United Way, Yavapai County Community Foundation meet with non-profit organizations

Verde Valley, AZ  -- In two recent meetings known as Community Conversations, United Way of Yavapai County (UWYC) and Yavapai County Community Foundation (YCCF) via their collaboration as the United Way Community Impact Committee, joined forces to listen to what area non-profit organizations have to say.

United Way of Yavapai County was founded in 1987 and has raised almost $5 million to support health and human services throughout Yavapai County.

The Yavapai Community Foundation was formed in 1994 and currently has $3 million in assets to provide grants to organizations providing services for education, the environment, children and families, physical and mental health, music and art, and the elderly, and canines in law enforcement.

As the sponsors of the events, YCUW and YCCF were seeking input on areas of community concern or opportunity that the sponsors should prioritize in their funding decisions. Other sponsors for the events included the Prescott Evening Lions Club and the Department of Economic Security.

One of the invitation-only meetings was held in Prescott for agencies in the Quad City area and another meeting was in the Verde Valley, bringing together a total of 52 organizations – and more than 100 individuals.

The goal of the Community Conversation was to address community challenges and opportunities rather than specific agency or organizational needs. Asking all attendees to “take off their agency hats” YCCF board president Carl Brown noted that funding ideas should focus on community solutions.

Among the top issues were the need for a united community action network/ resource and referral information, expanded housing opportunities (for a wide range of needs), increased youth opportunities, transportation options, substance abuse treatment and prevention, promotion of family education on community values/motivation of families to get help when they need it and expanded services for the elderly.

After several hours of dialogue and conversation, groups in both areas came up with the consensus opinion as to which specific tasks should be addressed. More than simple conversation, the discussion in several groups resulted in the long-sought interagency Action Teams. More than a dozen groups signed on the dotted line to volunteer to address the needs mentioned above.

Action Teams in the Quad City area have begun to meet and those in the Verde Valley will be meeting soon. A huge thank you is in order for members of the Youth Count team who skillfully led participants through the process to reach consensus and generate the energy necessary to mobilize teams.

Dialogue between sponsors and Action Teams is continuing as the Action Teams finalize their concept papers based on a priority list of community-defined concerns and opportunities in each of the three Community Impact areas identified by United Way. The Community Impact areas are Critical Needs: Investing in basic food, shelter, safety, medical, and emergency needs; Successful Lives: Strengthening individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency; and Commitment to Learning: Empowering people of all ages through quality learning and skills development.

Outgoing UWYC board president Harvey Grady says, “It was great to see people take charge of what they believe in strongly without regard to which agency would be impacted. Collaboration of individuals with a passionate interest in an issue can often result in action with much less bureaucracy.”

A similar meeting, which will be known as a Community Needs Dialogue, is planned for the Sedona area in the fall. In future years, the plan is to bring together other like-minded groups such as educators, elected officials, business, environmental community, churches and families.