United Way Of The Bay Area

TO BE THE CATALYST THAT ENABLES PEOPLE TO STRENGTHEN THEIR COMMUNITIES BY INVESTING IN ONE ANOTHER.

ECONOMIC SUCCESS - SPARKPOINT HAS SERVED MORE THAN 30,000 INDIVIDUALS SINCE LAUNCHING SPARKPOINT OAKLAND IN 2009, AND APPROXIMATELY 8,279 PEOPLE IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE.SPARKPOINT CENTERS OFFER AN ARRAY OF SERVICES IN ONE CONVENIENT LOCATION FOR A PERSON OR FAMILY TRYING TO MOVE OUT OF POVERTY, INCLUDING FINANCIAL COACHING ON BUDGETING AND SAVINGS, CREDIT AND DEBT MANAGEMENT, CAREER OR EDUCATION COUNSELING, SCREENING FOR PUBLIC BENEFITS, AND OTHERS. SPARKPOINT AIMS TO HAVE CLIENTS MOVE FROM POVERTY TO ECONOMIC SUCCESS BY (1) INCREASING INCOME; (2) REDUCING DEBT; (3) INCREASING CREDIT SCORES; AND (4) INCREASING SAVINGS. THE SPARKPOINT REGIONAL NETWORK INCLUDES MORE THAN 100 OUTSTANDING PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE BAY AREA.IN RESPONSE TO THE UNPRECEDENTED IMPACTS OF COVID, SPARKPOINT EXPANDED SERVICES FOR BASIC NEEDS SUPPORT INCLUDING DISTRIBUTION OF 8,800 FOOD PANTRY MEALS, DONATIONS OF BASIC NEEDS SUPPLIES VALUING $22,800, AND HELPING OVER 750 PEOPLE ACCESS RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUNDS TOTALING $2M. UWBA PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PARTNERS VIA WEBINARS ON APPLYING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, COPING WITH ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND HOW TO OFFER SERVICES VIRTUALLY. WE STARTED TRACKING CLIENTS WHO COME TO OUR CENTERS IMPACTED BY COVID19 AND STARTED OFFERING RENTAL ASSISTANCE. WITH THE COLLECTIVE SUPPORT OF WELLS FARGO AND MULTIPLE OTHER FUNDERS, SPARKPOINT CENTERS HAVE DISTRIBUTED RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO APPROXIMATELY 500 PEOPLE FROM JULY THROUGH DECEMBER 2020, TOTALING $1M IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. THE WELLS FARGO FUNDING ALLOWED SPARKPOINT CENTERS TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE COVID-19 RESPONSE EFFORTS AS A FINANCIAL SUPPORT HUB FOR PUBLIC BENEFITS AS WELL AS RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC, WE ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW SPARKPOINT CENTER AT CHABOT COLLEGE AND HELD A VIRTUAL LAUNCH EVENT ON FEBRUARY 5TH. THE EVENT WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 70 PARTICIPANTS AND INTRODUCED SPARKPOINT TO CHABOT COLLEGE AND THE BROADER HAYWARD COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, SPARKPOINT CONTRA COSTA ADDED A NEW SATELLITE SITE AT DIABLO VALLEY COLLEGE EXPANDING ITS SERVICES TO STUDENTS IN PLEASANT HILL.EARN IT! KEEP IT! SAVE IT! ("EKS") IS A UWBA-LED INITIATIVE THAT WORKS WITH A COALITION OF PARTNERS THAT PREPARES TAX RETURNS FOR FREE, ENSURING LOW-TO MODERATE-INCOME FAMILIES GET THE REFUNDS AND CREDITS FOR WHICH THEY ARE ELIGIBLE. DURING THE 2021 TAX SEASON, 1,000 VOLUNTEERS PREPARED APPROXIMATELY 32,000 TAX RETURNS AND BROUGHT BACK OVER $60.1M IN REFUNDS. ADDITIONALLY, $11.6M OF THOSE REFUNDS WAS IN EARNED INCOME TAX CREDITS ("EITC"). EITC GOES TO THE POOREST, MOST VULNERABLE BAY AREA HOUSEHOLDS AND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY POVERTY-FIGHTING EXPERTS AS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS NATIONALLY, LIFTING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ABOVE THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL EVERY YEAR. FAMILIES USE THEIR REFUNDS PRIMARILY TO PAY BILLS, RENT, AND TO BUY FOOD OR CLOTHES. THROUGH ITS TAX PREPARATION EFFORTS, EKS PROVIDES RESOURCES TO MEET BASIC NEEDS, WHICH IS CRITICAL TO ENDING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY IN THE BAY AREA. IN A TYPICAL YEAR, EKS HAS NEARLY 200 LOCATIONS IN EIGHT COUNTIES, BUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED MOST OF THE VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE AND AARP TAX-AIDE LOCATIONS TO CLOSE IN EARLY MARCH 2020.IN 2019, WE BEGAN WORKING WITH CODE FOR AMERICA IN PARTNERSHIP ON WHAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME GETYOURREFUND.ORG, WHICH HAS BEEN A CRITICAL RESOURCE FOR REACHING OUR CLIENTS SAFELY DURING THE PANDEMIC AND WHICH HAS PROVIDED A BACKBONE OF OUR VALET AND FULLY VIRTUAL SERVICES. FOR THE PAST TWO TAX SEASONS, OUR SITES HAVE HAD TO DRASTICALLY LIMIT IN-PERSON SERVICES; BUT HAVE EXPANDED DROP-OFF AND VIRTUAL SERVICES TO MEET THE NEED. SITES, INCLUDING OUR EXPANDED HUB MANAGED DIRECTLY BY UWBA STAFF, HAVE ALSO PROVIDED FREE TAX PREP SERVICES MUCH LONGER INTO THE YEAR DUE TO EXTENDED TAX SEASONS WHILE ALSO PROVIDING SERVICES FOR AN ENTIRELY NEW CLIENT POPULATION THOSE CLIENTS WHO TYPICALLY DO NOT FILE TAXES BUT NEEDED TO CLAIM CRITICAL EIP (STIMULUS) RESOURCES.YOUTH WORKFORCE IS A UWBA-LED INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS. THIS YEAR, WE SHIFTED ALL OUR YOUTH WORKFORCE ACTIVITIES TO VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITIES. WE'VE HOSTED OVER 10 EVENTS WITH YOUTH ACROSS THE BAY AREA. WE'VE PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY AGENCIES IN SANTA CLARA, SAN FRANCISCO AND ALAMEDA COUNTIES AS WELL AS CORPORATE PARTNERS INCLUDING WELLS FARGO, BANK OF AMERICA, DELOITTE & TOUCHE AND OTHERS, TO PROVIDE CAREER READINESS WORKSHOPS, CAREER EXPLORATION DEMONSTRATIONS, CAREER PANELS, AND RESOURCES TO YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 14-24. MANY OF THE WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES LED TO OUR SIGNATURE EVENT, ON TRACK CAREER EXPO, DESIGNED TO ENGAGE YOUTH IN HANDS-ON DEMOS AND CAREER COACHING TO LEARN ABOUT VARIOUS PROFESSIONAL PATHS AND INDUSTRIES THAT MANY HAVE NEVER BEEN EXPOSED TO. DESPITE BEING VIRTUAL THIS YEAR, ON TRACK MAINTAINED ITS INTERACTIVITY AND ENGAGED NEARLY 70 YOUTH AND 40 VOLUNTEERS FROM ACROSS THE BAY AREA ON A VIRTUAL EVENTS PLATFORM.

GROSS FUNDS AWARDED/ALLOCATED TO AGENCIES

211 PROGRAM - 211 IS A FREE, EASY-TO-REMEMBER PHONE NUMBER AND WEB RESOURCE THAT ANYONE CAN CALL FOR INFORMATION AND REFERRAL TO LOCAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. LAST YEAR, UWBA AND ITS CALL CENTER PARTNER RESPONDED TO APPROXIMATELY 76,831 CALLS AND TEXTS. MORE THAN HALF OF THESE REQUESTS CAME FROM THOSE REQUESTING HELP WITH BASIC NEEDS ISSUES SUCH AS FOOD, LEGAL HELP, AND SHELTER. 211 CONTINUED TO TAKE COVID RELATED CALLS THROUGHOUT FY21. 211 ALSO PLAYED AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE VARIOUS COVID RELIEF STIMULUS, BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE.

OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS - EMERGENCY FOOD & SHELTER PROGRAM (EFSP) IS AT THE CORE OF OUR POVERTY-CUTTING AGENDA. THIS YEAR, EFSP ENTERED ITS 38TH YEAR OF FUNDING SAFETY NET PROGRAMS. THIS FEDERAL FUNDING IS ALLOCATED TO FEMA WHO WORKS WITH UNITED WAY WORLDWIDE AS THE FISCAL AGENT FOR THE PROGRAM. EFSP IS A UNIQUE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE UNITED WAY SYSTEM. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, UWBA AND LOCAL BOARDS HAVE DISTRIBUTED FEDERAL FUNDING TO HUNDREDS OF FOOD AND SHELTER PROGRAMS. THIS MOST RECENT FUNDING ROUND, EFSP DISTRIBUTED $4,8M TO AGENCIES IN EIGHT COUNTIES, WHICH INCLUDED $3,5M IN SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS FROM THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT. OVER 500,000 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS WILL BE SERVED BY ONE OF THE 118 EFSP-FUNDED AGENCIES IN THE BAY AREA DURING THE CURRENT GRANT PERIOD. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE NETWORK (EAN) IS A UWBA COLLABORATION WITH SEVEN LOCAL SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARTNER AGENCIES THAT OFFERS ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THIS COLLABORATIVE PROVIDES FOOD ASSISTANCE, RENT AND MORTGAGE AID, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, MEDICAL AND TRANSPORTATION AID, OFTEN ALONGSIDE CASE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL EDUCATION. IN FY21, EAN AGENCIES ASSISTED APPROX. 2,900 HOUSEHOLDS (7,400 INDIVIDUALS) WITH HOUSING/UTILITY ASSISTANCE, ENABLING THEM TO OVERCOME FINANCIAL CRISES AND REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES. BETWEEN THE SEVEN EAN FOOD PANTRY PROGRAMS, 54,600 INDIVIDUALS WERE ALSO SERVED. IN MAY, THE EAN WERE ALSO AWARDED AN ADDITIONAL $300,000 TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL RENTAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES.LABOR COMMUNITY SERVICES IS A LONG-STANDING LABOR-UNITED WAY PARTNERSHIP THAT COMBINES THE POWER OF MORE THAN 12.5M WORKING FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES TOWARD A SHARED VISION WHERE ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL. LOCALLY, UWBA'S LABOR COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAM CONTINUED ITS ESSENTIAL ROLE OF ASSISTING PEOPLE IN POVERTY THROUGH DIRECT PROVISION OF COMMUNITY SERVICES AND POLICY ADVOCACY. THE SUPPORTS PROVIDED BY OUR LABOR LIAISONS BECAME INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT AS THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC CONTINUED. SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE LABOR LIAISONS INCLUDED: DISTRIBUTED FOOD TO OVER 20,000 WORKING FAMILIES, PROVIDED OVER $250,000 HARDSHIP ASSISTANCE DIRECTLY TO WORKING FAMILIES, AND PROVIDED 10,500 COVID-19 VACCINES TO UNION MEMBERS.PUBLIC POLICY IS A UWBA-LED ADVOCACY INITIATIVE. UNITED WAY BAY AREA RECOGNIZES THAT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL OF ENDING POVERTY IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE MUST ADVANCE PUBLIC POLICIES THAT SUPPORT OUR MISSION. UWBA'S PUBLIC POLICY TEAM INFLUENCES POLICY AND ENGAGES IN ADVOCACY AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. OUR PRIMARY POLICY FOCUS IS TARGETED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IN OUR EIGHT-COUNTY SERVICE AREA (ALAMEDA, CONTRA COSTA, MARIN, NAPA, SAN FRANCISCO, SANTA CLARA, SAN MATEO, AND SOLANO). IN ADDITION, WE PROVIDE ADVOCACY SUPPORT TO STATE AND FEDERAL ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE UNITED WAY NETWORK. IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, WE WORKED ALONGSIDE OUR CA SYSTEM TO SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATE FOR THE CA EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT EXPANSION AS WELL AS FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE 211 SYSTEM. UWBA ENGAGED THE PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE IN DEVELOPING A VOTER EDUCATION GUIDE FOR THE NOVEMBER 2020 ELECTION. VIRTUAL ADVOCACY DAYS AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS TOOK PLACE IN SPRING 2021.A WILDFIRE FUND WAS ESTABLISHED AS A SPECIAL INITIATIVE THIS YEAR. IN AUGUST 2020, THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF WILDFIRES DECIMATED MORE THAN 800,000 ACRES AND CAUSED THE EVACUATION OF MORE THAN 100,000 HOUSEHOLDS THROUGHOUT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. BY FALL, THIS WOULD BE THE WORST FIRE SEASON IN CALIFORNIA'S HISTORY. THE AREA AFFECTED WAS ENORMOUS, INCLUDING ALAMEDA, CONTRA COSTA, HUMBOLDT, LAKE, MARIN, MENDOCINO, MONTEREY, NAPA, SANTA CLARA, SANTA CRUZ, SAN MATEO, SOLANO, AND SONOMA COUNTIES. THE GREATER BAY AREA CENTRAL COAST WILDFIRE RELIEF FUND WAS CREATED TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM RECOVERY ASSISTANCE TO BAY AREA AND CENTRAL COAST RESIDENTS AND CONSISTED OF UNITED WAY OF THE WINE COUNTRY (UWWC), UNITED WAY OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY (UWSC), UNITED WAY OF MONTEREY COUNTY (UWMC), AND UNITED WAY BAY AREA (UWBA). EACH LOCAL UNITED WAY HAS DEEP RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND OPERATES A 211 FOR THEIR COUNTIES. THEY WERE ABLE TO USE 211 CALLER NEEDS DATA AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH LOCAL OFFICES OF EMERGENCY SERVICES TO UNDERSTAND RELIEF EFFORTS AND LOCAL NEEDS. WE ARE ALSO ENGAGED IN THE LOCAL VOADS (VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER). WHEN THE FUND WAS DEVELOPED, ALL FOUR LOCAL UNITED WAYS PROMISED TO SHARE RESOURCES BASED ON MUTUAL ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL NEEDS AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO FILL GAPS IN SERVICES AND LEVERAGE OTHER PHILANTHROPIC RESOURCES. WE ALSO MADE DECISIONS ON FUND DISTRIBUTION WITH EQUITY AS A FRAME. UWBA ALLOCATED $315,000 TO 7 COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN NAPA AND SAN MATEO COUNTIES THAT PROVIDED FOOD, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, MOTEL STAYS, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO FAMILIES AFFECTED BY THE WILDFIRES.CENSUS ASSISTANCE WAS ANOTHER SPECIAL INITIATIVE THIS YEAR. FROM 2019 TO LATE 2020, UWBA SERVED AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE BACKBONE FOR THE REGION'S EFFORTS TO GET A COMPLETE COUNT IN THE 2020 CENSUS, ENSURING FEDERAL FUNDING AND REPRESENTATION FOR OUR COMMUNITIES OVER THE NEXT DECADE. "UWBA'S BAY AREA COUNTS 2020" WAS A $3.7M REGIONAL CENSUS OUTREACH INITIATIVE CONDUCTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SEVEN COUNTY GOVERNMENTS AND A COALITION OF FUNDERS. WE PROVIDED GRANTMAKING, REGIONAL COORDINATION, DATA STEWARDSHIP, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO A NETWORK OF TRUSTED MESSENGER ORGANIZATIONS DOING OUTREACH IN OVER 70 LANGUAGES.