LIVING UNITED2015, ISSUE I

ChampIoN of ChILDrEN raISES awarENESS aboUT“boyS of CoLor, boyS aT rISk”

ambITIoUS mULTIfaCETED CampaIGN CombINES major EVENTS aND rESEarChTo mobILIzE oUr CommUNITy

Through a series of events and outreach efforts, Champion of Children is shining a bright light on the challenges that face boys of color in central Ohio.

“If you look at the building blocks for successful child development—a positive early childhood experience, a strong stable neighborhood and economic security for families—boys of color are really at a disadvantage across all of these factors,” said Jason Reece, Research Director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. Boys of color experience a disproportionate level of poverty in our community, and often live in neighborhoods that are less safe and have significant blight. “These young men then come into school facing many barriers that other kids in our community don’t face,” Reece says. One key barrier is implicit bias - how people unconsciously apply negative stereotypes to boys of color.

African American and Latino males are overrepresented in every area we associate with failure and underrepresented in every area we associate with success.”

— Pedro Noguera, PhD.

In past years, Champion of Children has focused on the effects neighborhood environments have on learning and on the long lasting negative ramifications of the toxic stress that many children in poverty can experience. This body of research helps to build a more complete picture of the challenges

boys of color face and how our community can come together to support them.

Research cited by education expert Pedro Noguera, PhD, indicates that boys of color across the country are clearly in a crisis. African American and Latino males are more likely than any other group to be suspended and expelled from school, and dropout rates for African American and Latino males in most American cities are well above 50%. They are less likely to enroll in or graduate from college than any other group and lag significantly in grade point average and on standardized tests. These national trends are reflected in central Ohio.

“The challenges our boys of color face are daunting,” said Champion of Children Director Elizabeth Trotman. “But we believe that our efforts will build the awareness we need to mobilize our community to action.”

ChampIoN of ChILDrEN EVENTS aND rESEarCh oN boyS of CoLor:• American Promise screening, in

partnership with Key Club -January 29

• 2015 Signature Event - March 10

• Latino Partner Breakfast - March 10

• Champion of Children Report Launch at Columbus Metropolitan Club - June

• Statewide Education Summit, in partnership with The Ohio State University - Fall

2015 SIGNaTUrE EVENT fEaTUrES pEDro NoGUEraDon’t miss this year’s Champion of Children Signature Event featuring a conversation with nationally-recognized education expert Pedro Noguera, PhD. Dr. Noguera will have an on-stage conversation with Ann Fisher, host of the radio program All Sides on WOSU, focusing on boys of color.

The Signature Event is the centerpiece of Champion of Children’s awareness-building efforts and is one of the most popular and thought-provoking gatherings in central Ohio.

Dr. Noguera is Professor of Education at New York University and a regular commentator on education issues on CNN, MSNBC and National Public Radio.

ThE ChampIoN of ChILDrEN SIgNATURE EvENT Southern theatre • March 10, 2015

Register at liveunitedcentralohio.org/champion-of-children

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2 LIVING UNITED

Too many of our boys of color are failing to build successful lives and we have to ensure they have the opportunities they need to do better. You can learn more about what we can all do to help by attending Champion of Children’s Signature Event on March 10 featuring a conversation with one of our nation’s foremost scholars on boys of color, Pedro Noguera, PhD. I know you will be inspired.

And one of my personal inspirations in the area of diversity and inclusion is turning 5 this year. It’s hard for me to believe that it has been half a decade since our first-in-the-nation PRIDE Council was launched. This generous group of LgBT givers has strengthened the longstanding ties between United Way of Central Ohio and one of the most vibrant and engaged LgBT communities in the country. Their support has helped us continue to build a community where everyone has the resources and opportunities needed to reach their potential. Happy Anniversary, PRIDE Council!

Sincerely,

Janet E. Jackson President and CEO United Way of Central Ohio

prESIDENT’S UpDaTEThis newsletter contains two powerful examples of your United Way’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. These efforts are very different from each other and illustrate the breadth of the groundbreaking work you make possible. They also illustrate a unique and important strength that United Way brings to our community

— the ability to bring people from remarkably diverse backgrounds together to address the many challenges that face us.

Champion of Children’s work to educate and mobilize our community around the lives of our boys of color is the most ambitious and extensive effort we have made on this crucial subject. It builds on the foundation of work we have achieved over many years with many partners that seeks to understand how best to help African American and Latino boys succeed. For example, we have worked to reduce the disproportionate contact with the juvenile justice system these boys experience, and to launch restorative justice circles that help communities support their boys and keep them from incarceration. Our investments in education have helped thousands of boys receive the high-quality early education they need to begin their school careers right and attend after-school programs that build important life skills. But it’s not enough.

The Loaned Executive program continues to be a great investment by our generous corporate partners. During the 2014 campaign four Loaned Executives joined the United Way team during the peak campaign period from August to November. These energetic executives managed 221 accounts and helped raise nearly $16 million! Our Public Sector Loaned Executives managed 235 state and federal campaigns and raised over $4 million.

Participating in the Loaned Executive program provides a unique opportunity to obtain an expanded professional network and skills in presentation, communication, relationship building, and consultative sales. LEs represent United Way as they manage giving campaigns in workplaces throughout central Ohio.

The Loaned Executive Program received financial and in-kind support from AEP, Alliance Data, Aon Consulting, Nationwide, and State Auto. The fundraising for this year’s program was co-led by Jim Durham of Ohio Housing Finance Agency and Tracy Elich of AEP. Thank you!

To learn more about the Loaned Executive Program and how your company can participate, please contact Chanelle Smith at 614.227.2750, or chanelle.smith@uwcentralohio.org.

ThaNkS To oUr LoaNED ExECUTIVES!

2014 Loaned Executives Back row, from left: David Holt, John Robinson, Raleigh Miller, Warren Meissner.

Front row, from left: Connie Ferrell, Ginger Harrell, Jan Pitts, Lisa Thompson, Audrey White.

Not pictured: Regina Baldridge, Yvonne Foster-Smith, Mark Hurtt.

LIVEUNITEDCENTraLohIo.orG 3

ThaNkS To oUr LoaNED ExECUTIVES!

IN DEPTH: UwCo aND ThE LGbT CommUNITyUnited Way of Central Ohio has a long history of support of the LgBT community and the connections between the two have grown and strengthened significantly over the past few years. “We have become a leader in the United Way network when it comes to involving and engaging the LgBT community,” says Jeanne Heald, PRIDE Council Relationship Manager. “We have so many energetic LgBT leaders and they know that partnering with United Way is an effective way to create change and get concrete results.”

year Significant Events

1986 Statement of values specifies that no one should be denied access to services based on sexual orientation.

1988-1989 Columbus AIDS Task Force (CATF) receives grant funding.

1988-1992 UWCO board and staff help lead HIv/AIDS Community Planning Committee and present community plan at International AIDS Conference.

1990 CATF becomes a UWCO member agency, one of the first AIDS-specific organizations admitted to any United Way in the country.

1993 UWCO partnership agreement requires all member agencies to formally affirm their support of the Statement of values as a condition for program funding.

1996 UWCO adopts domestic partner benefits for staff.

2001 UWCO provides an inaugural gift of $10,000 to the Legacy Fund.

2003 UWCO welcomes its first openly LGBT board member, Mary Jo Hudson.

2007 UWCO, in partnership with CATF and Stonewall, launches the first LgBT community census project.

2008

UWCO launches PRIDE Leadership, a training program for LgBT leaders interested in serving on local nonprofit boards.

UWCO President and CEO Janet Jackson serves as grand marshal of the 2008 PRIDE parade.

2010 UWCO launches PRIDE Council and PRIDE gives, the first United Way LgBT giving groups in the country.

2012 More than 65% of Pride Leadership graduates hold openly LGBT seats on nonprofit boards.

2013

UWCO convenes the first Out & Equal forum bringing together representatives from over 30 central Ohio companies and nonprofit organizations to discuss equality in the work place and create the first Out & Equal Regional Affiliate in Ohio.

2014Pride Leadership Cycle 7 launches Family Pride Network of Central Ohio which aims to create a community that connects, supports and educates LgBTQ families.

prIDE CoUNCIL CELEbraTES ITS fIfTh aNNIVErSary

In January 2010, United Way of Central Ohio launched the first United Way LgBT giving group in the country: PRIDE Council. The effort was led by co-chairs Tom grote, who served as a UWCO board member, and Michelle Heritage, who currently serves on the board. Since its launch, the group has grown rapidly and now includes more than 200 households. The group has made a big impact on United Way’s work to help people build pathways out of poverty by raising more than $1.7 million.

PRIDE Council also created the PRIDE Impact Award which recognizes significant impact in the LgBT community and central Ohio. Members of PRIDE Council pledge at least $1,000 to United Way annually. The PRIDE Gives group, also launched in 2010, has no gift limit and seeks to engage all members of the LgBT community through volunteering as well as giving.

To learn more about PRIDE Council, contact Jeanne Heald at 614.241.3078 or jeanne.heald@uwcentralohio.org.

Janet Jackson presents the PRIDE Impact Award to Columbus Division of Police Chief Kim Jacobs

PRIDE Council founding co-chairs, Michelle Heritage and Tom Grote

4 LIVING UNITED

aNThoNy TroTmaN NamED 2015 ChampIoN of ChILDrENboyS & GIrLS CLUbS of CoLUmbUS NamED

2015 ChampIoN of ChILDrEN NoNprofIT orGaNIzaTIoNhoNorEES wILL bE rECoGNIzED aT ThE 22ND aNNUaL ChampIoN of ChILDrEN SIGNaTUrE EVENT

anthony Trotman, Director of the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services, has been named the 2015 Champion of Children. Trotman joins a group of local leaders who have been recognized with this prestigious honor for working to create a better future for all of the children in central Ohio.

“Through Anthony’s leadership, countless children and their families in Franklin County have received the help they need to build better

lives,” said Lisa Schweitzer Courtice, PhD, Executive vice President at The Columbus Foundation, and Chair of the Champion of Children Selection Committee. “Anthony cares deeply about the well-being of our most vulnerable children and has worked tirelessly to ensure that they receive the opportunities they need to succeed.”

Anthony Trotman leads the largest agency in the county under the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, with a budget of more than $72 million and approximately 630 employees. The Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services serves approximately 35,000 low-income individuals receiving cash assistance, 285,000 individuals receiving food assistance and 312,000 enrolled in Medicaid. They are the region’s largest facilitator of high-quality childcare serving over 32,000 children with more than $114 million in state subsidies.

In his time as director, Mr. Trotman has led the agency in many efforts to better the lives of children in our community, such as expanding investment in early childhood education, summer youth employment and after-school programming to support more than 6,000 children and youth. He has also directed local efforts to help align government early childhood programs and ensure that providers meet high-quality standards. Mr. Trotman is an accomplished leader who serves on boards and committees dedicated to helping children, including Learn4Life, Family and Children First Council, Columbus Kids Advisory Council and The Greater Columbus Infant Mortality Task Force. He is also an active volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio, serving as a mentor to a young man.

boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus was selected as the Champion of Children Nonprofit Organization for its important work of providing children with a safe, fun environment where they can grow and thrive and become productive, responsible and caring adults. As a

part of its programming, Club members receive a hot, nutritious meal, homework help, educational programming, and structured physical activity—all within a safe environment. The Club works to provide comprehensive support to over 3,500 youth annually.

The staff of the Boys & girls Clubs of Columbus believe that “education is the single most important indicator of future success” and an Institutional Review Board- reviewed survey found that kids attending programming were more likely to: plan on attending college, receive “mostly A’s” on their report cards, obtain summer employment, and be in an age-appropriate grade. Additionally, more than 90% of surveyed Club members reported getting the Center for Disease Control’s recommended 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity each day.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Rebecca Asmo, the organization has gone through an unprecedented expansion, growing from three clubs in 2013 to six, including a new site in Weinland Park and a temporary South Side site. The Club is currently preparing for a future permanent home at the Reeb Community Center on the South Side when the renovation of that building is complete.

“The programs provided by Boys & girls Clubs of Columbus are a crucial part of the lives of thousands of children and youth in our community,” said Courtice. “Since its founding in 1948, the Club has given generations of young people in some of our most challenged neighborhoods a safe place to learn and play.”

Anthony Trotman and Boys & girls Clubs of Columbus will be honored at the 22nd Annual Champion of Children Signature Event to be held on March 10, 2015 at The Southern Theatre. The event, which will be taped for later broadcast on WOSU, will include an award ceremony and a one-on-one conversation between Ann Fisher, host of the WOSU radio program All Sides, and education expert and prolific author Pedro Noguera, PhD.

To learn more about Champion of Children, please visit www.liveunitedcentralohio.org/champion-of-children.

LIVEUNITEDCENTraLohIo.orG 5

kEy CLUb LaUNChES CoLor mE ExCELLENT awarDS To rECoGNIzE LoCaL afrICaN amErICaN LEaDErS

The inaugural Color Me Excellent digital publication features profiles of 20 local African American leaders. View and download the publication at liveunitedcentralohio.org.

Black History Month recognizes and celebrates the many ways that African American leaders have improved and transformed our communities. Central Ohio has a rich history of accomplishment by black leaders. Our community also has a strong group of young African American leaders who are making history every day.

The Color Me Excellent awards are designed to recognize these leaders for their community service and lift them up as role models for everyone, but most especially for young people of color who may not fully understand their own potential for leadership. The central message of the awards — before you color me anything, color

me excellent — is aimed at replacing negative stereotypes with examples of excellence.

United Way of Central Ohio’s Key Club launched the Color Me Excellent awards as part of its long history of community service that includes supporting programs such as The African American Leadership Academy. The academy offers training and development to professionals who demonstrate potential for top leadership, and has become one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation. Key Club members also serve as mentors for young people of color and organize service projects throughout the year.

Key Club will use a digital publication of profiles of Color Me Excellent award winners to reach out to local youth of color and reinforce the message that everyone has the ability and responsibility to lead.

EXCELLENTCOLOR ME

frEE Tax prEp kICkS off wITh SUpEr SaTUrDayFor the fourth year, Tax Time kicked off the free tax prep season with Super Saturday — the largest free tax preparation event in central Ohio— at Columbus Downtown High School on February 7. More than 100 volunteers from local colleges, companies, and nonprofit organizations helped more than 300 households of hardworking taxpayers receive the money they deserve. Households that make $60,000 or less are eligible to have their taxes prepared free by Tax Time volunteers.

For 2015, the Franklin County Commissioners approved $75,000 to support the program. Franklin County has been a proud partner of Tax Time since 2007, investing more than $600,000 to date to help return more money to local families.

This year, tax law changes related to the Affordable Care Act will impact millions of people who don’t have insurance or who purchased insurance through the healthcare marketplace. Approximately 25% of all taxpayers will be affected, including many who are eligible for free tax preparation. Tax Time volunteers are trained to help clients navigate complex healthcare-related tax issues.

Call 2-1-1 to get information on the many sites around central Ohio where free tax preparation is provided. Tax Time still needs volunteers. To learn more, go to taxtimecentralohio.org or email eitc@uwcentralohio.org.

6 LIVING UNITED

LEaDErShIp GIVINGUnited Way of Central Ohio’s Leadership giving groups offer the opportunity for donors to learn more about how their contributions are helping improve lives in central Ohio, develop meaningful service projects and network with other community and business leaders.

kEy CLUb aND ChampIoN of ChILDrEN SCrEEN AmEricAn PromisEOn January 29, Key Club and Champion of Children partnered with The Ohio State University Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male to present an abbreviated screening of the film American Promise, and a conversation with filmmakers Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster, moderated by M. Scott Reeves, Executive Director of Secondary Academic Affairs for Westerville City Schools.

More than 400 people attended the event at the Lincoln Theatre to see the documentary, which gives a rare look into the lives of two middle-class black families as they navigate the challenges of race, class, and parenting and educating their sons in America.

The screening was made possible by event sponsors: Crabbe Brown & James LLP, Donna and Larry James, genny and Lewis R. Smoot, Sr., Joy and Bruce Soll and Smoot Construction Company of Ohio.

To learn more about Key Club contact Charles Hill at 614.241.3082 or charles.hill@uwcentralohio.org.

Audience member Justin Letts engaged directly with the filmmakers.

Lloyd Pierre-Louis, Michelle Artis and Peggy SimmonsAnthony Landis and Luke Fedlam

Kevin Boyce, Erika Clark Jones, Terri Ifeduba and Robert Lee III Dawn Tyler Lee, Michèle Stephenson, Lewis R. Smoot,Sr., Joe Brewster and M. Scott Reeves

Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson and M. Scott Reeves

LIVEUNITEDCENTraLohIo.orG 7

LEaDErShIp GIVING PRIDECOUNCIL

COMMUNITYBUILDER

wLC EVENT rEVEaLS hIDDEN TaLENTSOn January 15, WLC members discovered the hidden talents of some of the most prominent women leaders in our community. Tanny Crane related her thrill-seeking adventures swimming with sharks; Darci Congrove demonstrated her talent as a supreme hostess; Julie graber showed off her skills as a vintage seamstress, and Janet Jackson (along with sous chef Liza Kessler) taught the audience some of her techniques as a master soul food cook. The fun and unique event is one of many throughout the year presented by WLC.

To learn more contact Betsy McCabe at 614.227.2734 or betsy.mccabe@uwcentralohio.org.

ToCqUEVILLE SoCIETy TakES aN ExCLUSIVE ToUr of ThE joSEphOn January 29, more than 100 Tocqueville Society members and guests enjoyed an exclusive preview of Le Meridien Columbus, The Joseph, the new Pizzuti art-themed boutique hotel in the Short North. Attendees also enjoyed tastings from The Guild House, Cameron Mitchell’s newest artisan eatery.

To learn more contact Amy Wharton at 614.227.2764 or amy.wharton@uwcentralohio.org.

Guruprasad Vasudeva and Radmi Nemadi

Steve and Pat Gabbe, Kris and David BlomJakki Allen, Renee Shumate, Ron and Ann Pizzuti, Alex Shumate, Jerry Allen

Jessica, Joel and Ann Pizzuti

Noceeba Southern Letts, Elfi Di Bella and Victoria Hayward

Janet Jackson and Liza Kessler

Julie GraberDarci Congrove, Raeanna O’Brien and Arnetta Asapokhai

360 South Third StreetColumbus, Ohio 43215-5485

Non-Profit OrgU.S. Postage

PaidPermit No. 99Columbus, OH

LIVING UNITEDGET Up-To-ThE-mINUTE UpDaTES oN UNITED wayWe know that the LIvINg UNITED newsletter is a must-read source of thought-provoking information on United Way, but let’s face it, we can only pack so much in every issue. If you want to know more about the great work you accomplish through your United Way, it’s time for you to be our friend and follower online. We post news and new photos and videos every day, so you know what is going on in real-time.

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