Program areas at MCUW
MCUW connects people needing assistance with available resources by mobilizing community time, talent, in-kind items and monetary donations. Montgomery County residents are directly impacted through the distribution (allocation) of funds to various nonprofit agencies in Montgomery County that focus on high school graduates obtaining knowledge and skills to get well-paid jobs, households learning how to earn, keep and grow their income and supportiing healthy choices, both physical and mental. Collaborating that work toward two or all of these goals are inspired and supported by MCUW. Orgnizations who are workign together and bring their best skills to bear on individual and system issues have a higher success rate. MCUW focuses on outcomes as well as outputs to determine success.
The South County Service Center houses the Organizations administrative offices and community services programs as well as several other non-profit organizations. In one location, people needing social services can access multiple agencies as well as Community Resource Coordination specialists who will interpret their needs and guide them to the appropriate services. Economics of scale are greatly increased by sharing the expenses of office equipment, phone systems and meeting space.
Impact Councils are a partnership of nonprofit agencies, public sectorbusinesses and volunteers convened by MCUW to further research and evaluatedata/statistics/trends, identify root causes, define outcomes and indicators for programs impacting our community priorities, identify and address emerging critical community issues and shape long-term solutions that engage the entire community. The Impact Councils are aligned along three guiding principles: creating independence, enhancing community well-being, and responding to crises. Under the direction of the Community Impact Committee, the Health and Wellness, Financial Independence, Education, and Integrated Collaboration Impact Councils, along with the Accountability Review Committee, oversee the work of approximately 100 volunteers serving on Strategic Investment Committees who review funded partner requests for revenue and grant funding, conduct site visits, evaluate community impact measures and review financial information.