From Purpose to Impact
This year, United Way was proud to introduce and renew the following programs, initiatives and fundraising events that made an impact on children, families and our entire community.
To address pandemic learning loss, United Way of Central Indiana partnered with The Mind Trust in 2021 to launch Indy Summer Learning Labs, an enrichment program designed to boost learning over summer break and prepare students for the next grade. About 3,000 students participated the first year. The program is expanding for the summer of 2022, designed to reach up to 5,000 students at 40 locations, including community centers, churches and schools. The all-day program provides high-quality academic instruction and fun activities in a safe environment for Marion County students entering first through ninth grade. Students who participated the first year saw academic gains in English/language arts and math. Assessments taken before and after the program showed a 20 percentage point increase in basic and proficient scores in English/language arts and a 27 percentage point increase in basic and proficient math scores. The five-week program is primarily funded by $15.2 million in grants from the Indiana Department of Education. New York City plans to launch its own initiative, Summer Boost NYC, in 2022 – modeled after Indy Summer Learning Labs.
In the spring of 2020, the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation launched a $2.6 million fund to help students, families and educators in Marion County transition to e-learning as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. United Way of Central Indiana was one of 19 philanthropic organizations, educational groups and businesses to fund the initial project.
The initiative later grew into a pilot network to ensure students from low-income families had access to free, reliable high-speed internet at home.
Following the success of Indy Summer Learning Labs, United Way and The Mind Trust were brought into the pilot network project in the fall of 2021 to market the program directly to families and work with community partners to enroll them.
The result was Indynet, a network built in partnership with six Indianapolis schools and districts.
Outcomes from the pilot program will help local leaders develop long-term solutions to providing equitable at-home internet access.
One day last fall, volunteers mulched playgrounds, canvassed neighborhoods and stocked food pantries. They landscaped, assembled sack lunches and sorted donated shoes.
United Way of Central Indiana organized a community-wide day of service and volunteerism – Go All IN Day – on Sept. 9, 2021, sending volunteers to nonprofits, community groups and grassroots organizations across the region. More than 500 volunteers completed over 70 projects, from harvesting fresh produce to picking up trash.
For one project, United Way recruited 100 volunteers to assemble 800 care kits for homebound seniors hit hard by isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. Volunteers gathered at four locations – in Greencastle, Greenfield, Lebanon and United Way’s Indianapolis headquarters – to fill grocery tote bags with household supplies that SNAP benefits don’t cover. Families also signed up to help, assembling care packages at home and dropping them off at United Way.
CICOA Aging and In-Home Solutions helped deliver the care kits to homes and community centers across United Way’s seven-county service area.
United Way hosted its second Go All IN Day June 24, 2022, with more than 950 volunteers pitching in to help over 40 nonprofits, grassroots organizations and community groups.
From a stage inside Old National Centre, nearly two dozen vocalists of all ages belted out pop, country and rock.
Some 200 people cheered them on, with more watching live on social media.
On Oct. 19, 2021, United Way of Central Indiana hosted its first karaoke competition – CARE-oke – to benefit the ReadUP childhood literacy program. The event raised nearly $22,000.
Over the summer and into fall, 45 soloists and musical groups competed and fundraised virtually to try to win a spot as a finalist for the in-person contest. The competitors hailed from across the state, representing Allen, Boone, Crawford, Hamilton, Hendricks, Johnson and Marion counties.
At the end of the night, a panel of celebrity judges crowned the best singers, including an under-18 winner.
CARE-oke will return in November 2022, so start those vocal warm-ups.
United Way began assembling a group of parents and caregivers in early 2022 to hear directly from them.
The goals: to strengthen community leadership by investing in parents and better inform United Way’s initiatives and grantmaking.
Members of the Parent Advisory Council meet monthly to collaborate and share their voices, and they will serve as primary advisors for a pool of funds intended to support parents and caregivers in Central Indiana.
The council helps connect parents to one another as peer advocates for community solutions.
Several council members also will sit on various committees and workgroups to further incorporate their experiences into United Way’s decision making. “We want to have that community voice,” said Dionna El-Marshall, Family Opportunity project associate for United Way.
The council is modeled after similar groups at United Way of Greater Austin and Ascend at the Aspen Institute. Childcare, food and gift card stipends are provided to eliminate any barriers that could stand in the way of a parent participating.
The 16 council members came together for the first time in February and will continue to meet for one year. To help bring parent voices to the council, EmpowerED Families is a contracted advisor on the pilot program.
BASIC NEEDS
Food. Shelter. Health. Transportation. Most of us take these essentials for granted, but for many people these basic needs are in critically short supply or non-existent. Our Basic Needs work provides support to our most vulnerable neighbors and lifesaving assistance to those in crisis situations – helping those in immediate need survive today so they can thrive tomorrow.
Concord Neighborhood Center
Throughout Krista’s life, Concord Neighborhood Center has been a constant. As a kid, Krista participated in programs there. Now a mother of three, she brings her children to Concord, too. When she adopted her oldest two, Concord supported her through the process. And when the coronavirus pandemic hit, Concord provided necessary childcare so Krista could continue her job as an essential worker. Several of her cousins attended the neighborhood center, as did her uncle before them: "We’ve all been very involved with Concord since the beginning.” Krista’s family is like many at the neighborhood center: multiple generations – from toddlers to seniors – who have been going there for decades. Located on Indianapolis’ Southside, Concord Neighborhood Center serves residents living in 12.3-square-mile area from Washington Street to Thompson Road and between Interstate 65 and the White River. About 35,000 people – 13,000 households – live there, including families attending Perry Township and Indianapolis Public Schools.
Concord and United Way of Central Indiana have been partners for over a century, since United Way’s earliest days as a Community Chest. During the 2021-2022 grant cycle, United Way awarded Concord $150,000 from the Basic Needs Fund and $100,000 from the Family Opportunity Fund.
Concord got its start in the 1870s as a Turnverein, a German gymnastics club. It helped German immigrant families settle the area, followed by Jewish families and later Black and Appalachian families migrating from the South. Concord has always been a resident-led effort to help families settle and belong, work that continues today, said Hallie Robbins, Concord’s resource development coordinator: “We’re really still here to address the same needs and to give everyone the same access to meaningful opportunities.” The center helps people meet their basic needs – housing, transportation, food and health – to be self-sufficient and avoid crisis. It does that by providing financial assistance and helping people navigate various systems to access the resources they need. Concord takes its work a step further to ensure people have a quality of life that’s enriching and meaningful, Robbins said. Its core programs provide early childhood education, school-aged youth development, programming for middle schoolers and teens, family social services and senior enrichment.
Funding from United Way allows Concord to help its neighborhood in the way that works best for the community, Robbins said. Krista attended Concord from ages 2 to about 14. Now a medical assistant at a Veterans Affairs center, she credits Concord with playing a large role in her success. As she puts it, Concord, “kept me out of trouble, kept me off the streets and kept me safe.” Staff at Concord helped her with her schooling, kept her busy, and taught teamwork and life lessons. Krista went on outings, competed in a golf tournament and participated in a teen program – Now for the Future – that prepares kids for college and careers. When Krista went through the adoption process, Concord connected her to therapy services her family needed. When they’ve needed food, clothing or gifts for the children at Christmas, Concord has been there, she said. When schools closed during the pandemic, Concord stayed open and expanded its youth program to a full-day model. Krista’s oldest son was able to do his virtual schooling there, among 30 kids who did their online learning from Concord during the height of school closures. Concord also helped Krista apply for a grant to help cover the cost of childcare during the pandemic. “They've always opened their arms and welcomed me and anyone with me and done their best to help us in whatever way, whether it be food, financially, mentally, physically – anything,” Krista said. “… They've been very good to us.”
people received services allowing them to access or retain affordable housing
people accessed healthy food and nutrition programs
people accessed physical, mental and behavioral health services
Basic Needs Impact Fund Data: Reporting period 7/1/2020 to 6/30/2021 (Source: Census data 2020, 5-year estimates)
people accessed transportation services
2021-2022 Basic Needs Fund Grantees
Click below to see more information on total grant amounts and focus areas for each organization.
Family Opportunity
Intergenerational economic mobility lies at the heart of the American Dream.
Our Family Opportunity work supports integrated programs that improve the education, financial stability and overall health of the whole family. By intentionally working with parents, caregivers and children together, we create pathways for success and give families the tools needed to secure long-term stability and a brighter future.
Hawthorne Community Center
At church, the family prayed. Alma had decided to leave Chicago for Indianapolis. She was fleeing domestic violence and abuse, she said, and hoping for a new life for her family. She wanted to show her teenage daughter and two young sons that God was with them, that they could overcome. Before they left, they prayed that everything would be OK, that God would put the right people in their path to succeed in their new home. Alma had only $60 and a messenger bag with important documents inside, including a protective order, she said. In Indianapolis, a relative told them about Hawthorne Community Center and Rita Carlos, a family coach there. When Alma met Rita for the first time, she brought her messenger bag of documents. She cried as she told Rita her story. Rita began with baby steps, first helping the family find housing, food and utility assistance. After that, she and the Hawthorne team assisted in enrolling the children in school and getting grants to cover childcare costs. Alma said Hawthorne also connected the family to a therapist.
“Hawthorne is a really blessed place for families,” Alma said in Spanish, her daughter translating. “They have blessed us in many ways.” Alma and her family are part of Hawthorne’s 2Gen – short for two-generation – program. Developed by the Aspen Institute, 2Gen programming focuses on supporting the whole family, both children and their caregivers, to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Hawthorne’s 2Gen work brings together its youth programs and those aimed at helping adults achieve financial stability and employment. United Way’s Family Opportunity Fund has allowed Hawthorne to hire family coaches, who focus on helping households reach their goals, said Caleb Sutton, Hawthorne’s executive director. For the 2021-2022 funding cycle, United Way awarded Hawthorne $350,000 from the Family Opportunity Fund and $220,000 from the Basic Needs Fund. “Without the funding from United Way we wouldn’t be able to invest in family coaches,” Sutton said. “... It's really allowed us to go deeper with clients and really continue to have very meaningful long-term relationships.” Hawthorne Community Center has been serving families on Indianapolis’ west side since 1923. Today, it assists about 3,000 people annually and is also a Center for Working Families site. Alma’s daughter, Mariana, said Rita recommended a high school for her and helped the family get through the pandemic, which began shortly after they arrived in Indianapolis. In her junior year, Mariana began looking at college options but didn’t know what she wanted to study. She said she prayed for guidance on a career path. Then, she thought of Rita, how patient and friendly she’d been. “It’s a blessing to have that type of job. Every day, you’re doing something for someone,” Mariana said. “I want to do that.” When it came time to write her college admissions essay, Mariana wrote about her family and about Hawthorne. She wrote about Rita: “... I strongly feel she is responsible for changing the course of our life.”
Mariana wrote about how Rita inspired her, how she wants to become a social worker. “... I have developed a passion to be a resource for those in need,” she wrote. “I want to help others feel safe and use my ability to speak Spanish to connect with the community so they can benefit from my services.” A few months ago, Mariana was in the car with her mom when the notification popped up on her phone: her acceptance letter. She’ll start her freshman year at Indiana University Bloomington this fall with a full scholarship – on her way to becoming the first in her family to earn a college degree. In the car that day, Mariana looked at her mom, and they cried. They said another prayer. Only this time, it was one of gratitude.
Families served by the Family Opportunity Fund
Since 2019, the number of people served through the Family Opportunity Fund has increased by 40%
and the number of services provided increased 81%.
Of the 1,529 parents/caregivers enrolled in adult education, post-secondary, certification and military programs targeting high-wage and high-demand jobs, 1,359 people (89%) successfully completed their programs and certifications.
Centers for Working Families
Centers for Working Families are neighborhood sites where hardworking, low-income families can access a full range of services to help them achieve long-term financial stability.
people served by the Center for Working Families network
people received financial counseling
people received employment counseling
2021-2022 Center for Working Families sites
Barbara B. Jordan YMCA
CAFE
Edna Martin Christian Center Flanner House Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana Hawthorne Community Center Indianapolis Urban League John H. Boner Neighborhood Center Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center PACE Shepherd Community Center Southeast Community Services
2021-2022 Family Opportunity Fund Grantees
Click below to see more information on total grant amounts and focus areas for each organization.
Social Innovation
To better support and empower those in our community who are struggling to make ends meet, Social Innovation invests in testing of new ideas, approaches, programs and projects with the potential to deliver measurable and scalable impact on our community.
United Way looks to accelerate the cycle of innovation in our sector through the testing of promising practices that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our service delivery and outcomes. Social Innovation establishes an opportunity to capture the best, brightest and most innovative approaches to combat poverty in our community, especially those that support equity and community collaborations.
Latinas Welding Guild
Inside the shop, sparks flew.
Women aimed welding guns at hunks of metal, their guns sizzling and popping. Helmets shielded their eyes.
One evening in April, an instructor timed the women as they practiced for their upcoming welding certification test. Now at the end of their coursework, the dozen women would soon be joining 87 others who have completed training at the Latinas Welding Guild – nearly 100 welders in all. Consuelo Lockhart founded the nonprofit in 2017 to create a safe space for women to learn to weld and break into the male-dominated industry. Less than 6% of welders in the U.S. are women, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Department of Labor. "The industry itself is still kind of backwards. There is a lot of harassment and racism that happens within the workforce,” said Lockhart, the guild’s executive director. “Our goal is to improve that and make a positive impact on the industry itself, while also being able to give women the opportunity to start a career for themselves.”
Latinas Welding Guild received $143,000 from United Way’s Social Innovation Fund in November 2021, one of 14 organizations awarded grants.
The funding has allowed the guild to pilot an equitable employment program, Lockhart said. She’s building a team of advisors who will help identify healthy and respectful workplaces. The goal is to create a pipeline, training and certifying women in welding and then placing them in work environments that have human resources departments and harassment policies in place. Latinas Welding Guild will continue to support women after they’ve started working, and if an issue arises, work with the welder and the employer to ensure the problem is resolved, Lockhart said.
"Latinas Welding Guild shows us that investing in innovation in our communities has the ability to create meaningful work for women across varying backgrounds and disrupt inequities of the past,” said Jonathan Jones, United Way’s senior director of social innovation. “As we continue to invest in innovative approaches, we create new possibilities for the future while broadening horizons of our neighbors."
Inside the guild’s Indianapolis shop, flags representing some of the women’s countries hang from the ceiling: Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru. Lockhart was born in Guatemala and raised in Michigan. She fell in love with welding while first learning the process for a project in art school. Today, her nonprofit offers ten-week courses that cover welding basics and prepare participants for certification testing. The guild has placed about a dozen women into jobs, including fabrication work and at structural steel facilities. A functional artist, Lockhart has also mentored women on how to build proposals, select materials, measure, cut, fit, weld, finish and install: “They’ve been able to see the entire process.” The guild aims to help low- to moderate-income women, with scholarships available. Graciela Suarez discovered the Latinas Welding Guild by chance three years ago when she met Lockhart at a library event. She began as a student, and now she’s a Spanish-language welding instructor and teacher’s assistant there.
Suarez said careers in welding and mechanics are viewed unequally – more for men than for women. In addition to teaching the welders the technical aspects of the work, Suarez teaches them they have a community of other women working in the field. “... Above all they learn to have self-confidence … to know that they can achieve and do this job,” Suarez said in Spanish, with Lockhart translating.
adults and youth served
of Social Innovation partners are not already accredited by United Way of Central Indiana
2021-2022 Social Innovation Fund Grantees
Click below to see more information on total grant amounts and focus areas for each organization.
Sector Support
A stronger human service sector makes for sustained long-term impact and improved quality of life across our community.
United Way is grateful for support from Lilly Endowment Inc. and others for supporting the sector with grants for capacity building, infrastructure, leadership development and technology for community organizations tackling the most complex issues facing Central Indiana.
The Arc of Greater Boone County
The roofs were roughly three decades old. Ice dams formed in winter. Leaks had begun to seep. But in March 2022, The Arc of Greater Boone County was able to replace two aging roofs on their buildings in Lebanon with help from a more than $50,000 grant from United Way of Central Indiana’s Facilities Maintenance Fund. The Arc also received $32,500 from the Technology Fund in 2021, which in part allowed staff to replace old computer equipment and switch to a cloud-based server, improving security and making access easier for remote workers. “As a small provider, we obviously have a reasonably tight and small budget,” said Pam Verbarg, The Arc’s executive director. “These funds have really helped us to be able to do things that we would otherwise have to save for, sometimes over several years." Technology and Facilities Maintenance are two of six sector support initiatives United Way provides – with backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. – to help accredited nonprofits respond to emergencies, support staff, improve infrastructure and technology, and make both planned and unexpected repairs.
Verbarg said United Way staff helped throughout the grant process, answering questions, conducting a technology assessment, homing in on The Arc’s top needs. As for facility maintenance, Gary Woodworth, United Way’s community impact director for infrastructure, visited the nonprofit to help staff figure out what to prioritize and connected them with vendors, Verbarg said. Incorporated in 1970, The Arc serves those with intellectual and developmental disabilities – with the goal of helping people live as independently as possible. The nonprofit also assists pregnant women and families with children under age 5 through the WIC Program. In all, it reaches more than 800 people in Boone County and the surrounding areas. The Arc runs day programs and an art program, offers training in life skills, supports people in their own homes, helps adults get jobs and assists students in finding career paths. Work services participants there also make bird feeders for The Mr. Canary Company, a Carmel-based small business that sells the feeders throughout the country. The Arc replaced roofs on two buildings: one that houses its day services programs and another for work skills training, which includes production of Mr. Canary. Inside, clients drill, fill and package the bird feeders. Technology funding from United Way – along with a government grant awarded to The Arc in partnership with the city – also will allow the nonprofit to build a lending library program so participants can borrow tablets outside regular hours. They’ll take virtual classes using the tablets, learn skills in group sessions and socialize. Verbarg said people with disabilities are at greater risk of lacking access to technology. “Having that lending library is going to be a helpful way for those individuals to be able to access technology – and access other people,” she said.
Equity Action
With the addition of our Equity Action Initiative, United Way is expanding the breadth and inclusion of our grant making, building on the existing capacity of our community’s grassroots, grass tops and faith-based organizations, strengthening our pipeline of leaders of color in human services, and rooting equity across our entire portfolio of work.
United Way’s Grassroots and Faith-Based Data Initiative
Denise Luster saw a need. A couple years ago, she was talking with several grassroots organizations when they explained reporting and data collection standards were a barrier to competing for funding – not just with United Way, but other funders, too. They were smaller groups and didn't have the staffing or resources to track and report on data outcomes required by many funders in the Central Indiana community. “That put them at a disadvantage,” said Luster, United Way’s vice president of impact research and data analytics. So she began talking with other leaders in the organization and thinking: How could United Way partner with these groups, learn from them and lend the expertise of United Way’s reporting and analytics team? The result: the Grassroots and Faith-Based Data Initiative.
Since May 2021, United Way’s reporting and analytics staff – called the Strategic Information team – has been working with five grassroots organizations to improve their ability to collect and analyze data about their work and the people they serve. The data is important: Organizations use it to make decisions. The program is for small to midsize organizations led by or serving people of color. “That’s part of our equity work here at United Way, because we realize those groups that have been … left behind have been those grassroots organizations who really are at the forefront in those communities,” Luster said. Participating organizations had the opportunity to receive United Way grant funding for access to Efforts to Outcomes, a nonprofit data system that typically costs thousands of dollars. Where organizations really benefited, though, was having United Way’s research team behind them, helping them develop strategies to collect client and program data, customize their data systems, understand outcomes, build reports and train staff, Luster said. “For most grassroots organizations, when they have money and resources, they want to pour it into those clients – they want to pour it into the families,” she said. “Having a data person is probably the least of the things they’re able to do. But with the help of United Way, we’ve been able to provide that assistance.” Mount Carmel Church, one of the grant recipients, has used the partnership to track more client and service data on its food pantry program. Located in a food desert on Indianapolis’ Far Eastside, the church noticed an increased need for its pantry in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this year, Mount Carmel was donating about 38 pounds of groceries weekly to more than 30 families, said the Rev. Lola Bartlett. The church also gives away fresh produce grown in its garden, Father’s Farm. Using tablets, church members log data into the Efforts to Outcomes system as people pick up food. Beyond collecting demographics, they’re able to track information on which foods and how much of it is heading out the door, said Tanya Johnson, the church’s chief of staff. They can also see how clients are served over time and where they live in the church’s service area. That helps the church understand its impact in the community and tell its story better, she said. When people ask Luster why it’s important to track data, she explains that every number is a person, a family: “The next step is finding out, what do I know about that human being? What do I know in terms of their demographics? What do I know in terms of their needs?” When organizations track who their clients are and the services they receive, the data paints a picture of the need and how organizations can have an impact in their community. “That’s the importance of disaggregating the data,” said Luster. “Disaggregation of the data tells the story behind the story.”
Public Policy
Advocacy strengthens Indiana’s early care and education sector
United Way of Central Indiana went into the 2022 session of the Indiana General Assembly with the goal of improving access to early childhood education, housing, transportation and mental health services. A key achievement: the approval of House Enrolled Act 1093 (Education Matters). Through grassroots mobilization, public testimony and direct lobbying of key legislators, United Way of Central Indiana successfully led the advocacy efforts of the Early Education Works coalition in support of the bill. Its passage resulted from partnerships with the Indiana General Assembly and the governor’s office to realize a core component of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Next Level Agenda. This legislation will address growing shortages in Indiana’s early care and education workforce, empower the Early Learning Advisory Committee (ELAC) to address child care access and kindergarten readiness and enable ELAC to evaluate early education licensure requirements. Now, United Way and Early Education Works are preparing for the 2023 legislative session – a budget year.
Here’s a look at United Way’s action on other key legislation:
Child Care Assistance and Eligibility
Through public testimony, United Way of Central Indiana successfully advocated in support of House Enrolled Act 1361 to prevent families who receive Child Care Development Fund assistance from losing benefits due to a student in the home earning income up to $15,000 through programming geared toward furthering their education/training.
Affordable Housing and Evictions
Alongside Prosperity Indiana and the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition, United Way advocated for increased access to safe, reliable, affordable housing. Key legislation approved during the session includes two bills: House Enrolled Act 1306 creates a new task force charged with reviewing issues related to housing and housing shortages in Indiana. A representative from the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition will serve on the task force. House Enrolled Act 1214 seals eviction filing records when the case doesn’t go to court or is found in the tenant’s favor; requires courts to track and compile data on this; and requires all emergency rental assistance programs create a designated landlord application process.
Mental Health
In partnership with Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers, NAMI Indiana and Mental Health America of Indiana, United Way tracked the progress of mental health legislation this session. Of these bills, approved legislation includes House Enrolled Act 1222, Senate Enrolled Act 84 and Senate Enrolled Act 284. This legislation will help increase access to mental health services for Hoosiers and collect data to inform future policies.
Transportation, Food Security and Financial Stability
United Way of Central Indiana worked closely with our partners at Transit Drives Indy, Indiana United Ways, Feeding Indiana’s Hungry and Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute on issues including transportation, predatory lending and food access. Through collaboration and mobilization of grassroots advocates, damaging legislation was stopped including:
- bills and amendments trying to stop expansion of bus rapid transit in Marion County;
- a bill that would have expanded predatory lending practices; and
- a bill that would have limited access to SNAP benefits.
United Way of Central Indiana
2955 North Meridian Street, Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN 46208 317-923-1466 Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday United Way of Central Indiana is a 501(c)3 U.S. nonprofit organization.