2015 Annual Report

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County

UNITEDWAYABC.ORG FACEBOOK.COM/UNITEDWAYABC

TWITTER.COM/UNITEDWAYABC

GREAT THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE LIVE UNITED

One year ago, we hosted a GradNation Summit. At this event, we heard from local and national experts about community and school partnerships that serve the whole child and prepare them to be college and career ready. In many ways, this event was the first public demonstration of an important shift we’ve made in how we fulfill our commitment to reducing the impact of poverty on people’s lives and strengthening our community. Leveraging the power of our Competitive Grants, NC 2-1-1 and Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, we are accelerating the work of our Middle School Success initiative: building partnerships that support students, their families AND their neighbors.

Thank you for your generous gifts to United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County. Your contributions, and your time, are

powerful demonstrations of your commitment to our community, and a great example of what it means to LIVE UNITED!

When you give to United Way’s Community Investment Fund, you are telling others that YOU BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PEOPLE, WORKING TOGETHER, TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY STRONGER.

UNITE PEOPLE. IMPROVE LIVES.STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY.

M I D D L E S C H O O LSUCCESS

EDUCATIONINCOMEHEALTH

CompetitiveGrants

Throughout this report, you will see how your support fuels our mission to unite people, improve lives and strengthen our community. Right here, where the people you care about live.

If you ever have any questions give us a call at 828-255-0696 or email us at info@unitedwayabc.org. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

We believe our community is a better place when children are strong, healthy and successful. We all benefit when they graduate from high school, college and career ready. We also believe that to have the best shot at a good life, it’s important that a student’s family and community are strong and healthy too.

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County is working with the Asheville Buncombe Middle Grades Network, a partnership between Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools, nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education. This partnership is building collaborative hubs of resources, at first within three pilot schools - Enka, Erwin and Asheville Middle, and eventually across Buncombe County. These resources serve students, families and community members living within each district.

1. EARLY WARNING AND RESPONSE SYSTEM (EWRS) We are in the testing phase of a new dashboard system that helps teachers, coaches, mentors and tutors see how each student is performing around attendance, behavior and course grades. EWRS uses a simple Red/Yellow/Green alert so we can see which students are doing well and which students are off course. But it isn’t enough to just know if a student is falling behind; we have to connect students AND their families to services and tools to help ensure they succeed.

2. RESOURCE COORDINATORS We placed the first Resource Coordinator at Enka Middle School in the fall of 2015 and in fall 2016, Erwin and Asheville will get one each as well. Resource Coordinators champion the EWRS and organize community resources: financial literacy, health screenings and out of school events that support kids, their families and community.

3. WHO GOT YOU THROUGH? Middle schoolers with a supportive community are more engaged in class, make better grades, attend school regularly and have a better chance at graduating high school on time. That’s why we are recruiting a second shift of caring adults with the “Who Got You Through?” campaign by sharing the stories of kids, and the adults who are making a difference in their lives.

THREE KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2015 A family meal and financial education at Enka Middle

M I D D L E S C H O O LSUCCESS

WHO GOT

YOUTHROUGH?

Whether you play a lead or supporting role, it takes all of us to help them get through middle school.

HANDSONASHEVILLE.ORG/MIDDLESCHOOLJoin Us

CALL TO ACTION

EDUCATIONINCOMEHEALTH

CompetitiveGrants

We believe it is important that our community has a strong safety net that supports the education, financial stability and health of everyone in our community, from infants to elders.

Our competitive grants program prioritizes funding for programs that:

• Increase learning through early childcare centers

• Help youth strengthen their social and basic life skills

• Improve adult literacy, language and vocational skills

• Remove barriers to safe, affordable housing

• Prevent violence and abuse

• Increase access to primary, behavioral and dental healthcare

For the full list of programs funded during the 2015-16 fiscal year: unitedwayabc.org/funded_programs

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2015 SAW BIG CHANGES TO OUR STATEWIDE SYSTEM TWO IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN 2015

We believe in the transformative power of volunteerism. It is an experience that can change how we view and interact with the world around us and gives each of us the chance to be a “force for good”.

This is why we promote volunteerism, create easier ways to channel volunteers to area

nonprofits and share continuing education and best practices among volunteer managers.

1. DAY OF CARING IS NOW “DAYS OF IMPACT”. After a 24-year run, Day of Caring is getting a reboot! Beginning in 2016, we will host two, three-day events (spring and fall). These service days will feature more projects that connect volunteers to the mission of each site.

2. WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE! We’ve partnered with a local company, Galaxy Digital, to create a fantastic new MOBILE friendly website. There are so many things to love about it. One great feature is the “volunteer resume” people can produce - great for students and job seekers alike!

VISIT HANDSONASHEVILLE.ORG AND CREATE A FREE VOLUNTEER ACCOUNTSign up for all kinds of volunteer projects. When you do, log your hours. You’ll see the impact you and others are having on our community!

We believe everyone deserves to have someone really listen to their story and work hard to help them succeed.

This is why our 2-1-1 information and referral specialists are trained to listen to the spoken and unspoken parts of a caller’s story. By actively listening to these cues, we ensure

each of 50,000+ calls we handle annually get high-quality information for their unique situation.

“I HAD NO IDEA 2-1-1 EXISTED” We NEVER want to hear those words so help us spread the word! Promote 2-1-1 social media. Link to us on your website. Distribute brochures in your break-room, lobby, faith or neighborhood gathering.

NC 2-1-1 has two call centers - one in Durham and one here at United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County. As a part of a statewide restructuring process, the Asheville call center took on a larger footprint in the western North Carolina region. We now serve 16 counties and will eventually cover 23.

For our staff, this means we not only answer calls from a wider geographic area, we are also actively identifying and building regional partnerships that will better serve our community.

HOMELESSNESS AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTSEarly in the year, Highlands Circle members assembled for a lunch and learn where they heard from local school officials about the impact of homelessness on more than 700 students in our community.

At this event, members were reminded how their donations to United Way’s Community Investment Fund are used to provide grants to local nonprofits addressing issues like homelessness, how we connect people to resources with our 2-1-1 call center and how Middle School Success will become an important strategy addressing these kinds of issues for students, families and community at three pilot middle schools. Then, our volunteer center team at Hands On Asheville-Buncombe connected Highlands Circle members to a project working with a funded partner, Homeward Bound, to collect household items and move a family of five from a shelter into their own home.

HIGHLANDS CIRCLEUnited Way’s affinity group for leaders in their 20s and 30s.

In 2015 the group decided to learn more about one issue, homelessness, and build volunteer activities to take action on it. Here is that story:

Join: contact kristina.dionne@unitedwayabc.org

HIGHLANDS CIRCLE IS TEN YEARS OLD! Thank you to some of our first members and drivers of this group: Bradley Hines, Al Davis, Meredith and Jeff Switzer, Julie Smith and Kelly Brandon.

LEADING THE CHARGE: MIDDLE SCHOOL SUCCESSOur WLC members are active in our work - especially our Middle School Success initiative.

Last year, they helped us get more than 1,700 books into the hands of local middle school students during the holidays. They assembled fully stocked backpacks for 1,350 local students as they headed off to their first day of school. And, several members continue to step up, serving as mentors at the Enka Middle Girls In Charge group.

WHAT CAN WLC MEMBERS EXPECT IN 2016? We will have some deeper engagement opportunities - to learn about the issues local students and families face and volunteer sessions where we’ll connect with students one on one.

Join: contact elizabeth.allen@unitedwayabc.org

Networking socials, group volunteer experiences and opportunities to work individually with area students are just some of the ways WLC members give back to our community.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP COUNCILNationally, WLC members are a force to be reckoned with.

This is true locally as well. In just its second year, this group of powerful and committed women are 208 members strong and have raised nearly $300,000 last year alone.

PEAKS SOCIETY & ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLETogether our Peaks and Alexis de Tocqueville Societies donate half of the dollars we raise each year. The Peaks Society added 145 new members and our Tocqueville members grew to 63. Tocqueville alone is approaching $1.1 million in gifts! Of every dollar invested in our work: Competitive Grants, Middle School Success, NC 2-1-1 and Hands On – half comes from the collective generosity of these groups.

Many of these same donors lead volunteer efforts at their workplace, attend Hands On volunteer projects and serve on our board and committees. By choosing to give, advocate and volunteer, they really do exemplify what it means to LIVE UNITED!

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERISMOur volunteer center provides a variety of opportunities for Asheville-Buncombe businesses to engage employees in meaningful service in our focus areas of education, income and health. Whether it’s coordinating a one-time event or a series of projects, Hands On engages teams of coworkers in meaningful ways to give back to the community they love.

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In 2015, we helped 907 volunteers from 50 companies connect to projects at 89 schools and nonprofits. Engage your coworkers through volunteerism. Contact info@handsonasheville.org for more information.

Visit: unitedwayabc.org/leadership-giving Duke Energy at Enka Middle Bank of America at Enka Middle

Epsilon at Erwin Middle

Statement of Financial Position - June 30, 2015

ASSETSCurrent Assets as of June 30, 2015

Cash and equivalents $197,197

Campaign Pledges $1,444,876

Other Receivables $156,245

Prepaid Expenses $23,256

Total Current Assets $1,821,574

Other Assets

Investments $1,281,878

Beneficial Interest in an Endowment Fund $1,493,158

Property and Equipment - net $2,060,450

Total Other Assets $4,835,486

Total Assets $6,657,060

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETSCurrent Liabilities as of June 30, 2015

Line of Credit $398,600

Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities $186,484

Allocations Payable $2,208,000

CFC Custodial Account $160,528

Total Current Liabilities $2,953,612

Net Assets

Unrestricted

• Undesignated $270,142

• Investment in Property and Equipment $2,060,450

• Board Designated $1,281,878

Total Unrestricted $3,612,470

Temporarily Restricted $90,978

Total Net Assets $3,703,448

Total Liabilities and Net Assets $6,657,060

Carter, P.C. conducted the 2014-15 audit of United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, expressing an unmodified opinion on these financial statements. For a copy: unitedwayabc.org/fiscal-transparency

I am so proud to work with CEO David Bailey and all the UW staff, who each are curious, determined and compassionate. Our mountain home is vitally strengthened by connecting generous donors, vulnerable neighbors and people who know how to help. Our Middle School Success initiative proves that we all can create measurable, life-changing and life-saving results in people’s lives, one person at a time. Extraordinary

community transformation happens when we approach every ordinary day with passion and caring. Dr. Leon Elliston, Board Chair

UNDE

RWRI

TERS LEADERSHIP GIVING

G O L DDixon Hughes Goodman LLP Northwestern Mutual Asheville

S I L V E RMission Health

CAMPAIGNG O L DCarePartners Health Services Mission Health UNC Asheville

S I L V E RAB-Tech Carolina Alliance BankAllergy Partners P.A. HomeTrust Bank Arby’s Mills ManufacturingAsheville Savings Bank US Cellular Bank of America

Derek Allen Dennis KingPamela Baldwin, EdD Bruce LawCynthia Breyfogle Stacy MillettTracy Buchanan Sara PacificiScott Burnette Ann RayDeborah Calhoun Ross SloanTaylor Foss Sally SteinCatherine Frank, PhD Susanne SwangerAndy Gmitter Ben TeagueMary Grant Eric TrepinaNeal Hanks Brian TurnerPhillip Hardin Barbara WhitehornLaurel Jernigan David Wiggins

Tracey Johnston-Crum

BOARD MEMBERS2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Leon Elliston, MDChair-Elect Kit CramerVice Chair Paul McDowellTreasurer Paul McDowellSecretary Jennie EblenPast Chair Suzanne DeFerieDirector Amy BarryDirector Bill LeeDirector Ann Young

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEAnnual Campaign Jason WallsCompetitive Grants Amy Barry

Linda Kendall FieldsFinance/Building Paul McDowellNominating Leon Elliston, MDStrategic Planning Kit CramerNC 2-1-1 Kevin McDonaldAdvocacy Jennie EblenMember Emeritus Glenn W. WilcoxAt-Large Member Audrey JohnsonEx Officio Member Amy Renigar

Ann Young

STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRS

COMMUNITY INVESTMENTP L A T I N U M

G O L DBlue Ridge X-Ray CompanyDuke Energy ProgressTD Bank Foundation

Dr. Leon Elliston Taylor Foss

Dr. Pam Baldwin Tracey Johnston-Crum

Bruce Law Sally Stein

MEDIAP R E M I E R

S I L V E RAsheville Citizen-Times

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County

50 S. French Broad AveAsheville, NC 28801-3271

NON-PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDASHEVILLE, NCPERMIT NO. 151

Thank You

When you lend your muscle, raise your voice or make your gift, you are fueling a vision to advance the common

good. When you join others—co-workers, family, friends, faith communities, civic groups, government and nonprofit

organizations—to improve the lives of those around you, our entire community becomes stronger and we all have a

better quality of life. THANK YOU! BECAUSE GREAT THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE LIVE UNITED.

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