11. Challenges with Implementing New
Model
Flexibility
Getting everyone on “board”
Communication
Moving in a new direction
Establishing more awareness on all areas
Determining more community initiatives inline with the
new model
Having a successful transition
17. Measurements of the Impact
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18. Life Long Impact for Tomorrow’s
Future
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Editor's Notes
The United Way of Lancaster County was established in 1925. It was first known as the Welfare Federation of Lancaster. Back then, it recognized the need to coordinate, maintain, and finance the human service agencies in the Lancaster area. This organization has now developed by focusing on the building blocks for a good quality of life centered around education, financial stability, and health. As the United Way of Lancaster website states, “we invite you to join us and LIVE UNITED.”
The mission of the United Way of Lancaster is “United Way is building a stronger Lancaster County by mobilizing the caring power of our community.”This mission focuses on establishing a commonality for everyone to help the community become a better place. With the mission comes goals, which provide a framework of togetherness for everyone within the community. To achieve goals thought, there has to be some type of path to follow.
The strategic plan of United Way of Lancaster is very simple, yet focuses on many areas that align with their mission and the impact they want to create in the community. There is emphasis on the following three areas, leadership, resources and results, and operational excellence. With such strategic plain, the United Way of Lancaster has been able to provide many opportunities for many in Lancaster County.
Within the United Way year, there are many events which focus on bringing the community together to continue bringing awareness. Many of these events have a fundraising aspect, but the main focus behind them is to engage the community into coming together as one. During some of these events, many bonds are created.
Events and the United Way wouldn’t be here though if it weren’t for the 4000-5000 volunteers that help every year. With the increased number of volunteer’s in the past five years, this organization has been able to continue assist those with needs even when they lost government funding and grants.
How do volunteer’s and many know how they can help their communities? United Way of Lancaster has a list of print publications such as newsletters and their online website where many go to see how they can help. It is important for volunteers to remain in the know with what is going on with the organization, and United Way ensures to continue spreading the word.
Now this organization would not have a sense of direction if it weren’t for the board of directors in place. There are approximately 50 board members with the majority of them being heavily involved with the organization. The board is currently under going some restructuring and it will be condensed to 25 members with seven executive committees.
How do you know about the United Way? Have you ever seen their billboards? Or perhaps a United Way volunteer came to your work and spoke to you about them? United Way of Lancaster works with many businesses within the Lancaster area to inform as many people about the organization and how they can help in donating to the organization. It can be time or money, whichever works for that individual.
In 2009, United Way adopted a new community impact model which focuses on determining a better way to allocate the funding provided to other organizations by United Way. The main purposes of this impact model is to target the needs at an early age to provide less chances of future risks. If an issue can be targeted at it’s roots, the likeliness of it coming back are much smaller.
A major focus on this impact model is how much change it will bring to the organization. Even though this organization has been established since 1925, it has undergone a lot of changes in that time. The current atmosphere is very process-oriented and a much more flexible atmosphere has to be established to ensure everyone understands how much more this new model will benefit the community.
There are many challengers with implementing the new model, as there is whenever implementing change. Challenges are not easy to overcome, but with different strategies in place, United Way of Lancaster will be able to make an effective transition where the impact of their work will be amplified in the community. So what is needed in order to overcome the challenges within the transition to the new model?
Collaborators! It is imperative that everyone works together through the change and is able to build upon one another. Synergy can be a great tool as everyone learns the new direction this organization is taking. It is important that everyone remains focused on the change and on the impact that such change is creating for many people. Finally, there has to be accountability for everyone involved. Working together, this organization will be able to successful transition to the new model and begin a new way of enhancing the Lancaster community.
Within the new model, one of the major changes involves the allocation process after a campaign. The allocation process is one that is taken very seriously. There are many changes involved with the new model that focus on determining which organizations are truly impacting the community and it will be imperative for organizations that receive funding to do some type of evaluation on how truly effective they are.
In order for the new model to be effective, United Way of Lancaster will have to ensure to determine how the different organizations receiving funding are targeting critical needs. These needs will be within the community and how these needs impact the community now and how they will impact in the future.
The new impact model is much more results oriented and focuses on the overall outcome. While this is a major aspect of the current strategy, United Way of Lancaster has to focus more on the results generated and how these are reducing the needs of the community. By setting the stage on results oriented approaches, hopefully other organizations will follow.
A major focus has to be placed on the shift from the way United Way of Lancaster provides funding to organization to what kind of impact is made by the funding. This once again focuses on that type of final outcome and how that outcome is impacting the community. The bigger the impact, the better it will be!
Finally, there has to be some type of measurement involved of the impact that is made. While there currently is a lot of impact within what United Way does, as the new model is implemented there will have to be some type of measurement of the impacts within the different level of the organization from volunteers to donor to the staff involved.
Everyone involved with United Way of Lancaster will have to come together and work very closely to ensure that this transition is effective. Overall, the biggest outcome of this is to provide better opportunities for tomorrow’s future. This community impact model is one that focuses on results and how United Way to help the Lancaster area.
