United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania

Community Impact

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Investing in Results
INCOME FOR FAMILIES

LIVE UNITED:
Investing in Results

REAL CHANGES
REAL IMPACT
REAL RESULTS

BUILDING FINANCIAL STABILITY AND INDEPENDENCE FOR FAMILIES

A PATH TO SUCCESS FOR OUT-of-SCHOOL YOUTH

REAL CHALLENGES

Without adult guidance and positive options, many young people are facing multiple obstacles to success.

In southeastern Pennsylvania, more than 70,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither in school nor employed – the core population of our region’s crises of drug use, crime and violence.
As public education struggles to meet the needs of children who are attending school, the re-engagement of the growing number of unemployed dropouts often goes unaddressed.
Job readiness training, workplace internships and other opportunities to gain real job skills for real jobs and experience are available to only a fraction of these young people.
Employers have a critical role to play in developing and expanding effective efforts to connect out-of-school youth with jobs.

A UNITED APPROACH

United Way believes that only by bringing together business, government, labor, social services and the community can this root cause of our region’s economic challenges be addressed. Among this year’s efforts:

The Job Opportunity Investment Network, a funders collaborative that is building and strengthening employment pipelines – a direct path from schools to jobs – in health care and green industries.
WorkReady Philadelphia, a partnership between United Way, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Philadelphia Youth Network and Philadelphia Academies, seeks to provide high-quality work experiences for thousands of Philadelphia high school youth.
United Way’s network supports GED and diploma programs, work-based learning programs, and programs that grant certifications and other training credentials to help young people obtain employment.

WE ALL WIN WHEN THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL

REAL CHANGE

United Way is helping to strengthen the regional economy by creating opportunities for more people to have the skills to succeed in the work force.

United Way and its partners have leveraged over $750,000 in new money to support new industry partnerships providing real jobs for real people.
Over 1,500 youth obtained summer internships at over 60 companies last summer
•Over 1,100 young adults obtained a GED or other credential to prepare them to enter the workforce – and almost 700 others got a job

JOBS THAT PAY FOR WORKING FAMILIES

REAL CHALLENGES

In today’s economy, many working people are unable to save for a better future or even earn enough to support their families.

The annual cost of supporting a family of three without government assistance ranges from $48,500 to $56,300 in our region, yet more than 1 in 4 of area households have annual incomes below $25,000.
A college education is the key to moving into the economic middle-class, but only 7 of every 100 lower-income high school graduates go on to obtain college degrees. Close to 300,000 adults in the region have attended but not completed college.
Many job training programs fail to prepare participants for living wage, available jobs – and too many potential workers lack the basic skills they need to succeed in training and on the job.

A UNITED APPROACH

United Way partnerships help low-income working people acquire marketable skills, achieve family-sustaining wages, and build assets for the future.

The new $2.7 million Job Opportunity Investment Network invests in collaborations among employers, unions, and workforce development agencies to train low-wage workers for better paying skilled jobs in growing fields.
Graduate! Philadelphia, our joint initiative with the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, provides on-line and in-person assistance to help adults overcome obstacles hindering them from returning to college. Degree completion increases lifetime earnings by an average of $1,000,
United Way supports high-quality adult and financial literacy programs, job training, and increased access to tax credits and benefits that help working families get and stay on their feet.

WE ALL WIN WHEN THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL

REAL CHANGE

United Way is creating opportunities and advancing a brighter future for all by investing in sustainable employment and financial education initiatives.

The Job Opportunity Investment Network invested $850,000 in partnerships to prepare underemployed workers and new job seekers for good health care and green industry jobs.
United Way and its partners provided free tax preparation services to over 12,500 individuals, helping them qualify for over $18 million in tax credits and other refunds.
Graduate! Philadelphia has recruited 15 area universities and colleges as partners and provided hands-on assistance to help 700 adults go back for their degrees.

Impact on Income

Building Financial Stability and Independence for Families

Your Community Impact Funds sustain United Way’s effort to assure a path to success:

For out-of-school, out-of-work youth, helping them develop 21st century skills to reengage in their education or begin a career.
For the region’s under- and unemployed, providing industry-specific workforce literacy and job training in high-demand fields.
For low-income working people, helping them attain economic stability with financial education and asset development programs.

A sample of your investment’s performance, YEAR ONE:

Goal		Actual
1,288	Individuals who obtained an academic or vocational credential	1,302
100	Individuals who obtained or advanced to jobs earning at least $15/hour	107
509	Out-of-school youth who obtained employment	449*
4,140	Individuals who advanced toward financial self-reliance through financial education, bank accounts, savings, assets	3,598**
11,092	Individuals/families receiving free tax prep and obtaining refunds	12,589
* This shortfall is due primarily to the reduction in employment opportunities as a result of the economic downturn. ** This shortfall is due primarily to funding cutbacks from government agencies and unanticipated difficulties in tracking clients after program completion.