After 85 years of impact in our community, we’ve made some changes, and 2023 was all about putting those changes into action. In this year-end review, we reflect on our collective accomplishments and look ahead to 2024.
Our New Way Forward
After hundreds of community conversations, Town Hall meetings, legislative briefings, and meetings with other community stakeholders, we’ve taken some bold steps forward, officially launching our new strategy and the 124 partner organizations that will take us into the next phase of our growth in our 12 focus communities. The strategy has been covered in numerous publications from The Boston Globe to Philanthropy News Digest.
Introducing…our new partners!
As part of our new approach to community impact, we awarded $255,000 in unrestricted Community Action Grants to 17 small but mighty local coalitions and grassroots organizations that are deeply embedded in specific neighborhoods and communities throughout our region. We enlisted community members to help select recipients and used the learnings in the larger process of selecting agencies to be part of our next funding cycle.
This process introduced us to small, grassroots organizations and community coalitions as well as solidifying the bonds we have had with partners who have been with us for years. In October, we announced the final 124 community and policy partners who will be with us for the next 7 years of United Way’s impact – Find out who we’ve chosen to work with!
In 2023, we completely revamped our grantmaking process, with a focus on community input, engaging racially diverse leadership and reaching partners where they are.
Economic Inclusion & Wealth Building
This year, we watched as Guaranteed Basic Income pilots popped up around the country, proof points to support our firm belief that given the means, individuals can manage their money to improve their lives. An evaluation of the Chelsea Eats program, the largest guaranteed income pilot of its kind in the country and created out of a partnership between United Way, Chelsea City Manager Tom Ambrosino and the Shah Family Foundation, found that receiving even a small amount of money per month led to significant improvements in food security.
Matched Savings programs help low-to-moderate-income families build savings and progress toward financial well-being by matching their deposits with funds provided by state, federal, and philanthropic funders. In partnership with The Midas Collaborative, we are leading the Matched Savings Coalition which is advocating for a statewide Matched Savings program, H.1023; S.628. The bill was filed at the state of this legislative cycle and is progressing through the legislature. Learn about why matched savings matters. If you are interested in raising your voice and advocating for the Matched Savings bill visit the Matched Savings website.
Early Education & Out-of-School Time
In 2023, 17,000 children were enrolled in early education and care or receiving support services, and 2000 children in 30 communities were connected to summer programming.
This year, in partnership with Senators Markey and Warren, we celebrated a $1.3M federal earmark for family childcare providers. Family childcare providers play a critical role in the states’ economy, offering safe and affordable quality childcare. This enables parents to work with peace of mind, leading to increased productivity and a sustainable labor market in Massachusetts. Additionally, affordable childcare supports parents in pursuing further education or job training, ultimately resulting in higher lifetime earnings. This year, we celebrated more than 250 family childcare entrepreneurs who completed our Shared Services training and licensure programs, giving them the tools to thrive as small business owners.
We were also excited for our very own Djena Jacques, Director of Shared Services, who received the Boston Club’s Women In Business Racial Equity award.
Pathways for Young Adults
In 2023, 55,000 young people were supported in college and career pathway programs this year. In April of this year, we completed our LAUNCH initiative, an innovative approach to reaching youth between 18 and 24 who are disconnected from employment and school. LAUNCH worked to disrupt intergenerational poverty the data from this program, made public as a community resource, has helped inform and advance our work to expand youth and young adult pathways as part of our new strategy.
Safe & Stable Housing
11,500 families or individuals experiencing hardship avoided homelessness this year. Working with community partners and state legislators, we have played a major role in helping to creating housing opportunities and addressing the shelter crisis in 2023.
In April, the MASH Collaborative, a partnership between the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA), United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley (UWMB), and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), announced nearly $15 million in funding for the expansion of permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness across Massachusetts. This funding will help create more than 360 units of supportive housing.
United Way has been an active and outspoken supporter of The Massachusetts Flexible Supportive Housing Subsidy Pool Program bill, which would streamline the administration of services to individuals, youth, and families experiencing homelessness. We’re engaging our network to move this bill forward and are optimistic about its passage and the impact it will have in our community.
Community-Centered Crisis Response
In 2023, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a State of Emergency in response to the sharp rise in migrant families seeking asylum in the Commonwealth, taxing the Commonwealth’s shelter system in unprecedented ways. To address this acute humanitarian crisis, United Way and The Boston Foundation quickly formed the Massachusetts Migrant Families Relief Fund, through which we were able to raise and quickly distribute $1.4M to the local, trusted community-based organizations directly serving new arrivals in our region.
As temperatures dropped and the state’s emergency shelter system reached and surpassed its capacity, United Way was tapped by Governor Healey to deploy a $5 million SafetyNet Grant program to enable community-based organizations to stand up short-term, overnight shelter sites. Within two months, three shelter sites have been opened, with more in development.
This year, the Thanksgiving Project became “The Gratitude Project”, a year-long opportunity to celebrate and engage with our community. Throughout November, The Gratitude Project brought together hundreds of volunteers and donors, who funded, packed, and distributed thousands of meal bags, essential supplies, and gift cards for more than 16,000 families in our region. Through the Gratitude Project, United Way also awarded nearly $200,000 to community organizations that provided families in their respective communities the essentials they need most.
Thought Leadership
In 2023, we took a moment to celebrate the voices of our own visionaries, starting with President and CEO Bob Giannino and President of the New Commonwealth’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund Makeeba McCreary’s Op-Ed - “Philanthropy doesn’t always get it right. Let’s rethink how we give.” For WBUR’s Cognoscenti, arguing that the organizations we’re investing in have a lot to teach us, and their participation in our philanthropic strategy is critical. We launched our Changemakers Series, a series of impact stories that showcase both the numbers and the personal stories behind the work we do and the people we do it with.
Finally, we released, in partnership with others in our network, several important research papers – which you can read here.
As we look to 2024, we are looking forward to even more inspiring collaboration and important work ahead. We are pleased with our progress, excited for what lies ahead, and grateful to all of you for your partnership, insights and support. In the New Year, we look forward to continuing this important work and joining with you to further opportunities to promote a healthy, thriving community for us all.
Happy New Year!
