I have been so privileged and have had so many champions in my life - it’s important to me to be that champion for other people. As a community, when everyone feels like they have a champion and the resources to be the best they can be, we all benefit.
Discover the power of your donation.
Board and President's Message
Board and President's Message
SCROLL DOWN
A Message from the Chair of the Board and the President & CEO
2017 was Canada’s 150th birthday, a time for both celebration and reflection. And there is much to celebrate as we reflect on what was accomplished by United Way of the Alberta Capital Region.
The region’s economy began a slow, steady recovery. While the crisis of the downturn was over, the pressure continued to build on vulnerable individuals and families.
It was more important than ever to support our community, ensuring we leave no one behind.
United Way’s focus on poverty alleviation continued to gain momentum in 2017. Donors stepped up to take full advantage of Edmonton Community Foundation’s Canada 150 Matching Grant. United Way received its largest single gift ever, in support of The Kid Kit ®, which champions early childhood development. And exciting new undertakings such as Women United offered innovative solutions to our community’s most complex problems.
Our final Impact Scorecard showed we exceeded our targets in four out of five areas. That success inspires us as we set a course for the future, knowing that our community’s resolve to create pathways out of poverty for all will not waver, no matter what the challenge.
Jane Halford, Chair, 2017 Board of Directors
Anne Smith, President & CEO
Anne Smith sits down with Sarah Chan, 2017 Campaign Co-chair, to share stories about her 35 year career at United Way.
Focused on Impact
We are focused on impact.
SCROLL DOWN
$0
invested in the community impact fund.
Where does it go?
Break the Cycle
$199
Lift People Out
$67
Provide a Safety Net
$128
Build Capacity
$106
$22
Early Childhood Development
The first three years in a child’s life are critical for development and set the stage for future learning and growth. Specifically for children and their caregivers in the first three years.
$139
Success in School
Children and youth who live in poverty are more likely to struggle in school and have poor attendance. In-school supports greatly improve a child’s ability to learn and increases their motivation to attend.
$22
Out of School Programming
When children are not engaged in positive after-school programming and recreational activities they are more likely to engage in risky behaviours. A significant amount of time, approximately 90% in a given year, is spent out of school.
$16
School Readiness
The early years are a time of significant learning and development where the foundation for strong early literacy skills can support an individual's learning outcomes throughout the school years and entire life.
$13
Financial Literacy & Training
By helping improve money management skills and providing convenient access to financial support programs, families are able to get on track and plan for a better future.
$33
Employment Skills & Training
People living in low income are the most vulnerable to employment loss, unemployment and underemployment. They face multiple barriers to finding and retaining employment.
$11
Healthy & Affordable Food
Low income households often have to choose between paying rent, paying bills or buying food. Lack of adequate food can have negative effects on the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of an individual.
$10
Quality & Secure Housing
Attaining and maintaining quality, safe and affordable housing is a challenge for many people living in poverty. Shelter is by far the biggest expense for people living with low income, with some people spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs.
$13
Domestic Violence Supports
Leaving an abusive environment can have significant impacts on an individual physically, emotionally, spiritually and economically. People who are experiencing abuse or domestic violence need to be able to access supports immediately.
$11
High Risk Youth Programming
Youth who lack positive mentors and life skills are more likely to engage in criminal activity, gang involvement and are at higher risk of dropping out of school.
$71
Mental Health Supports
Without adequate mental health supports and protocols for early detection in place, people affected by mental illness are at a higher risk of falling into poverty.
$33
Information & Referral
Socially excluded individuals and families are often denied the opportunities available to others. There are many different programs and services available to support those who are most vulnerable, yet many are unaware of these resources.
$106
Capacity Building
Capacity Building enhances the nonprofit sector by working together to understand the issues, identify priorities and seek better solutions to ensure clients receive effective and efficient programs and services from the nonprofits they count on.
Calculate your impact with the online Impact Calculator.
The Impact Calculator provides supporters with an online tool that easily illustrates the impact of their donations by simply entering in a fundraising goal and dollars raised.
By the Numbers
8,340
coats donated through Coats for Kids and Families
5,836
kid kits produced for children of families in need
13,500
school kits given to kids through Tools for School
80
Home kits given to newly housed families monthly
5,600
Care Kits given at Homeless Connect
Mike and Treyson's Story
When Mike learned he was going to be a parent, he decided to quit school, find a job and move in with his girlfriend. He was determined to provide for his family and found the Terra Centre.
“Young dads very much feel judged by the community. Our work is to help them engage in parenthood and show them that they can really make a difference in their children’s lives”, says Karen Mottershead from the Terra Centre.
Mike and his family received help to find housing and quality child care. The Terra Centre has run a program for teen dads since 2000. Last year, it served more than 100 young fathers. The agency provides male support workers for male clients through its Services for Young Dads. It also supplies daily necessities for young families, such as bus tickets, diapers and infant clothing.
Mike lives with his fiancée, his five-year-old son Treyson and his younger child, a daughter named Selena and also volunteers for programs that support young fathers in our community. Do you know what your donation looks like? It looks like Mike and Treyson.
2017 Snapshot
Our 2017 Campaign Success
SCROLL DOWN
Message from the Campaign Co-chairs
“Do you know what your donation looks like?” That is the question we asked the community during Campaign 2017. It was an invitation to learn the stories of the thousands of individuals and families who get the support they need from United Way funded programs.
Those stories would end very differently without United Way donors stepping up to give generously. It was an honour to co-chair United Way’s campaign in 2017 and see the community rally to our cause by raising more dollars than ever before.
What a fitting way for Anne Smith, President and CEO of our United Way, to cap off her 35-year career with United Way. You have our heartfelt thanks, Anne, for providing unmatched leadership in the fight against poverty in this region. Thank you to all of the individual and corporate donors, foundations and granting partners who provided outstanding support in 2017. You showed us what true community champions look like!
Carman McNary & Sarah Chan • 2017 Campaign Co-chairs, United Way
Sarah and Carman look back on the highlights of the 2017 Campaign.
$26.6 million
Raised in 2017
$14.7 million
From Individual Donors
$6 million
From Corporate Donors
$1.5 million
From Matching Grants
$4.4 million
From Provincial, Municipal & Organization Grants
$1,500,000 Matched Donation Program
In celebration of Canada 150, Edmonton Community Foundation generously provided a grant of up to $1.5 million to support United Way’s mission of creating pathways out of poverty.
Ever wonder what your donation looks like?
Every step you take to support United Way moves another family further along their pathway out of poverty.
Scorecard Progress
In 2014, United Way released an Impact Scorecard outlining five strategies and specific targets we would work toward achieving together over a three-year timeframe, helping nearly 22,000 people in our community. We are pleased to share final results.
GOAL 1: The Early Years
By connecting parents with supports to care for their infants and toddlers, we can nearly double the number of children we help get the right start in life.
Goal Exceeded: 2,843 in 2017
GOAL 2: Success in School
With mentors, school lunches, and support for parents we can ensure 1,750 more children succeed in school.
Goal Exceeded: 2,500 in 2017
GOAL 3: Managing Finances
We can help 10,000 people navigate and access their benefits and provide 1,000 women with financial literacy training.
Goal Exceeded: 13,097 in 2017
GOAL 4: Employment
Job skills training would result in 1,000 more people employed in positions that provide a living wage.
Progress: 910 in 2017
GOAL 5: Mental Health
We can ensure that over 5,500 additional community members get the right support for better mental health.
Goal Exceeded: 5,713 in 2017
Thanks to your support, by the end of 2017 we helped 24,243 more people in these five targeted areas. The targets have inspired giving and our efforts in all of the areas will continue.
Donors & Volunteers
Donors & Volunteers
SCROLL DOWN
Awards of Excellence
The Award of Excellence is a recognition award presented to organizations in the Alberta Capital Region that raised more than $1,000,000 in 2017. The following organizations were recognized at this year’s Red Tie Gala on February 21, 2017:
$1,290,000+
$1,600,000+
$2,400,000+
Corporate partners play an integral role in the implementation of United Way’s various engagement programs and events.
Engaging Our Community
Engaging our Community
SCROLL DOWN
Video Gallery
2017 Video Carousel
Women United
Women United’s vision is for the most vulnerable girls in our city to complete high school with pride in themselves, their community and their culture. Funds raised are invested to provide mentoring, success coaches, child and family therapy, nutrition and lunch programs, as well as before and after school programs. Officially launched on November 7, 2017, Women United aims to raise $2.5 million in the Alberta Capital Region over five years, providing support to more than 400 vulnerable girls in our community.
Make Your Mark on Poverty Youth Symposium
United Way hosted a Youth Symposium on May 25, 2017 at Eastglen School in celebration of the Make Your Mark on Poverty projects which were created during our 75th anniversary year (2016). Twenty local schools raised awareness about poverty through projects ranging from distributing gently used clothing to growing healthy vegetables in a school garden. Three schools entered their projects in the "Lions' Den Challenge", bidding to earn corporate mentorship and extra funding to continue their projects into the next school year.
All in for Youth
This school-based, collaborative model of service delivery uses a wrap-around approach to support the diverse and complex needs of socially vulnerable children, youth and families in five demonstration schools. The model brings together the expertise of partners from community agencies, school boards, funding organizations and government. During its first year of implementation, approximately 2,200 students accessed universal supports for overall well-being; 808 children and youth were supported with learning, leadership and recreation opportunities; 206 students received one-on-one mentorship; 131 students and families accessed formal therapy supports; and 557 children, youth and families received short-term success coach intervention.
EndPovertyEdmonton
United Way welcomed the EndPovertyEdmonton Secretariat staff to its offices to share work space and resources. EndPovertyEdmonton serves as a hub of coordination, communication, evaluation, and advocacy for the community's plan to end poverty. United Way is proud to provide foundational support to this valuable partner. Through the contributions of thousands of Edmontonians, EndPovertyEdmonton developed and now stewards the Road Map of 35 strategic actions that are needed to create a poverty-free community. United Way is currently playing a key role on various Road Map objectives.
Us and Them Screening
To mark the mid-way point in our 2017 fundraising campaign, on November 9, 2017 United Way hosted a screening of Us and Them, a documentary film exploring the lives of four people experiencing homelessness over 10 years. Following the screening, the audience had an opportunity to ask questions and listen to a panel discussion between the filmmaker, Krista Loughton, Anglican Bishop Jane Alexander and Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust.
2017 Event Highlights
748
Campaign Kickoff attendees
290
speaker presentations given
222
Days of Caring held
706
Red Tie Gala attendees
2,244
volunteers supporting various agencies
500
people experience Poverty Simulations
Mean Tweets with Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson
Rapid Fire Theatre and the Mayor’s office teamed up to launch a new brand of fundraiser on January 11, 2017 which has now become an annual event. Improv actors presented sketches inspired by some of the nastiest content on the Mayor’s social media feed, turning bad vibes into new resources to fight poverty in our region. Funds raised were donated to United Way’s All in for Youth program.
An Evening with Sarah
On September 21, 2017, Campaign Co-chair Sarah Chan welcomed guests to the EPCOR Tower for an evening of music and conversation. Sharing her musical talent on the piano, Sarah also took part in a fireside chat hosted by Edmonton media personality, Carrie Doll. Funds raised went to All in for Youth. The evening was such a success that it will be held again this year.
Hockey Helps Kids
The Charity Cup Challenge brings together school children from across Edmonton, local charities, and the Edmonton Oilers to work together to engage fans, drive awareness, and raise money for important causes. Westmount Junior High School was paired with Connor McDavid. The students chose our United Way as their charity of choice, raising $10,000.
What People are Saying
Anne Smith @myunitedway is a catalyst for social change in #yeg. Congrats on honorary doctorate from @UAlberta. It is an honour to know you pic.twitter.com/0LQwxB0GLe
— Myrna Khan (@MyrnaKhan99) June 13, 2017
@jkenney @R_Boissonnault @MichelleRempel @RachelNotley @kenthehr @SohiAmarjeet At Christmas we customarily donate 2 charities in our home #Ottawa. This yr & in light of challenges faced by families in the oilpatch, we are directing our donations 2 @UnitedWayCgy and @myunitedway
— Poli-cat (@poli_catt) December 23, 2017
So happy to be back at #yegpovsim with @myunitedway. This is such a powerful simulation to understand navigating poverty in #yeg. Check Eventbrite for dates! pic.twitter.com/cW4dBd2knH
— Tammy Slater (@Tammy_Bearht) December 7, 2017
We ran an exercise to see what words our clients use most often with us. We were very "pleased" to see how polite one of them is (check out how big PLEASE is).They do great work in #yeg, so shout out to @myunitedway for being an example of politeness. #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/5U2ofCre3W
— CompuVision (@CompuVisionBiz) December 11, 2017
I'm proud to be associated with, and a donor to, this remarkable organization. Keep up the good work @myunitedway ! https://t.co/2ZjY6keOkg
— Michael Norton (@northern_norton) December 19, 2017
Digging into my @misssarachan inspired Chanwich at Delux all for a great cause for the @myunitedway. pic.twitter.com/RV3vNBr8Q7
— Cal Jungwirth (@talentgrabber) December 17, 2017
Thank You!
Thank you for changing lives.
SCROLL DOWN