV for their coverage of our Volunteer Celebration. View their great work here http://ow.ly/aETrg

United Way of Summit County elected new Directors & Officers. Read about these great new leaders http://ow.ly/aDymf

Thanks to everyone who celebrated with United Way at our Annual Meeting yesterday. Summit Co. knows how to LIVE UNITED http://ow.ly/awStA

I'm having lunch tomorrow with 440+ of my closest friends at United Way's Annual Meeting. I hope you're among them. LIVE UNITED

This is National Volunteer Week. Volunteers do so much to make our community a better place for all. If you're seek the right opportunity, contact the Volunteer Center, and they'll match your skills and interests with the right non-profit. Volunteers show us all how to LIVE UNITED. http://ow.ly/akE8t

Great to hear that A. Schulman is staying in Fairlawn. It's a great company for Summit County and for United Way. They are a great example of what it means to LIVE UNITED. http://ow.ly/acTZG

Grateful for the media coverage of our good news on AkronNewsNow http://ow.ly/a3yn6 & Ohio.com http://ow.ly/a3ywA WNIR http://ow.ly/a3yH9

Thanks to our generous donors, United Way of Summit County exceeded our aggressive campaign goal ~ by more than $100K! Our wonderful community again shows its generous nature. Thank you all! http://ow.ly/a2YVb

UNITED WAY OF SUMMIT COUTY EXCEEDS CAMPAIGN GOAL

             The 2011-12 United Way/Red Cross Campaign in Summit County has been completed, and campaign staff and volunteers are pleased to report that the generous people of our community have exceed the aggressive goal of $11,250,000 set last summer.


Campaign Chair Brian Moore

Volunteer Campaign Chair Brian Moore, a partner in the law firm Roetzel & Andress, has announced that the final campaign total raised is $11,350,225.

“We are so grateful to all the donors who made surpassing our goal possible,” said Moore.  “It confirms that the heart and soul of our community are second to none.  What a privilege it’s been to be a part of the United Way team for this campaign.”

Throughout the next ten years, United Way will move toward a more focused approach to addressing community-level issues, by showing measurable progress in the areas of education, income and health, the building blocks for a good life.

United Way of Summit County Senior Vice President Katie S. Rennard said, “The long-term and short-term results of our United Way campaigns here in Summit County exceed the results of the other big cities in Ohio. Between 2000 and 2010, our campaigns were up 7.4%, while the other five big cities in the state were all down for the same time frame. And our growth from 2010 to 2011 was another 1.5%.  I believe that it’s also telling to note that the 183 members of the United Way of Summit County Tocqueville Society – denoting those who contribute $10,000 or more annually – far surpasses the Tocqueville membership in similar-sized Ohio communities.

“Summit County’s two largest United Way corporate campaigns were organized and run by The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company with $1.37 million and FirstEnergy Corp. with $1.18 million.  These companies are critical to the campaign’s success in Summit County. Goodyear’s increase - $82,928 - was the largest year-over-year increase in the entire campaign. GOJO Industries, Inc., The University of Akron, Myers Industries, Inc., State & Federal Communications, Inc., and Roetzel & Andress are just some of the 240 organizations that experienced increased giving this year,” Rennard continued.

“Another highlight of the successful campaign was the contributions from new campaigns totaling more than $88,000. Among the largest new campaigns were the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Austen Bioinnovation Institute, CB Richard Ellis, and a generous first-time gift from the Barberton Community Foundation.”

Total dollars allocated and designated to programs and agencies in Summit County will be announced on April 20, 2012.

United Way of Summit County encourages everyone to LIVE UNITED. Each of us has the power to improve lives and advance the common good when we give, advocate and volunteer. For more information on how to give now, on programs and services in our community, or to volunteer, call your United Way of Summit County at (330) 762-7601, explore our website at www.uwsummit.org, or visit our offices at 90 N. Prospect St., Akron, Ohio.

We had the first Campaign Cabinet meeting of 2012 this morning. We're off to a great start with our Chair Nick Browning and all our great volunteers!

These are days I love ~ the office busy with meetings, volunteers & agency representatives making decisions, improving lives, LIVING UNITED

RSVP to United Way's Annual Meeting now. http://ow.ly/9Q09L The event will be Wed April 25 at JSKnight Center. Hope to see you there.

Condolences to the family of United Way legend Ray Unk. His lifetime of compassion for others will long be remembered. http://ow.ly/9KqDb

Does 'Moneyball' offer lessons for non-profits on radical change necessary to thrive? Are we asking 'what works better?' http://ow.ly/9FLiU

Beacon Journal's series on poverty puts a face on the problem. Bridges Out of Poverty is helping people make the change. http://ow.ly/9B6pZ

SO impressed with how well this HS student told our #unitedway story. She did wonderful interviews and wrote a great story http://ow.ly/9z6Ap

Congratulations to Sandy & Mark Auburn ~ tonight's H. Peter Burg Honorees at Red Cross dinner. http://ow.ly/9uaYq

Congratulations United Way of Greater Cleveland on another successful campaign - exceeed their goal for the third consecutive year! http://ow.ly/9puqx

United Way Worldwide President Brian Gallagher does a great job of explaining UW's work in this interview. http://ow.ly/9mnmG

Zips Men's basketball vs Buffalo - Wed. Feb 29, 7pm - United Way night. Call for free tix to see 1st place Zips. UA shows how to LIVE UNITED

United Way is hosting NGO delegates from Serbia through the Open World Leadership program. Much to learn, much to teach. http://ow.ly/i/tsm7

Hello bicyclists ~ Have contact information about bike groups? Please forward it to me. We want to get the word out: http://ow.ly/97jwL

Seeking volunteer opportunities? United Way's Volunteer Center offers free services for indivduals and nonprofits. http://ow.ly/97cr5

At the same time government support of social services is down, it's wrong to limit the amount one can deduct for charitable donations. It is, in essence, seeking to balance the budget on the backs of the poor. We need to make it MORE attractive for all to donate to nonprofits. http://ow.ly/945UC

United Way of Summit County is seeking a successful, experienced fundraiser with strong donor relationship management skills to help achieve our mission of improving lives by mobilizing community resources to advance the common good. To apply visit our website and submit a cover letter and resume as directed. EOE http://ow.ly/927u9

People will often do what's good for them if they see it as 'fun.' Check out this example: http://ow.ly/8YGd0 Let's all LIVE UNITED

I'm heading to the UWW Brand Forum in Atlanta to share and learn about individual engagement. Lots to learn in this vital arena.

Caring club drawing today! Great prizes - Goodyear blimp rides, golf at Firestone CC, more! We'll be contacting the winners soon! http://ow.ly/i/ruTZ

Do you know someone under 40 making a big difference in Summit County? Nominate them - Young Philananthropist Award http://ow.ly/8Od98

Thanks to the good folks at Patch for keeping people informed about happenings in our community, like this for example: http://ow.ly/8LB6l

Our campaign is on track to surpass our goal. Read about the great people, companies and foundations that have made it possible thusfar. http://ow.ly/8IAnq

United Way of Summit Co. on Track to Surpass Goal

            The final push is on for the 2011-12 United Way/Red Cross Campaign in Summit County, and campaign staff and volunteers are optimistic that the final results will be positive. 

Volunteer Campaign Chair Brian Moore, a partner in the law firm Roetzel & Andress, recently announced that projections show the campaign will exceed the $11,250,000 goal when final results are announced in early April. 

“We’re so thrilled and proud of how our community stepped up to blow past our aggressive goal,” Moore said.  “So many individuals and organizations contributed mightily to this effort, it’s truly inspiring to see this impressive show of generosity.  This campaign will bring our campaign results back to where we were before the 2008 recession.”

United Way of Summit County President Bob Kulinski said, “Thanks to the incredibly hard work of our volunteers and staff, our community continues to be a top performer among big cites in Ohio and among comparable communities across the country. More than 30,000 individuals, businesses and foundations, gave sacrificially to help us achieve our aggressive community goal and many increased their giving over the previous year.  

“Our two largest campaigns, The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company & FirstEnergy Corp., both posted increases with Goodyear posting the largest increase in the entire campaign. Other top increasing campaigns included GOJO Industries, Inc., The University of Akron, Myers Industries, Inc., FirstMerit Bank, and Roetzel & Andress.  GAR Foundation provided a generous match for contributions from new and increased donors.  GAR is our third largest contributor.  Every contribution of any amount was important this year as families continued to struggle with reduced income and increased expenses.”  

United Way of Summit County encourages everyone to LIVE UNITED.  Each of us has the power to improve lives and advance the common good when we give, advocate and volunteer.  For more information on how to give now, on programs and services in our community, or to volunteer, call your United Way of Summit County at (330) 762-7601, explore our website at www.uwsummit.org, or visit our offices at 90 N. Prospect St., Akron, Ohio.

United Way joins Austen BioInnovation, SC Health District to improve people's health in Summit County. http://ow.ly/8EeEr

United Way staffer Brenda Farrell in a testimonial for our online data management company CTK. http://ow.ly/8DsuN

UNITED WAY OF SUMMIT COUNTY SEEKS REQUESTS FOR FUNDING

          United Way of Summit County is accepting funding proposals for its Development and Priorities Funds.  Recognizing that local nonprofit organizations are struggling in the harsh economic environment with tighter funding and increasing client loads, for the first time the Development Fund will consider and give preference to proposals for capacity building.  It will also continue to  consider funding requests for new programs or to expand successful existing programs that address critical community needs.

          “Capacity building” grants would be one-time funding to improve the effectiveness, efficiency or financial sustainability of a program or organization.  Creative proposals are encouraged. “New” programs are defined as services not previously offered by the submitting agency. “Expanded” programs are currently offered with plans for expansion into a new geographic area or provision to an additional or replacement population. Development Fund Grants will be awarded based on the merits of the proposal, with emphasis on increasing service capacity for critical programs, how well it addresses a critical community need, and the benefits to local residents in need. The proposals are also compared to currently existing programs and agencies..

          United Way of Summit County also seeks proposals for its Priority Funds which are focused on: Financial Stability for Families, School Readiness for Children, and Utility Assistance for Adults Without Minor Children in the Household.

          The goal of the Financial Stability for Families priority area is to enable families to obtain and maintain employment and manage personal resources independent of public assistance. The goal of the School Readiness for Children priority area is to prepare children to succeed in Kindergarten and put them on a path of life-long learning. The goal of the Utility Assistance Without Minor Children priority area is to restore or maintain utility services in order to prevent displacement of the household occupant.

          Organizations submitting proposals are encouraged to  seek alignment of programs and projects for which they are seeking funding with existing collaborative efforts in the county such as  Healthy Summit 2020 (Quality of life) Project and the County’s First Things First Early Childhood Development System Plan  . A full description of collaborative efforts is available at . http://www.uwsummit.org/CommunityInvestment/Collaborative.htm

          United Way of Summit County sets aside a portion of undesignated revenue for distribution for Development and Priorities grants through an open Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Area 501 (c) (3) non-profit agencies are encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent to United Way of Summit County to determine which organizations will be invited to submit formal proposals.

Successful eligible applicants must:

• Submit a Letter of Intent by Monday, February 20, 2012
• Submit a full proposal online according to United Way’s guidelines and instructions
• Provide service in Summit County
• Be a tax exempt 501-C-3 organization, or have a fiscal agent
• Be in existence for at least three (3) years
• Provide full disclosure of finances (Provide copy of latest financial audit report and IRS Form 990)
• Have a volunteer, representative board of directors/trustees and provide a list of its members
• Adhere to and provide a policy and practice of non-discrimination in the provision of services
• Certify conformity with the United States Patriot Act for receipt of funding
• Be a contributing organization to the United Way of Summit County fundraising campaign or agree to conduct employee campaign, if awarded grant
• Submit requested documents as labeled attachments with the Letter of Intent

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

          A Letter of Intent to respond to the Request for Proposal must be received at United Way of Summit County’s offices (90 N. Prospect Street, Akron, OH 44304) by 4:00 pm, on Monday, February 20, 2012.

          To obtain the Letter of Intent form, and all information on the Grant Proposal Application process, call Sue at 330-643-5510.  Applications from those agencies invited to submit a formal proposal will be accepted only through United Way’s Community Impact Online Data Manager by 4:00 pm, Friday, April 20 , 2012.

          United Way of Summit County encourages everyone to LIVE UNITED. Each of us has the power to improve lives and advance the common good when we give, advocate and volunteer. For more information on how to give now, on programs and services in our community, or to volunteer, call your United Way of Summit County at (330) 762-7601, explore our website at www.uwsummit.org, or visit our offices at 90 N. Prospect St., Akron, Ohio.

United Way of Summit Co. Board, the best leaders anywhere! Another great meeting today - we share more in 1 hour than most groups can in 3

The Docs Who Rock DVDs are done! If you didn't pre-ordered a copy, contact our office and you can be enjoying the great music and fun from the 2011 show. http://ow.ly/8wocp

January is National Mentoring Month. Mentors change lives. Read about opportunities right here in Summit County. http://ow.ly/8kqdj

UNITED WAY VOLUNTEER CENTER RECOGNIZING NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH

Each January since 2002, National Mentoring Month has focused national attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of us—individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits—can work together to increase the number of mentors to assure brighter futures for our young people. Locally, United Way of Summit County Volunteer Center will be celebrating National Mentoring Month by actively recruiting volunteers interested in mentoring and highlighting agencies that have mentoring programs.

Volunteers who would like to mentor can call Andrea Metzler at the Volunteer Center at 330-643-5512 to find out more, or apply online at www.uwsummit.org.

 Some of the current mentoring opportunities include Akron Public Schools, Big Brother Big Sisters of Summit and Medina Counties, Goodwill Industries of Akron, Inc., On a Mission to Manhood, Open M, and The First Tee of Akron. Agencies that have mentoring programs not listed are encouraged to call the volunteer center to post their opportunities.

Among the events being held to celebrate National Mentoring month will be “HELP THEM GET THERE: BE A MENTOR,” a seminar hosted by 100 Black Men of America – Greater Akron Chapter and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Summit & Medina Counties, to be held on Saturday, January 21, 2012, from 12 noon to 3:00 pm at Helen Arnold Community Learning Center, 450 Vernon Odom Boulevard, Akron.

United Way of Summit County encourages everyone to LIVE UNITED. Each of us has the power to improve lives and advance the common good when we give, advocate and volunteer. For more information on how to give now, on programs and services in our community, or to volunteer, call your United Way of Summit County at (330) 762-7601, explore our website at www.uwsummit.org, or visit our offices at 90 N. Prospect St., Akron, Ohio.

We hope your 2012 is off to a great start! Congratulations to our Board member Christine Amer Mayer! http://ow.ly/8gA9T