Because we all need help sometimes. We help people. Our purpose: Changing lives and strengthening our community, together. We help people. BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD Tom P. McGovern Julie G. Duffy Alden Anderson Rev. Dr. Donald C. Anderson Tony Mendez Carrie Bridges Feliz Maria Barry Betty Bernal Tony Morettini Melissa M. Husband Lisa Bisaccia Roger P. Boudreau Rulla Nehme Dolph L. Johnson, Jr. Dear Friends, Doris S. Blanchard Elizabeth Burke-Bryant Ashley Gingerella O’Shea Dennis Leamy Roberta H. Butler Brian Butler Lydia R. Owen Michele Lederberg Because everyone needs help sometimes, we help people. United Way helps children fall in love Michael T. Clarkin Chris Callahan Laura Pedrick Tony Mendez with learning, and we help families with the essentials. We support programs that offer training and Kas R. DeCarvalho, Esq. Ainsley Morisseau Cantoral Gregg Perry Sheila Raposa Julie G. Duffy Anthony Capuano, Jr. Matthew Plain Barbara J. Silvis education that leads to better jobs and careers. And, we provide everyone with one number to call, 2-1-1, Jeffrey J. Giguere Claudia Cardozo Flora A. Prestipino whether the need is childcare, health insurance or tax preparation, help starts with a human connection Meghan Grady Gayle Corrigan Lisa Ranglin LABOR CABINET at United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island. Timothy Horan John F. Corrigan, Esq. David Rogers Ingrid Armada Dolph L. Johnson, Jr. Mark Cousineau Eric Shorr Ronald Coia We also help our donors by making it easy for you to contribute. We welcome gifts to any 501c3 in Gertrude F. Jones Jessica David Sue Stenhouse J. Michael Downey Rev. Matthew Kai Colleen Dickson The Honorable Carlos Tobon John Faria the country. Gifts to our Community Impact Fund support our key issue areas through programs that Michael F. Kennally Bradford S. Dimeo James Vincent Dave Fleming demonstrate clear results. And, our donors can be confident that their gifts go directly to people and Michele Lederberg Tip Fairchild All Board of Directors Members Frank Flynn programs, as a trust covers 100% of our overhead. Anthony Maione Jason M. Fowler are Ex-Officio members of the Paul MacDonald Maureen Martin Marisol Garcia Community Advisory Board. Maureen G. Martin Thank you for your commitment to LIVE UNITED— because together, we are changing lives and Bob Nowak Jose M. Gonzalez Vin Masino Sandra J. Pattie Kathleen Guilfoyle COMMUNITY INVESTMENT Linda McDonald strengthening our community, and we can’t do it alone. David E. Preston, Esq. Melissa M. Husband COMMITTEE George H. Nee Mim L. Runey, LP.D., Chair Dr. Hume Johnson Marisa Albanese Jeffrey Perinetti Oswald Schwartz Barbara “Bobbie” Manfredo Christopher Amirault Lawrence E. Purtill Donna Simmons Patricia Martinez Tomas Avila Patrick Quinn William C. Tsonos Sabina Matos Garry Bliss Michael F. Sabitoni Margaret A. Holland McDuff Susan Bodington Kevin McGovern Deborah DeBare Anthony Maione Photo: Peter Goldberg President and CEO, United Way of Rhode Island Contents Key Accomplishments 2014-2015 • Set a goal to help 250,000 Rhode Islanders change their lives. 3 Letter from Anthony Maione, President and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island • Provided $12.5 million to support the community including $6.6 million raised through the 4 We help people. Community Impact Fund. 12 Let’s talk engagement: Young Leaders Circle, Women’s Leadership Council, Volunteers • Handled 197,000 requests for help through United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island. 14 Labor Support • Helped girls engage with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with a new investment of $50,000 to local STEM programs from our Women’s Leadership Council. 15 Workplace Campaigns • The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program returned $17 million to Rhode Island Leadership Giving: Tocqueville Society, Keel Club, Anchor Society, 18 workers. Studies show that almost all of that money goes straight into the local economy. Opening Doors for Westerly’s Children • Young Leaders’ Circle, now 1200 members strong, raised $98,000 for summer learning and 26 Trusts and Foundations, Media Partners community impact and held 15 events statewide. 27 Financial Information • 100% of overhead paid by a permanent trust. Cover Photo: David O’Connor 2 We help people. | 2014-2015 United Way of Rhode Island Community Impact Report We help people. | 2014-2015 United Way of Rhode Island Community Impact Report 3 Over the summer, Hailee found her We help people. voice. She began to initiate games, raised her hand more often, and Because all children deserve a well-rounded education. We help kids fall in love with learning. United Way of Rhode Island works with partners in education to create she led the summer reading afterschool and summer learning programs for kids of all ages, programs that get results with hands-on activities that inspire learning. Students develop confidence by joining programs that value their ideas, and challenge. they discover they have multiple options when it comes time to think about college or a career. • Students from all economic backgrounds can lose up to two months of math skills each summer if they don’t have access to summer learning. In addition to the loss in math, low-income children can also lose an additional two months in reading skills. • Without summer learning, by the fifth grade, children from low-income families can be 2.5 to 3 years behind children from middle-income families. • Buh-bye summer slide: the average gains by students from pre-test to post-test in the Hasbro Summer Learning program show 35 percent gains in literacy and 47 percent gains in math. Without summer learning, by the fifth grade, children from low-income families can be 2.5-3 years 2.5-3 years behind their middle-income peers. Financial Investments made by United Way of With continued support from the Rhode Island through the community, United Way of Rhode Island Community Impact Fund: will lead the effort to expand the Hasbro Summer Learning program in 2016. While • A fterschool program grants: $450,000 1,600 children participated in 2015, more Funding that supports programs, from than 30,000 Rhode Island families would elementary through high school. enroll their children in summer learning programs, if they were available to them. • Hasbro Summer Learning: $505,000 Funding that sustains 18 summer Gifts to the Community Impact Fund learning programs located statewide. support our efforts to help children fall in love with learning. • E arly Childhood Education program grants: $392,000 Funding that improves programs and results for our youngest learners, birth through age 5. Photos: iStock 4 We help people. | 2014-2015 United Way of Rhode Island Community Impact Report We help people. | 2014-2015 United Way of Rhode Island Community Impact Report 5 It’s gratifying to help people We help people. discover new skills, land good jobs, and also give them the tools to Because a changed economy has left many Rhode Islanders searching for new ways to support themselves and their families, we help people gain the skills they need to better manage personal finances. explore new options in training, employment and careers. United Way of Rhode Island also helps people change their futures by providing the tools to better manage finances and to save more of the money they earn by working. • United Way of Rhode Island’s Community Impact fund supports adult education programs that help people remove barriers to employment, including improving skills in math, reading, writing, and digital literacy, as well as learning English as a second language. • In 2015, United Way of Rhode Island funded the Rhode Island Resource Hub, an online database of education and training opportunities that helped 2,200 people in the last year. • United Way-supported tax assistance centers helped 11,500 people claim the credits and refunds they earned by working. As a result, Rhode Islanders collected more than $17 million to return to the local community thanks to this United Way-supported program. In 2015, United Way of Rhode Island funded the Rhode Island Resource Hub, an online database of education and training 2,200 opportunities that helped 2,200 people in the past year. United Way of Rhode Because it is the nation’s most effective Island Community Impact anti-poverty program for working families, Fund Investments: support for the expansion of the Earned • Support for technical and training Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a priority for our programs, as well as for programs that 2016 public policy agenda. Refunds and support low income workers: $847,000 tax credits lift families out of poverty and boost the local economy. • Financial opportunity programs that help adults learn how to manage and save Gifts to the Community Impact Fund their money: $562,000 support our efforts to help youth and adults reach school and career goals, and • Grants that support free tax preparation to improve the overall economic security services through Volunteer Income of Rhode Island families. Tax Assistance (VITA) centers, and that help working families claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): $211,000 Photos: David O’Connor 6 We help people. | 2014-2015 United Way of Rhode Island Community Impact Report We help people. | 2014-2015 United Way of Rhode Island Community Impact Report 7 We help people. Because 90,000 households in Rhode Island are struggling to meet basic needs. United Way believes not only in helping people through an immediate crisis, but also in funding programs that help people develop the tools they need to provide for themselves and their families. Each year, more than 15,000 Rhode Islanders receive help with basic needs through programs funded by United Way of Rhode Island. • Believing that being homeless should be rare and temporary, we invest in programs that connect people with services designed to help them become permanently housed.