What began in 1956 with modest goals for community fundraising and strategic partnerships has resulted in large-scale projects and noteworthy successes. How have they happened? When we rely on data-driven approaches, supported by partnerships, we create significant impacts. Consider 90 by 2020, an effort we launched and led. This initiative resulted in significantly improved graduation rates. Accurate, tracked data combined with solid partnerships guides where we invest, how we measure progress, and when we communicate success. Our approach has been proven to work. We keep building upon our internal systems and exploring new community-facing data models, too.
In a room at the Dena’ina Center, people gathered for this week’s Anchorage Chamber of Commerce “Make It Monday” forum. Several of our board and staff members attended, and many other smiling faces scattered the crowd. There were community members from around town who we already work with and people whose partnerships with us are only just beginning. The Anchorage Chamber welcomed Eric Utraq Billingsley, our President and CEO, as this week's keynote speaker. His task was to update attendees about United Way of Anchorage convening strategic partners. Learn how we advocate for all Alaskans to thrive.
Since becoming our leader, Eric's envisioned us moving back into the role of a “strategic partner” to help build a thriving Anchorage. Every community member and every workplace are connected because of our link to Anchorage. United Way was founded to help Alaskans and our town to thrive. We do our best work when we keep true to our founding vision and mission. That’s why we’re taking steps to get back to convening nonprofits, for-profits, and public-sector organizations.
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“Our tools will be available to the public, government, and business—highlighting populations often left out of conversations,” said Eric. Many of them are made possible and advanced by community members’ generous donations and through grant funds that we receive due to our longstanding, important work. Each dollar entrusted to United Way serves as a lever. “A $500 gift doesn’t just provide charity,” Eric said. “It provides security. Philanthropy isn’t just generosity. It’s strategy.” By donating to United Way, people help us continue our legacy of being a place where people invest in our community. They trust us to pass their gifts to Alaska nonprofits that are addressing current local challenges—and that work matters.
We’re most effective when we have deep and strong connections with strategic partners. Then, we can align our efforts so, together, we drive collective impact. To accomplish this, we host monthly meetings with our funded partners and are launching working groups with new and potential partners. These gatherings allow us to support shared learning and collaborative solutions, which create deeper engagement across our community.
“These aren’t just meetings,” Eric said. “They’re the foundation for shared strategy. We’re building the conditions for collaboration that leads to measurable change.” Our strategic partners’ answers, involvement, and support matter to United Way and Anchorage. “When we all show up,” said Eric, “Anchorage thrives.”
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Fun fact: Have you ever played Monopoly—the board game that most people know—and landed on the Community Chest? If so, you’ve parted with some money. Its inclusion is due to the popularity of our founding organization, which was developing during the early 1900s while the game was being designed and refined too.