A good year for United Way of Johnson and Washington counties

Serving as Interim President & CEO United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties has been a positive learning experience. It has been interesting and fun. I know more about and place greater value on the work of our 31 partner agencies; I'm in awe of the quantity and quality of volunteer service delivered; I feel secure knowing about our disaster preparedness; and I'm grateful for the businesses and people in our communities who contribute money and so much more.

In just this year, we received 192 new computers from an anonymous donor allowing us, our partner agencies and many other non-profit organizations in Johnson and Washington counties to upgrade technology. We received 'new to us” desks and office chairs from West Bank when they moved. Annually we receive in-kind design services from Benson & Hepker Design, printing from Tru Art and RR Donnelley, rent consideration from Ambrose Properties, legal services from Pugh Hagan Prahm PLC, and catering and gift cards from Fresh Food Concepts (Bread Garden, Joseph's, Mondo's Draft House). We receive help when we ask for it. Like storage space at Garage Mahaul and Quality Care, use of a room at Hills Bank for training, a board meeting room from the University of Iowa, the cafeteria at the University of Iowa Community Credit Union for our celebration. The list could go on.

What I didn't know before this year is what sound investments these contributions are and what a good steward United Way is of our investments. I didn't know the impact of the initiatives and volunteer services funded by the United Way or how important United Way funding is to our partner agencies. Here is what I've learned:

Stewardship: According to Charity Navigator, the best charities spend no more than 17.5 percent on administration and fundraising. In our last reported fiscal year, we spent only 15.2 percent. That, coupled with our accountability and transparency metrics earned us the coveted 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator.

Impact: Healthy Kids, started at United Way, now has over a $1 million endowment. Last year 232 kids received medical, dental, mental health, or vision care they couldn't have gotten without the Healthy Kids initiative.

This year we worked with MidWestOne Bank and piloted the Money $mart program. Thirty of the 40 people who started the program graduated and many are now banking for the first time.

As part of our Out-of-School Time initiative, this year we started to build the Summership endowment with the Community Foundation of Johnson County. Every year, it will send 84 kids who otherwise couldn't have gone, to an academic, sports, art or other camp.

The United Way's Volunteer Center led to more than 80,000 hours of volunteer service across Johnson and Washington counties.

United Way is an organization that runs on volunteers. Our board of directors, our Campaign Chair (Eadie Fawcett Weaver), our 20-member Campaign Cabinet, our 12 member Community Impact Council, which evaluates all the agency applications and visits all 31 partner agencies - they all are volunteers.

Allocation: This may be the most important thing I've learned. The money we raise that is designated to our partner agencies and the money we allocate to them saves them fundraising time and cost so they can focus on what they do best: providing direct service to the community. Plus we pay our allocations out in 12 monthly installments in support of their overall mission and operation.

So much of the grant money they can apply for is tied to specific programs. It is easier to find funding for the exciting, new thing than it is to find funding to support routine operations. United Way funding makes a huge difference to an agency in that respect.

It's been a good year. We made our Campaign for the Common Good goal. We started something new and important - Summerships. We made new friends and reconnected with some old ones. We worked with our partner agencies to use standard improvement progress measures for income, education and health. We got better and more efficient at what we do.

I've enjoyed this year and look forward to, as a volunteer, helping to introduce the community to the new President and CEO when she arrives June 1. The staff and volunteers are ready to use what we all accomplished this year as a springboard to another great year.

' Mary Westbrook is Interim President and CEO of the United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties. Comments: mary.westbrook@unitedwayjwc.org