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 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 MoreProven Program: Parenting Students Project
Parenting students work hard every day to pursue their goals, juggling caregiving, course work, and sometimes multiple jobs to build a better life for their families. Because of the obstacles they face, parenting students are nearly twice as likely to leave school for preventable reasons: lack of child care, conflicting course and work schedules, and even convenient transportation. Removing the barriers parenting students face helps them continue on education pathways to living wage employment, which changes their lives as well as their children’s lives. In fact, a $3,000 difference in parents’ income while a child is young leads to a 17% increase in that child’s future earnings. That’s why United Way for Greater Austin partners with Austin Community College to provide parenting students, ages 18-29, with incentives to accelerate their post-secondary education. Students in our program receive: $500 monthly stipend Peer networking/engagement Leadership and advocacy opportunities Academic counseling Child care scholarships Other wrap-around services “This program has been extremely helpful for my family and I. It allows me to focus all of my attention on nursing school and make sure I stay on track and graduate.” – Deja, program participant Our impact: From Fall 2021- Fall 2023 Supported families. The Parenting Students Project supported 76 students and 103 children. Academic success. 38% of students have earned a degree or certification as of the end of Spring 2023, with an additional 38% intending to continue in the program. Financial stability. The Parenting Students Project awarded each student an average of $2,038 […]
Read MoreUnited Way for Greater Austin Awards $2.2 Million to 68 Local Organizations
United Way for Greater Austin awarded a total of $2.2 million in strategic grants to 68 nonprofits in Travis and Williamson counties. The recipients represent a diverse set of community leaders collectively serving over 13,000 local children and families in the areas of education, health, and financial stability. As an organization committed to changing inequitable systems and embracing inclusivity, United Way approached the grant selection process with these values in mind. In total, 66 recipients focus on clients who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), and 25 recipients have BIPOC leaders. “We are grateful to every donor who makes these strategic investments in our region possible,” said David C. Smith, CEO of United Way for Greater Austin. “Every dollar goes a long way to ensure everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. United Way is proud to support and work with such outstanding partners, and we look forward to changing lives the only way we know how: United.” In January 2022, United Way for Greater Austin and United Way of Williamson County joined forces and merged into a regional organization supporting children, families, and individuals in Austin, Travis County, and Williamson County. This funding represents a continued investment in both counties. Because United Way brings local solutions to local issues within each community across the region, grants will support strategic priorities specific to each county. In Travis County, the grants will advance the goals of two community coalitions powered by United Way: The Success By 6 […]
Read MoreExpanding Opportunity for Young Families helps parenting students advance their careers
Meet Katie Gonzalez, a parent of six young kids. As one of 34 parents in our Expanding Opportunities for Young Families pilot program, Katie recently earned a phlebotomy certificate from Austin Community College, advancing her career opportunities while also receiving access to vital wrap-around services for her family. Expanding Opportunity for Young Families (EOYF) is a collaborative community program coordinated by United Way for Greater Austin that helps parents overcome barriers to completing their degree, such as challenges finding child care and financial pressures. The program, which takes a 2-Gen approach of serving parents and children simultaneously, works to increase young parents’ successful academic enrollment and completion so they can access middle-skill jobs. The goal of the program is to increase the financial stability of young parents age 18-29 while improving the well-being of their children. Together with local community partner organizations, young parents from our Link Up Austin group are co-leaders of this work to advance the well-being and economic mobility of their families and the community. Katie says participating in the program allowed her to support herself financially while studying to achieve her dream role as a phlebotomist. “It’s a good opportunity for a lot of families,” she said. “Especially those who are in need and are wanting to go back to school and get educated, so they can have a career for themselves, their kids and their families.” How it works United Way partners with Workforce Solutions (WFS) Capital Area, Central Texas Allied Health Institute (CTAHI), Skillpoint […]
Read MoreAnnouncing $21,000 to 5 Nonprofits: Helping Improve Families’ Economic Opportunities
This summer, United Way for Greater Austin awarded a total of $112,000 in one-time grant funding to 23 qualified community organizations delivering effective programs and services that advance the goals of the community coalitions we convene as part of our collective impact work to fight poverty. Here at United Way for Greater Austin we’re working hard alongside our community partners to ensure that all families are financially stable. That’s why we lead the 2-Gen Coalition, a coalition of service providers focused on increasing economic opportunity for whole families and ensuring that families with children in Travis County are financially stable. A 2-Gen approach to social services serves parents and children simultaneously and leads to better financial outcomes for both generations. To help advance this goal, United Way put out a call for proposals to fund programs and services that are advancing the 2-Gen Coalition’s goals with a focus on racial justice transformation and digital equity. We’re thrilled to announce that the following organizations were awarded mini-grants, up to $7,500, to support their programs and services that are creating greater opportunity for children and families in our community! Racial Justice Transformation American Youthworks: engage YouthBuild participants in co-creating collaborative power-sharing structures, designed and run by youth and adults Austin Voices for Education and Youth (AVEY): as part of the St. John Equity in Education Project, AVEY will survey parents, teachers, and community partners about the strengths and challenges they see in their local schools, hold a series of community planning dinners, […]
Read More$13.5 Million (Yes, Million) invested in Greater Austin Children and Families: Big Wins from the American Rescue Plan
Here at United Way for Greater Austin, we’re on a mission to bring people, ideas, and resources together to fight poverty in our community. United with community leaders and partners, we’re leading the charge to create sustainable and lasting solutions to break the cycle of poverty. Advocacy is critical, not just to further the impact of United Way’s work, but to create lasting systemic change. It takes all of us — using our collective voice — to advocate for a Greater Austin that works for everyone. This is why we are so excited to share and celebrate with you a few major funding wins from the American Rescue Plan. What is the American Rescue Plan? The American Rescue Plan (ARPA) is a $1.5 trillion federal economic package designed to address the public health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding is being allocated to cities, counties, and states to directly support their recovery efforts. The City of Austin received $195.8. million in funding, and Travis County received $247.1 million. A collective investment of $13.5 million, from the City of Austin ($11MM) and Travis County ($2.5MM), will be made to specifically strengthen our local education, health, and workforce systems. These funding decisions were driven by testimony and recommendations put forth by United Way and you, our supporters and coalition partners. Thank you! This significant one-time investment of federal dollars will not only drive Greater Austin’s post COVID-19 economic recovery, but help address some of the root causes of poverty in our community. […]
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