Central Iowa made strides in each of the goals of its strategic plan, with more children graduating from high school, a higher rate of self-sufficiency and increased community well-being, according to the 2021 Community Impact Report that was released today by the United Way of Central Iowa during its Live United celebration.

The Community Goals for 2020 were set in 2008 and have influenced the work done by the agency in areas of education, income and health.

“The past 12 years have been amazing for our community and for our organization,” said Elisabeth Buck, president of United Way of Central Iowa, in a prepared statement released before today’s celebration. “With our community’s generosity and commitment to these goals, we see what living united can really accomplish. Together, we are improving the lives of the thousands of central Iowans represented by these numbers.”

Among the achievements outlined in the Community Impact Report are:

• 93.6% of Central Iowa students graduated from high school within five years in 2019, up more than 10 percentage points over a decade. The graduation rate of students of color is up almost 10 percentage points since 2011.
• 68% of Central Iowans were financially self-sufficient in 2019, increasing from 67.7% in the previous year. The 0.3-point increase represents 8,179 more financially self-sufficient Central Iowans than in 2018, and more than 44,000 more financially self-sufficient Central Iowans than four years ago.

Buck, who is retiring in July after serving as president of the United Way of Central Iowa since 2017, said the organization also remains No. 1 in the country in per capita giving, raising more than $25 million for campaigns.

The report illustrates how, through its collaboration with partners, donors, volunteers and others, United Way of Central Iowa led change in Dallas, Polk and Warren counties, and how the organization and 211 Iowa, which is run by United Ways in 57 counties, responded to the needs caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Other highlights contained in the report:

• With over 40 schools served, more than 30,000 students have received vision screenings. Nearly 3,700 students have received two pairs of free glasses to help them see and have a better experience learning in the classroom.
• Through the United Way of Central Iowa’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, tens of thousands of Central Iowans have had their taxes prepared since 2008, resulting in $86.5 million in federal and state tax refunds.

• Since 2010, 19.6 million pounds of food has been distributed through pantries, food rescue programs, community gardens and corporate giving gardens funded in part by United Way of Central Iowa. In addition, the number of Central Iowans eating healthier has increased with 54.6% consuming five or more servings of fruits and vegetables four or more days per week. That is up from 53.7% in 2014.

• United Way of Central Iowa collaborated with community partners to establish resources and support the central Iowa nonprofit community, including an additional $1.8 million invested in COVID-19 relief.
• The 211 Iowa Vaccine Navigators have handled more than 16,000 contacts, with more than 10,000 COVID-19 vaccination appointments scheduled as of April 8.

Nora Everett, chair of the United Way of Central Iowa’s board of directors, said that while Central Iowa’s future is bright, more work still needs to be done.

“As we celebrate these accomplishments, we know … there will be challenges ahead,” Everett said in a statement released before today’s event. “But United Way is unwavering in its optimism because of the remarkable commitment, dedication, and generosity of so many people in our community.”

Earlier this year, United Way of Central Iowa unveiled its new strategic “United to Thrive” focus, an expanded plan of five elements of what is needed for a thriving community.

Those elements are:

• Essential needs.
• Early childhood success.
• Education success.
• Economic opportunity.
• Health and well-being.

“This new strategic focus … will be our North Star in the coming years,” Buck said during today’s event.

She said each area will have a cabinet of volunteer experts and advisers to develop specific strategies to achieve results. There will also be more than one key indicator to measure progress in each area, Buck said.

“These key indicators will provide a dashboard of metrics to give a holistic overview of the state of our community and the challenges we face,” she said.

Buck said that under the new United to Thrive plan, equity will become a top priority across all areas of the agency’s work.

”The only way we can truly thrive as a community will be to actively engage and acknowledge these disparities and help those who need it most,” Buck said during the event. “We see this as our best chance to grow together and unite as  a community to give everyone a chance to thrive.”

Today’s celebration also included the presentation of the Live United awards, with Athene receiving the Spirit of Central Iowa Award for its commitment to giving, advocating and volunteering.

Individuals recognized today include:

• Mary Neubauer, Impact-Maker Award, for her advocacy in children’s mental health.
• Deb Milligan, Hand-Raiser Award, for her dedicated volunteerism, especially for EveryStep, a current United Way partner.
• Brad McManus, Game-Changer Award, for his leadership during F&G’s 2020 United Way Campaign, which had the most money raised and highest employee participation to date for the organization.

Organizations recognized today include:

• Iowa ACEs 360, F&G and John Deere, Impact-Maker Award for advocacy.
• ITA Group and John Deere, Hand-Raiser Award for volunteering.
• Delta Dental of Iowa, Bankers Trust, Casey’s and Corteva Agriscience, Game-Changer Award for giving.