United Way for Southeastern Michigan

Executive Summary Please Provide a One-paragraph Summary (4--6 Sentences) of Your Proposed Vista Project That Includes the Following: a Description of Your Organization's Mission the Mission of United Way for Southeastern Michigan (UWSEM) Is to Mobilize the Caring Power of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan to Improve Communities and Individual Lives in Measurable and Lasting Ways. United Way Leverages Funding, Talent/expertise and Other Resources From Public and Private Sectors to Drive Substantive Results for Low- and Moderate-income Families in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties Around Three Focus Areas: Health/basic Needs, Education, and Economic Prosperity. the CNCS Programming Priority Area That Your Project Aligns With the Proposed Project in This Application Aligns With Three of the CNCS Focus Areas: Economic Opportunity, Healthy Futures, and Education. a Description of the Proposed Project Goal(s), Including Who Will Benefit From the Project We Are Proposing to Deploy a Team of Six Americorps Vistas Over the Next Three Years to Build Sustained Internal Capacity to Engage Critical Stakeholders in Order to (1) Effectively Reach Children and Families to Increase Access to the Programs and Services Supported by United Way, and (2) Ensure That These Investments Remain Responsive to Changing Community Conditions and (3) Mobilize Residents and Neighborhood Groups to Volunteer, Advocate and Give to Address Community Conditions and Decrease the Percentage of Residents in Southeast Michigan Who Cannot Afford to Meet Their Basic Needs. the Number of Vistas and Leaders (if Applicable) You Are Requesting and an Overview of the Major Activities They Will Perform the United Way Is Requesting Six (6) Vistas, Vistas Will Help to: - Support the Strengthening of United Way's Network of Partners and Other Strategic Convenings That Help to Engage the Regional Nonprofit Community to Shape and Inform Organizational Efforts to Combat Poverty and Drive Increased Alignment and Connectivity Across Partners' Work; - Build Internal Capacity to Facilitate and Maximize Community Engagement Around the Organization's Anti-poverty Strategies in Target Communities Across the Tri-county Area, Testing Out New Methods of Community Outreach and Engagement That Leverage Potential Capacity Across Uwsem Staff and Volunteers; - Help Develop Clear Structures and Processes That Facilitate Two-way Communication Between Uwsem and the Children and Families Touched by the Organization's Investments; and - Increase Mobilization and Training of Volunteers to Drive Impact of Anti-poverty Strategies, Building Capacity to Leverage Skilled Volunteers and Increasing Connections to Area Affinity Groups (such as Historically Black Fraternities and Sororities, the Center for Arab American Philanthropy, and the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) So as to Diversify the Organization's Volunteer Base. the Estimated Time Required to Complete the Project Over 3-4 Years, the Vista Project Will Seek to Strengthen 40 Organizations/institutions, and Mobilize 3,700 Volunteers.