Collaborations

While distribution of funds is one clear, visible, powerful and relatively simple way to make impact in our community, there are many other forms community impact may take. Listed below are some of the additional ways that United Way of Central Maryland (UWCM) makes a difference in central Maryland.

INCOME
As we look at the total picture of those in need, basic needs continues to be the ultimate struggle for individuals and families seeking to have what every one of us views as necessary to maintain or obtain a home, maintain or obtain income and otherwise be self-sufficient.

Journey Home
United Way of Central Maryland has partnered with Baltimore City’s Mayor’s Office to implement The Journey Home: Baltimore’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. UWCM acts as the financial steward, fundraiser and resource allocation organization for this plan. Recently, UWCM was asked to administer and conduct a request for application process for $9.5 million that the city will receive under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. You can read more here.

Continuum of Cares (CoC)
CoC’s are the legal entity responsible for coordination and collaboration, as well as oversight, of homeless service programs. The state of Maryland has 16 CoC’s of which six are located in central Maryland. All CoC leads sit on UWCM’s Basic Needs Impact Council. UWCM also participates in each of central Maryland’s CoC planning committees. The CoC’s provide UWCM with data on a regular basis. The CoC’s made the recommendations for those agencies eligible to apply for UWCM Emergency Response (ERF) funds. UWCM assists each CoC during their Point in Time Survey, a federally mandated survey of homeless, by volunteering and recruiting volunteers to do the survey with the homeless and by gathering resources needed.

Stop Homelessness and Reduce Poverty (SHARP) Coalition
UWCM’s Basic Needs Impact Manager participates with SHARP, a local homeless advocacy group, which plans educational policy forums around homelessness open to the public, plans the annual Homeless Persons Memorial Day and follows legislation that affects homeless persons and providers.

Maryland Alliance for the Poor (MAP)
UWCM works with MAP, a group of advocates who work on legislation around Basic Needs. The group is made up of various organizations such as Jobs Opportunities Task Force, Catholic Charities and Health Care for the Homeless.

Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
UWCM maintains a seat on each of central Maryland’s EFSP boards. The EFSP is a federal program that provides funding for shelter, food, utility, rental assistance, and various other basic needs. The EFSP boards are responsible for making funding decisions with these federal dollars.

Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG) Basic Needs Affinity Group
This group was created to help those who are interested in supporting basic needs programs learn more about worthy initiatives, research findings and best practices. Group meetings provide learning opportunities for ABAG members and allow members to share basic needs grant-making experiences with others.

EDUCATION - School Readiness
Research shows there is a strong connection between a child’s early experiences and his/her successes in school and later in life. Those children who start too far behind tend to stay behind. UWCM wants to be sure every child enters school fully ready to learn.

Baltimore Children’s Initiative (Harlem Children’s Zone replication/President Obama’s Promise Neighborhoods)
Modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone, Promise Neighborhoods seek to provide poor children with every possible chance to succeed through the combined development of high-quality, comprehensive, coordinated neighborhood-based programs for children, youth, young adults and parents combined with efforts to rebuild the fabric of the community.

There are currently efforts in Baltimore City to examine how groups can partner and collaborate in preparation for becoming a Promise Neighborhood. Funding for the Promise Neighborhoods is expected to be over the course of 10 years. This effort is expected to expand into Baltimore County, western Maryland and the eastern shore. Other collaborators include: Baltimore City’s Mayor’s Office, Dr. Andre Alonso and Michael Sarbanes from Baltimore City Public Schools, Family League, Friends of the Family, Living Classrooms, Annie E. Casey Foundation, East Baltimore Development Corporation, and Enterprise Community Partners.

State of Maryland’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Task Force
UWCM is a key player on this task force which is working to develop a 5-star rating system for child care programs across the state. Partners include: Department of Education, Maryland Committee for Children and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Potential for UWCM to facilitate outreach to parents and the business community as well as to act as the financial steward for quality improvement grants.

Governor’s Early Care and Education Committee
UWCM has been invited to the table of the state advisory board for early care and education because of the important role we play in the community.

Maryland’s Early Care and Education Plan
UWCM helped to create this strategic plan for young children and is partnering to realize the plan.

Anne Arundel Early Childhood Coalition
UWCM is one of the founding chairs of the county’s strategic action committee for young children. This group oversees development and implementation of strategies that will insure more children in Anne Arundel County will enter school ready to learn.

Baltimore County Shaken Baby Committee
UWCM serves on this task force which works to address issues of infant child abuse and neglect. Work includes education about shaken baby syndrome and the importance of safe sleep.

Office of Child Care Advisory Council
UWCM is a member of this statewide group which advises the Director of the Office of Child Care in the Department of Education.

Friends of the Family/Maryland Committee for Children’s Public Policy Committee
UWCM is a member of this premier advocacy group for issues around young children’s growth and development. This group focuses on policies that insure quality child care and family supports.

Ready at Five
UWCM is a member of this board representing Maryland Business Roundtable’s early childhood arm. Ready at Five is a statewide, public/private partnership and a powerful, independent voice for young children. Ready at Five monitors, advocates and serves as a catalyst for systemic change to improve the care and education of Maryland's young children.


EDUCATION - Youth Achieving Potential
UWCM is dedicated to supporting programs that help youth stay in school and avoid suspensions so that they acquire the skills they need to be prepared for college, work and life.

Ready by 21™ Leadership Team
In 2007, United Way of Central Maryland was invited to the join the Ready by 21 (RB21) Leadership team, chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources---Brenda Donald. The leadership team is responsible for implementing the “Youth Ready by 21: Five Year Action Agenda for Maryland.” Currently, the Education Workgroup for the RB21 Leadership Team is co-chaired by the UWCM’s Youth Impact Manager. This workgroup serves to create and administer benchmarks that will affect the educational well being of youth across of the Maryland.

The vision of the Leadership Team is to ensure that all children and youth in Maryland will be successful in life; with a goal of focusing on transition aged youth (14-21) being ready for work, and a career, further education and training through wrap-around services that will provide the essential resources for youth success. Currently, the Education Workgroup for the RB21 Leadership Team is co-chaired by the UWCM’s Youth Impact Manager. This workgroup serves to create and administer benchmarks that will affect the educational well-being of youth across of the Maryland.

Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG) Education Affinity Group
This group was created to help those who are interested in supporting education programs learn more about worthy initiatives, research findings and best practices. Group meetings provide learning opportunities for ABAG members and allow members to share education grant-making experiences with others.

Dream and Flourish
Dream and Flourish (D&F) is a partnership between UWCM, Proctor & Gamble, and Baltimore County Windsor Middle School. D&F serves 45 girls’ ages 11 to 14 in a corporate mentorship program designed to increase character, social and leadership development. Girls in the program are matched with employees at Proctor and Gamble for monthly one-on-one mentorship sessions. Funding for the program is from The Proctor and Gamble Corporate Foundation and supports their Live, Learn & Thrive initiative.

Afterschool Institute
This institute is responsible for building the capacity of afterschool program providers so that they can deliver high quality services in a caring, supportive environment that empowers children and youth to develop civic, academic, artistic, and athletic talents and skills. United Way is currently collaborating with the Institute by adding United Way grantees to training opportunities, sponsoring a roundtable discussion centered on the connection of colleges and universities to afterschool programs through professional development, continuing education and work-study opportunities. There is also the possible establishment of a training institute for afterschool programs in central Maryland.

Maryland Out of School Time Network (MOST)
MOST is a network of citizens and organized groups working collectively to campaign for 1) resources, 2) training and 3) effective policies, to ensure all children and youth in Maryland have access to activities in the out-of-school hours that help them achieve. MOST is supported by the Mott Foundation with a matching grant from UWCM.

Maryland Mentoring Partnership (MMP)
MMP serves as the state’s resource center for mentoring whose chief mission is to develop and support high quality, sustainable youth mentoring programs in Maryland. United Way has partnered with MMP to help provide quality corporate mentoring initiatives. The relationship with MMP also provides training, technical assistance, and public awareness for mentoring in Maryland.

Youth Investment Partnership –YIP (Steering Committee)
United Way was invited to the table to assist in leading this coalition of organizations who seek to meet the needs of youth in Maryland by advocating for a collaborative and comprehensive statewide youth development agenda that promotes effective programs and policies that recognize and address the supports youth in Maryland need to succeed. YIP advocates issues specific to Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS), out-of-school time, and Ready by 21.

Open Society Institute (OSI)
The Open Society Institute (OSI) initiative is in partnership with UWCM to reduce school suspensions and expulsions and improve behavioral intervention in Baltimore City Public Schools by providing alternatives to school suspension and expulsion; communicating and modeling positive behavior intervention; improving school climate and helping youth quickly and successfully re-enter school. UWCM provided funding for this work along with a contribution from the Nachlas Endowment.

HEALTH
Family safety often does not receive the attention it deserves as many times statistics are underestimated due to underreporting by victims. This is an issue that so often crosses into many other areas, including the three other UWCM impact areas. It is the goal of UWCM to insure that everyone is safe in their homes and relationships.

Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV)
The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV) has been working since 1980 to eliminate domestic violence in Maryland through education, training, and advocacy. As Maryland's state coalition, the Network works together with local domestic violence programs as well as criminal justice and law enforcement personnel, legal advocates, health care and social service providers, clergy, educators, businesses, community groups, and concerned individuals to promote a coordinated community response to end domestic violence. The executive director of MNADV serves on the Family Safety Impact Council and UWCM Family Safety Impact Manager serves as a liaison to the MNADV Board of Directors.

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)
The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Inc. (MCASA) is the statewide collective voice advocating for accessible, compassionate care for survivors of sexual crimes and accountability for all offenders. As Maryland’s state coalition, MCASA works to end sexual violence through Advocacy, Education, Community Outreach, and Technical Assistance. The executive director of MCASA serves as on the Family Safety Impact Council.

Governor’s Office on Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) Department of Victim Rights and Resources
The Governor’s office has put a priority on coordinating services for victims of violence know about their rights and have access to services. UWCM has been involved in projects to map victim services funding for the state. United Way of Central Maryland is one of the largest private funders of victim services in the state of Maryland, will continue to be active with this group.