United Way of Dane County Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Youth Opportunity: Helping Young People Realize Their Full Potential. Every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive. At United Way, we help children get off to a good start and empower youth to reach their full potential by breaking down barriers to success. We advance early childhood education, literacy development, access to a high-quality K-12 education, college and career readiness and family engagement - fostering a future where every young person can realize their dreams. Children who start kindergarten-ready and finish high school are more likely to have the skills required to be successful in post-secondary education, an increasingly complicated job market and society. Adults with higher education levels are more likely to gain employment with family-sustaining wages. Strategies: Childcare and Early Childhood Development 1. Increase access to high quality, culturally relevant early care and education experiences particularly for Black, Indigenous and Families of Color experiencing poverty. 2. Build caregivers (parents and early care and education teachers) understanding of healthy child development through family and community outreach (outside of childcare, i.e. home visiting). 3. Connections to community resources and programs: remove barriers to accessing family support services that allow families to access the resources and services they need to overcome the experience of poverty (collective impact). 4. Support/influence policy changes that will deepen early learning and development outcomes for children. Strategies: In School, After School and Summer Learning, Literacy Development, Family Engagement and College and Career Readiness (K-12) 1. Facilitate access to additional learning opportunities to enhance students' mastery of academic content. 2. Build students' social/emotional and non-cognitive skills. 3. Ensure students' behavioral health and wellness. 4. Foster connection, belonging, leadership and academic success with youth at risk of disconnecting. 5. Recognize family engagement as a key component to improve student successes and outcomes. Goals: Build family well-being by intentionally and simultaneously working with children under five and the adults in their lives together. All students succeed academically, and graduate high school prepared for higher education, career and community. Results: * 7,919 Dane County neighbors supported through Youth Opportunity programming * 196 Families reported improved parent-child interaction or increased knowledge about parenting * 1,379 elementary and middle school students improved social emotional skills * 427 high school students improved connection, belonging, leadership and/or academic success

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 88.1%; rating input score 88
• Program expense ratio: 82.8%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.13 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • 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: 91%; rating input score 91; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

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

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -6.4%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.99; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.5%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 0.2% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 0.1% per year; rating input score 100; 10th percentile among comparable filings