United Way of Central Florida Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: Success By 6: Success By 6 (SB6) mobilizes volunteers from local organizations, businesses, government, churches, civic groups, educators and human services to ensure that all children, by the age of six, have the physical, emotional, social and mental foundation to succeed in school and in life. Since 1995, UWCF's SB6 has focused on early literacy to help children enter school ready to succeed. In total Success By 6 programs placed over 54,000 books in the hands of children in FY 24/25. In addition: * 103 Parent Lending Libraries were in childcare centers serving low-income families; with 20,919 books checked out. * To increase awareness of the importance of early childhood education, Born Learning, a $90 million early childhood awareness campaign developed by the Ad Council, Civilian provided more than 300,000 messages to citizens of Central Florida. These included bus signs, billboards, newspaper advertisements and parent education materials placed in key locations throughout the area. Success By 6 events and staff provided 4,756 pieces of Born Learning and other literature to families in our community * Dolly Parton Imagination Library mails a book and parent guide each month to the homes of preschool children. 22,481 books were placed in the homes of 2,500 children ages 0-5. The Carol Jenkins Barnett United Way Children's Resource Center (CJBUWCRC), formerly Family Fundamentals, opened in November 2022 in our new location within the Florida Children's Museum at Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland. As a community and family outreach of Success By 6 the CJBUWCRC is a parent resource center which has formed partnerships with over 40 partner organizations providing parents and family members with support groups, classes, education, tutoring and other programs designed to strengthen the development of our children and family relationships. Master Teacher: This school readiness initiative targets neighborhoods where children considered at-risk for school failure reside. It provides an internship for childcare instructors using two Master Teachers along with parent education classes to help the instructors and parents to prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Readiness skills for children in classes with teachers trained by a Master Teacher improved an average of 3 months for every 1 month with the newly trained caregiver. 2-1-1: The 2-1-1 program provides information and referrals to families/individuals and community groups concerning local services and resources. 2-1-1 also identifies gaps in services; assists in creating remedies to meet local needs; connects individuals/families to resources; and advocates on behalf of individuals/families for access to resources. It also works to provide better service, accessibility and information to the Hispanic community. * From July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025, 211 received 59,297 contacts for services through calls, chats, texts, e-mail inquiries, and database searches. In addition, there were 103,236 webpage views for End Hunger, 211, CJBUWCRC, free tax prep, and other needed community resources Women United - ReadingPals: In Spring 2012, UWCF received a first-year grant to begin ReadingPals. Planning and implementation include collaborations with Polk and Highlands County Schools, the Early Learning Coalition of Polk and Learning Resource Center. From 2012-2020, Carol and Barney Barnett invested over $8,500,000 in 17 regions throughout the state of Florida to improve early literacy. ReadingPals focuses on engaging, training and deploying volunteer tutors to increase the number of students reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. It is important to our community, to the Barnetts, to all businesses and families in Florida that we make a united effort to reduce the close to 45% of children who are not reading at grade level. In 2024 the program secured 181 volunteers and served 362 students at 14 schools.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 83.8%; rating input score 84
• Program expense ratio: 80.6%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: $9.68 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.3%; rating input score 99; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -1.5%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.77; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.55; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5.5%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings