We are thrilled to share the news that Travis County Proposition A passed in last month’s election. This is a huge win for Travis County and beyond as our region sets a new standard for access to quality and affordable early childcare for all. One thing we know for sure is that this victory is yours! Thank you to United Way’s supporters for all that you have done to make this win possible. We couldn’t have done this without you. So, what now? As many of you know, while this is a big win for early education, there is still much work to be done. United Way will continue to play an integral role in leading our community in building infrastructure and systems that will ensure that we maximize the impact of this proposition for our children and neighbors. To learn more about what we are advocating for to carry out this impact, check out our 2025-2026 Public Policy Agenda. Finally, this win is a shining example of the power of our collective voices. Your voice can be a part of building a thriving community. Learn how you can create powerful change as an advocacy volunteer below.
Read MoreYour Holiday Resources Guide: Meals, Gifts, and Events
Every year, United Way’s Navigation Center helps local families access free or low-cost holiday meals, gifts, and events across Central Texas. To make it easy for community members to find these seasonal events, we’ve compiled a calendar of meals, toys and gifts, and events happening now through December. From gift giveaways for kids to holiday festivities with Santa Claus, each event is open to the public. Click the button bellow and bookmark the holiday resources calendar! We will be updating this calendar regularly through the end of the year. Know someone looking for assistance with food, transportation, housing, or other resources? Tell them to give us a call at 2-1-1 to get connected to help in our community. 2-1-1 is free, anonymous, and available 24/7.
Read MoreAffordable Child Care Is In Our Hands: A Letter From Our CEO
Dear United Way Supporters, Since launching the Success By 6 Coalition in 2012, United Way for Greater Austin has seen incredible progress in ensuring that more children have access to high-quality and affordable childcare. We have now deepened our commitment by convening the Affordable Childcare Now! Coalition that has been hard at work to bring more attention to public solutions for today’s childcare crisis. Here is the current reality: Affordability is the number one barrier for families in Central Texas. The average annual cost of childcare in Travis County is over $13,000, surpassing state college tuition. In Travis County, over 5,000 children are on a two-year waiting list for state childcare subsidies. This November, we have an incredible opportunity to make a difference through Travis County’s Proposition A. If you live in Travis County, I ask that you join me in voting FOR Travis County’s Proposition A. For our supporters outside of Travis County, you can still help! Please consider learning more about Affordable Childcare Today and spreading the word as we set a new standard of early education for our region, state, and nation. Join United Way for Greater Austin in creating a Central Texas where everyone has the opportunity to thrive – especially our youngest. Vote FOR Travis County Prop A. Sincerely, David C. Smith CEO, United Way for Greater Austin
Read MoreUnveiling our 2023-2024 Annual Impact Report
This year marks 100 years since United Way for Greater Austin began making a difference in the community. Together with our neighbors, elected officials, nonprofits, subject matter experts, foundations, and community leaders, we are creating a future where every child is set up for success and everyone is connected to the essential resources they need, when they need them. Last year alone We answered 400,000+ requests for basic resources via phone and online. We served 60,269 local children and individuals with access to life-changing resources. We supported 13,000+ children under 6 from households with low income with access to early learning services. We provided 3,577 families with multi-generational support to care for children while also advancing their own education. We visited 1,000+ families with newborns with home visits through our Family Connects program. Grassroots Advocacy for Lasting Change Affordable Childcare NOW! This year, we formed the Affordable Childcare NOW! Coalition to support a Travis County ballot initiative that would provide affordable, quality early child care and education for 8,000 children. If passed, this resolution would expand access to care, support working families, provide better pay to early child care staff, and offer enhanced resources for children across Travis County. What’s Next Pease Elementary & Revolutionizing Early Child Care United Way is preparing to move into a new permanent home at the historic Pease Elementary School. This home will serve as a beacon for an equitable community that supports healthy and vibrant opportunities for all. The 35,000-square-foot facility will […]
Read MoreAdvancing Economic Opportunity for All Families: Introducing the 2-Gen 2024-2027 Strategic Plan
By Cecy Tamez-Rodriguez We’re thrilled to announce that the 2-Gen Coalition for Economic Advancement has released their 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. Based on the belief that our community is vibrant and prosperous when families can meet their economic potential and pursue well-being, two-generation (2-Gen) approaches build this well-being by intentionally and simultaneously working with children and the adults in their lives together. 2-Gen centers the whole family to ensure those seeking family-sustaining income create a legacy of educational success and economic prosperity that passes from one generation to the next.* In 2018, United Way for Greater Austin released the Family Opportunity Roadmap: Austin/Travis County 2-Generation Strategic Plan. This thorough and ambitious plan was developed in partnership with more than 200 members of our community and included 23 strategies to create an ecosystem of 2-Gen programs and services in Austin/Travis County. The 2-Gen Coalition and its governance committee was established to steward the work of this plan. Many voices, one vision Development of the new Strategic Plan began in April 2023 with the onboarding of the 2023-2024 2-Gen Coalition Steering Committee. The Steering Committee spent nine months developing this Strategic Plan in partnership with coalition members, community members, and United Way for Greater Austin. Together, we discovered core beliefs that will guide and inform our work: When parents and guardians of children achieve economic advancement through family-sustaining employment and postsecondary education, we unlock potential and well-being for whole families. When we center parents and guardians of children, we create solutions that positively […]
Read MoreYou don’t want to miss this: 2019-2023 2-Gen Coalition Strategic Plan Wrap-Up Report
By Becca Bice, Director of Economic Advancement “When we first reached out to United Way for support, our only thought was increasing child care options for young parents trying to re-engage with education. Becoming involved with United Way’s 2-Gen initiative and the 2-Gen provider network helped us to understand the importance of high-quality early childhood education and how that integrated with our education and training programs to create the greatest impact for the families we work with.” -American YouthWorks In 2018, United Way for Greater Austin released the Family Opportunity Roadmap: Austin/Travis County 2-Generation Strategic Plan, drafted in partnership with more than 200 representatives from local service providers, public agencies, educational institutions, and communities with lived experience of poverty. 2-Generation (or 2-Gen) approaches serve parents and children from the same family deliberately and simultaneously and can lead to better outcomes for both generations of a family. The 2-Gen Strategic Plan set common goals and strategies for creating an ecosystem of 2-Gen programs and services for families living with low income in Austin/Travis County. The 2-Gen Coalition, together with United Way for Greater Austin, stewarded this plan over five years and generated some incredible results, such as: Served 3,577 families with a 2-Gen approach in 2023 Invested $3.7 million in 23 local 2-Gen organizations from 2018-2023 Partnered with 67 community members and 274 individuals in 2023 Reached success milestones with 70% of our strategies, with 26% of them adopted by another coalition suited to reach success or modified to fit our […]
Read MoreGathering for Good 2024: Sowing seeds of change for a flourishing Central Texas
Nurturing. Energizing. Unifying. A sold-out crowd of more than 350 people came to Gathering for Good on May 2 to support United Way’s mission to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all. Thanks to the generous gifts of so many, we raised more than $140,000! Thank you to all who joined and supported the Women United luncheon. The event theme, Grow Wild, inspired us to plant seeds of change for our community so that, together, we will amplify our legacy of impact. We hope it gives you great joy to know that, as we celebrate 100 years serving our community in 2024, those seeds will flourish in the next 100 years and beyond. Special thanks to our amazing event co-chairs Laura Hernandez Holmes and Jennifer Wu; Presenting Sponsor Kirkland & Ellis; Empower Sponsors H-E-B, St. David’s Foundation, Texas Mutual Insurance Company, and Scott & Jeanmarie Rust; and all of our generous sponsors. Our deepest gratitude to our three outstanding event panelists: Vanessa Bell, Community Advocate Pamela Benson Owens, CEO, Six Square and Edge of Your Seat Consulting Jolynn Free, Co-Founder and Partner, CFM Wealth Partners Event panelist Vanessa, a former 2-1-1 recipient, shared what a lifeline 2-1-1 was for her and is for so many in our community. “I found myself in a situation I never anticipated being in. I was threatened, and I was abused. I made the choice that this was not going to be my life. I called 2-1-1, and my Navigation Specialist changed my […]
Read MoreMore than numbers: Using our data strategy to inform decisions and effect change
United Way for Greater Austin advances our mission — bringing our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all — using four strategies. One of those is data. United Way envisions a Central Texas where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. And 2024 marks an important milestone for us: 100 years serving the community! As we reflect on a century of change and a legacy of impact, our new strategic plan – adopted by United Way for Greater Austin’s Board in September 2023 – harnesses the power of a collaborative community for lasting change for our next 100 years. Our new strategic plan reflects the urgency of addressing economic disparity. We focus on increasing the availability of high-quality early care and education and equitable access to pivotal resources to dismantle economic barriers in Central Texas. Our united front includes dedicated staff, donors, civic and private partners, and an engaged community. Together, we leverage our strategies of data, coalitions, services and support, and advocacy to transform Central Texas, responding to urgent needs with impactful solutions. Our data strategy enables United Way to tell its story of impact and amplify that impact across the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of the community. We provide insights to inform decision-making together with civic and elected leaders, nonprofit and public service providers, and our community at large. Why is this important? Because our data is more than just a repository of information. We are the caretakers of research-based insights, with our fingers […]
Read MoreOur New Strategic Framework: Coalitions that confront economic inequality
Model Community meets quarterly to increase knowledge and collaboration among members, explore emerging topics through workgroups, provide participatory learning opportunities, and gather feedback for evaluation. United Way for Greater Austin advances our mission — bringing our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all — using four strategies. One of those is coalitions. United Way envisions a Central Texas where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. And 2024 marks an important milestone for us: 100 years serving the community! As we reflect on a century of change and a legacy of impact, our new strategic plan harnesses the power of a collaborative community for lasting change for our next 100 years. Our new strategic plan reflects the urgency of addressing economic disparity. We focus on increasing the availability of high-quality early care and education and equitable access to pivotal resources to dismantle economic barriers in Central Texas. Our united front includes dedicated staff, donors, civic and private partners, and an engaged community. Together, we leverage our strategies of data, coalitions, services and support, and advocacy to transform Central Texas, responding to urgent needs with impactful solutions. Inspired by leadership and energy in our community, our grassroots coalitions ignite collective impact with community members and nonprofit partners. These alliances are the heartbeat of our mission, amplifying our efforts to confront economic challenges with unity and strength. Here are some of our impactful coalitions: Success By 6 Coalition: Creates opportunities for infants, toddlers, and young children to receive high-quality […]
Read MoreIn her darkest moment, United Way for Greater Austin offered a network of support
United Way for Greater Austin advances our mission — bringing our community together to break economic barriers and build opportunity for all — using four strategies. One of those is services and support. United Way envisions a Central Texas where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. And 2024 marks an important milestone for us: 100 years serving the community! As we reflect on a century of change and a legacy of impact, our new strategic plan lays a strong foundation for our next 100 years. Our new strategic plan galvanizes our promise to realize a future where every child is set up for success with high-quality early care and education – in a community where everyone is connected to the essential resources they need, when they need them. Through this plan, four key strategies emerged. One of them is services and support. One example of our work in services and support is our Navigation Center, which paved the way for connecting local families and individuals to resources in our region. For more than 25 years, we have served as a 24/7 helpline that connects families and individuals right here in our community to more than 30,000 resources. Last year, we answered more than 200,000 requests for help – that’s one call every two minutes. Our Navigation Center is just one example of our work in services and support. Programs like Family Connects and Parenting Students Project provide health and education services to families in our region. We also support more […]
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