RD Connections Newsletter: Special edition on United Way's Education Platform and the National Education Town Hall

United Way
Worldwide

United Way and Education

National Education Town Hall

As part of United Way's focus on education and to reach one of our 2018 goals of cutting in half the number of young people who drop out of high school, United Ways around the country have been listening to everyday Americans in small, grassroots community conversations. We've started a dialogue on education that will make a difference in young people's lives all across the country.

On March 31, 2011, we're bringing people together for the United Way Education Town Hall so we can reflect back the voices of Americans, discuss the implications of what we heard with national, state, and local leaders, and announce some important steps that United Way and our partners are willing to take to try to make a difference on the issues that people said they care about the most.

The United Way Education Town Hall is a live, webcasted town hall that will be hosted by CNN's Soledad O'Brien. Joining her are U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Melody Barnes along with leaders from corporations and nonprofits for a discussion about how we can create opportunities for children and youth to succeed. Among the impressive group of participants are:

Patrick Corvington, CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service
Margaret McKenna, President, Walmart Foundation
Alma Powell, Chair, and Michael Powell, Board Member, America's Promise Alliance
Barry Salzberg, CEO, Deloitte LLP
Sterling Speirn, President & CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Ann Stallard, Chair, U.S. Board of Trustees, United Way Worldwide

Click here to join the live webcast on March 31st @ 10:00 am eastern time.

Click here for more information on the Education Town Hall.

Make education a priority and spread the word to your peers, your donors, your family and friends and help United Way reach our 2018 goal of cutting in half the high school drop out rate.

United Way Women's Leadership Council Commits to Early Grade Reading

by Linda Paulson

United WayWomen's Leadership Summit was a great success! With a sell out crowd, 300 women (and a few great men) joined together to launch the next decade of United Way Women's Leadership Councils. Women's Leadership Council picture The group met with a steadfast focus to strengthen locally, unite nationally and think globally. Stellar speakers included Dr. Johnnetta Cole; Nell Newman (daughter of Paul Newman); Brian Gallagher, and The Honorable Linda Tarr-Whelan. The summit also included great panel discussions:

· The Education Panel was moderated by Cynthia Round included Lesley Chilcott, (thanks Randy Punley), Susan Taylor, (thanks Stacey Stewart), Leslie Sanchez (thanks Deborah Price), an award winning teacher and our own Stacey Stewart.

· The Corporate Social Responsibility Panel was moderatedbySue Parks - Summit Co-Chair which featured several of the Summit Sponsors including UPS, Macy's, and Wells Fargo; as well as perspectives from Atul Tandon.

· Women Lead the Way reflection panel moderated by Juana Slade, who is now, Chair of the United Way National Women's Leadership Council and included great insights of Ann Stallard and Deborah Foster.

The United Way National Women's Leadership Council (NWLC) invited all United Way Women's Leadership Councils to join together to help tackle the high-school drop out rate through a national focus on early grade literacy. Participants were inspired to action and excited to take their new strategies and ideas back home. The NWLC looks forward to participating in the United Way Education Town Hallon March 31^st to announce their new commitment to early grade literacy.

Loyal Contributors: Did you know...

by Louise Kenny

Did you know...

· Loyal Contributors are outstanding prospects to be readers, tutors and mentors as part of the 1,000,000 Reader/Tutor/Mentor Challenge. Participate in the Loyal Contributors from UW Miami-Dade March 31, 2011 Education Town Hall to find out how you can engage your Loyal Contributors.

· Loyal Contributors make, on average, twice as large a gift as the average UW donor.

· Loyal Contributors offer outstanding Lifetime Donor Value.

o they give larger gifts

o they give over many years (they are retained better, lower churn)

o they are prime prospects to increase their gifts if we thank and cultivate them and give them reasons why they should support our Community Impact work

o they are prime candidates to volunteer and advocate (and this will further their commitment and generosity to support our work)

o they are the best prospects to make a bequest to United Way

· Some United Ways with Loyal Contributor programs are reporting increased annual gifts when Loyal Contributors are specifically thanked (especially when they are sent personal thank you notes).

· Over 225 United Ways are asking their Loyal Contributors to self identify and we have over 325,000 self identified Loyal Contributors with new ones added every day. View list of UWs with a Loyal Contributor program.

· You can expand the list of your Loyal Contributors beyond those who self identify. United Ways are identifying donors who have been giving for 10 years or more (starting in 2000) in their database. When you fill out this year's DBII survey, be sure to include these Loyal Contributors as well, not only those who have self identified.

· If you don't have one, you should start a Loyal Contributor program NOW, as your United Way is working on 2011 plans. The most important thing you can do now is provide ways for your Loyal Contributors to self identify, mainly on pledge forms but also on your website and on ID forms.

· You can stay connected to what others are doing to grow their numbers of Loyal Contributors, how they are cultivating them and new materials and ideas from UWW on the Loyal Contributor listserv.

· You can call or email Louise Kenny (703-836-7112 Ext. 570) for more information or to share what you are doing to identify, thank, celebrate, cultivate and solicit your Loyal Contributors.

-View forms and other Loyal Contributor materials you can customize and print

-View a recent webinar about the results of Loyal Contributor programs in Des Moines and Miami and how they are thanking and cultivating their Loyal Contributors.