United Way of Kaw Valley

United Way of Kaw Valley (uwkv) creates and cultivates an unbreakable network of support for a strong, healthy and equitable community. Each year through donations and grants, uwkv invests and manages millions of dollars to help ensure that regardless of their zip code: - children are ready to learn when they start school. - children keep up with their peers in grade school, increasing their chances of graduating high school. - individuals and families are financially stable and able to save and plan for the future. - everyone has access to nutritious and affordable food and opportunities to be active and healthy. To best serve our community and effectively "live United," uwkv commits to placing diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of its work, internally and externally. Uwkv adds value to the nonprofit community by facilitating and encouraging collaboration, by sharing resources and capacity, and by focusing many partners on problems that would overwhelm any single agency. Uwkv forges connections between and among partners and donors. Uwkv shares its accumulated knowledge with its partners in the mutual fight for the education, financial stability, and health of every person in its community. Succeeding in that fight also requires that uwkv to listen to, learn from, and amplify the voices of those who are most in need and those who have been traditionally underrepresented or even silenced. Uwkv recognizes that everyone in its United Way community brings value to its mission. It understands that each employee, donor, volunteer, partner and stakeholder brings different experiences, perspectives, and expectations on their United Way journey. Uwkv respects and encourages insight and participation from all. Community volunteers review impact proposals in a competitive grant process and reach consensus in group panels facilitated by trained staff. Proposals showing the greatest ability to meet the goals receive funding. Donations are invested to support community initiatives that help children succeed in school, families become financially stable, and improve the overall health of the community. Investments include: - early education programs, including high-quality preschool, literacy training and curriculum and programs providing access to books - tutoring and family support - high school and adult financial literacy training and personal financial coaching as well as job training and career exploration opportunities - the vita program to help people get their tax returns prepared for free. This program brings 10 million back into the community in the form of saved preparation fees, tax refunds, and earned income credits. - christmas bureau - dolly parton's imagination library supporting basic needs remains foundational to United Way's work. This support focuses on rent and utilities, food, health assistance/prescriptions and safety from domestic violence. Without having their basic needs met, children may have difficulty learning in school, families may struggle to be financially stable and individuals and families may struggle to maintain good health. United Way provides and oversees an online volunteer matching service and coordinates thousands of volunteer hours each year through ongoing board and committee opportunities, corporate volunteer engagement and special volunteer events like: - nancy perry day of caring, which annually supplies around 1,000 corporate and community volunteers for non-profit projects. - the junior leader reader program, where volunteers read to thousands of pre-school and kindergarten students, each of whom receive a free book. Uwkv takes pride in keeping internal costs as low as possible, so donor dollars are used efficiently and effectively to achieve its mission. That being said, without thoughtful expenditures on support services, uwkv would be unable to raise money or otherwise help staff do their jobs.