United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

EARLY EDUCATION AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME: Provide children with quality care and learning support that are more accessible and affordable to caregivers while they are at work or in school. Shared Services MA - EMPOWERING FAMILY CHILD CARE ENTREPRENEURS For the past five years, the innovative Shared Services program of United Way of Massachusetts Bay has supported the long-term viability of the early education sector, particularly the family child care (FCC) industry in Massachusetts. The program empowers Black and Latina women serving low-income children, providing a multifaceted approach, that includes licensing support, business and marketing workshops, and a developmental screening course -- providing family childcare entrepreneurs the tools to thrive as small business owners and expand access to child care. This program is funded by partners like the Boston Office of Early Childhood, EEC, and private philanthropy such as PNC Bank. IMPACT SNAPSHOT: 250+ FCC entrepreneurs trained and 1,700+ Early educators used the free membership to Shared Service MA web platform. Summer Step Up Program (SSUP) For the last 3 years, the Commonwealth has relied on United Way to manage and administer Summer Step Up-an innovative, statewide effort to provide extra support to young learners. Partnering with the Department of Early Education and Care, we administered $24 million for summer learning, fostering school and community partnerships. Leveraging the expertise of all partners, communities have created programs combining academics, enrichment, and play. SSUP has empowered school districts and community- based organizations to customize offerings to local needs, enriching low-income families' experiences with diverse activities. Previously inaccessible high-quality summer camps are now accessible, offering engaging opportunities in ceramics, sculpture, horticulture, and robotics, transforming children's summer experiences. Community evaluation confirms SSUP's impact, enhancing program quality, expanding access, promoting school readiness, fostering collaboration, facilitating resource sharing, and demonstrating effective community-driven grantmaking. IMPACT SNAPSHOT: 30 Communities served, 1,700 + Students Enrolled, 63 School & Community Partners, and $3,471,094 Invested in Summer Programming. PATHWAYS FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS: Support young people holistically and connect them to education and career pathways that lead to fulfilling and sustaining careers. BoSTEM: CLOSING A CHAPTER OF IMPACT IN STEM LEARNING BoSTEM, a 5-year initiative by the United Way of Mass Bay, Boston Public Schools, and Boston After School and Beyond (BASB), aimed to inspire middle schoolers in Boston Public Schools to pursue STEM careers. Through data-driven improvement and industry partnership, it enhanced high-quality STEM education and career readiness in grades 6-8, particularly for historically marginalized students in Boston. Collaborating with Out-of-School Time partners, BoSTEM improved learning experiences, prepared students for future careers, and provided real-world insights through partnerships with STEM industry professionals, who volunteered to speak to students, facilitate workshops, make site visits, and offer internship opportunities. During the pandemic, it shifted to virtual platforms, hosting STEM Chats for career talks and STEM Bites for professional lessons, ensuring quality content and age-appropriate content. BoSTEM programming strengthened industry-community connections. BoSTEM's impact includes increased STEM engagement and career knowledge, highlighting its role in shaping an inclusive STEM ecosystem and advocating ongoing collaboration between companies and educators to create inclusive spaces for underrepresented youth in STEM fields. Out-of-school time programs can continue to come together to break down silos and address pressing challenges in supporting marginalized students, while providing exposure to STEM and diversifying pathways for future talent. IMPACT SNAPSHOT: 200 STEM career conversation videos on YouTube, 80 Corporate Partners, 10,000 students served via the out of school time partners. Launch: COACHING AND CONNECTING OPPORTUNITY YOUTH In Spring 2018, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) selected United Way of Massachusetts Bay to lead Launch, a network of community-based providers in Boston-area communities aimed at assisting 18-24-year-olds in subsidized housing to access education, training, and jobs. Jewish Vocational Services (JVS)-Boston and the Boston Private Industry, Council (PIC) collaborated, offering outreach, coaching, career services, and job search and placement. United Way acted as Launch's backbone, coordinating partnerships, supporting professional development, and managing a comprehensive information system. Launch aimed to disrupt intergenerational poverty by increasing awareness of education and career pathways and enhancing access to opportunities for economic mobility. The model prioritized the relationship between coaches and clients for goal planning and achievement. Coaches, often referred to as "life coaches," tailored their support to meet clients at their current stage, with most clients strongly agreeing that Launch helped them identify the right goals and plan more intentionally. Client goals varied between job and education objectives, with job-related goals focusing on securing new employment and education goals ranging from obtaining diplomas to pursuing degrees. Jobs obtained during Launch offered better pay and more hours compared to previous employment. While the three-year grant came to an end, LAUNCH taught us valuable lessons and best practices to connect young adults to meaningful pathways. This work is now embedded in the foundation of our new Pathways for Young and Young Adults impact area, where we will continue to work to connect youth who are not in school or work to meaningful opportunities. IMPACT SNAPSHOT: 220 Clients served in Launch 2.0 (140 new participants and 80 legacy clients), 390 Clients served in Launch 1.0, Of these, 42% were non-Hispanic Black or African American, and 50% identified as Hispanic or Latino.

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ECONOMIC INCLUSION AND WEALTH BUILDING: Improve access to supports that help people increase income, build credit and savings, and reduce debt to ultimately achieve financial wellbeing. Boston Build Credit: MAKE CREDIT WORK FOR EVERYONE Boston Builds Credit (BBC), a public-private partnership led by United Way of Massachusetts Bay and the City of Boston's Center for Working Families, collaborates with diverse partners, including financial institutions and credit bureaus, to help Bostonians achieve prime credit scores, build credit and wealth. Through leadership and funding from United Way and the Center for Working Families, BBC offers financial coaching and credit-building initiatives, aiming for an inclusive credit system, particularly benefiting low-income and minority residents. Addressing systemic barriers, BBC seeks population-level changes in credit scores since 2017, supporting individuals in achieving financial goals and enhancing financial well-being through partner organizations' financial coaching. IMPACT SNAPSHOT: 100 Bostonians achieved a score, 200 Bostonians achieved credit success (Prime Score or improved score by 30+), 2,000 Bostonians received coaching or financial check-up, and 500 Bostonians participated in credit building workshops. SAFE AND STABLE HOUSING: Build a continuum of housing resources for youth, individuals, and families that improve housing stability and make homelessness a rare, brief, one-time event. Supportive Housing Coalition: INCREASING THE SUPPLY Together with our partners, United Way of Massachusetts Bay has been a leading voice on increasing the supply of permanent supportive housing across the Commonwealth. This strategy ensures individuals and families who are among our most vulnerable are housed and provided with the case management services they need to stabilize and thrive. In April 2023, the MASH Collaborative, a partnership between the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA), United Way of Massachusetts Bay (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 legislation, 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: Rapidly identify and prioritize marginalized communities and their trusted networks when distributing resources for immediate relief and long-term resilience.

Program administration includes uwmb's internal resource allocation to support children, youth and family programs.