A little innovative fundraising and a lot of generosity helped United Way surpass its latest campaign goal.

United Way reported raising just over $58 million toward the $59 million fundraising goal in November. At the time, 2007 campaign chair Troy Clarke, president, General Motors North America, along with United Way President and CEO Michael Brennan, vowed to keep the momentum going to meet the goal. On Jan. 19, we did it.

To put United Way over the top, GM graciously donated the proceeds from the sale of a 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz. NBC late-night celebrity Jay Leno drove the prized Corvette ZR-1 prototype onto the auction block and it sold for $1 million -- in spirited bidding -- to Dave Ressler, a Chevrolet dealer from North Dakota. Dubbed the Blue Devil for its custom (LeMans Blue) paint job, the uber muscle car comes with a 6.2-liter V-8 capable of producing 620 horsepower, and tops out at over 200 mph.

As the winner, Ressler will take ownership of the first production version of the 2009 Corvette ZR-1 later this year, at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky.  He also received tons of extras including tickets to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, a personal tour of Leno's garage, and a driving experience in a Corvette Z06 from the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, with special instructor, Ron Fellows.

“GM presented United Way with an incredible opportunity to benefit from this auction,” Brennan said. “Through their generosity and the support of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, we were able to meet our fundraising goal during a critical time for our community. The $59 million we raised will be put to work to greatly help individuals and families thrive in southeast Michigan.”

Total dollars raised through United Way’s annual campaign support the organization's Agenda for Change, which focuses on educational preparedness, financial stability and basic needs.

Operation ABC needs Y-O-U
Proactive regional program will prepare children for long-term success

United Way for Southeastern Michigan took a major step forward in its mission to improve educational preparedness levels across the region with the recent launch of Operation ABC, and is currently looking for volunteers to join the effort.

Operation ABC is part of a literacy movement United Way is championing, and focuses on educational preparedness, with a specific goal of assuring that children in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties are reading at grade level by the time they enter the third grade. Educational preparedness is a component of United Way's Agenda for Change for the region.

Through this innovative initiative, United Way is bringing together local school districts, nonprofits, corporations and an army of volunteers to improve  the reading skills of metro Detroit students in grades one and two. To make this a reality, more than 2,000 area residents will be recruited and trained, then head out to southeast Michigan classrooms to tutor children in reading. All volunteers commit to spending one to five hours as a tutor each week.

UWSEM President and CEO Michael J. Brennan unveiled Operation ABC during a Jan. 24 press conference at the UAW Solidarity House in Detroit. Accompanied by a representative group of Operation ABC sponsors and 30 students in first and second grades from area schools, Brennan issued a formal call to action for potential supporters.

“Part of our mission is to mobilize the caring power of the region to effect positive, lasting change,” said Brennan. “Additionally, as a member of One D, we took on the mantle of educational preparedness as a primary focus. Operation ABC is an example of that commitment in action. We are addressing an immediate need in our community by directly aligning resources – 2,000 volunteers, with a vital need-- tutoring first and second graders in select schools throughout the tri-county region.”

Operation ABC is critical because third grade is the first major milestone in early childhood literacy, according to United Way research.

"If a child fails to read at the recommended reading level by the third grade, a potential domino effect begins, diminishing that child’s chances of completing high school,” Brennan said. "Now more than ever, the success of the region in the 21st century will require a renewed commitment to a culture of achievement in our schools and communities. Unless more youth graduate from school prepared to succeed, southeast Michigan will be unable to compete in the global economy. Early education is the key."

Nationally, 46 percent of children come to school unprepared to succeed. Within southeast Michigan, the gap in early education is reflected in 2006 MEAP results. While 2006 MEAP Reading Test results showed improvements over those of 2005, nearly 7,000 third graders throughout the tri-county area are not reading at grade level. 

For the past year, United Way has been working to build the framework, along with the partnerships and collaborations needed to make Operation ABC possible. Following extensive research, United Way began to shape the model for Operation ABC, including securing the necessary resources to support volunteers in the effort.

“Aside from the amount of human resources needed, we had to shape a training process and develop specific security clearance procedures for each volunteer,” said Dona Ponepinto, UWSEM vice president, Community Investments and Partnerships.

“Once accepted, each volunteer will participate in two basic training sessions that will cover areas such as emergency procedures, child interaction coaching, and specialized training on a school-specific tutoring model. Volunteers will then be placed based on their skills, location preference, or a school’s program needs.”

Though statistics indicate gaps in early education around southeast Michigan, United Way is working to bridge the gap in quality early childcare and educational opportunities that greatly increase readiness through programs such as Operation ABC.  Additional United Way early education programs already in progress include Success by Six™ and the Virgil H. Carr School Attendance Initiative.

Individuals interested in becoming an Operation ABC volunteer can click here for application details, or dial 2-1-1. Organizations may get involved by adopting a school (committing at least 10 people to serve as volunteer tutors) by e-mailing Laura.Stanton@LiveUnitedSEM.org for more information.

Volunteer Spotlight
Helping further the Agenda

Leadership Next member Chris Uhl, a commercial banker at Comerica, is lending his time and talent to United Way for Southeastern as a volunteer on an important process for the organization.

As United Way moves forward its Agenda for Change for the region, requests for proposals from area organizations interested in partnering in the future are currently being reviewed. It is a painstaking process involving a core group of key volunteers -- who make a considerable commitment -- providing subject matter expertise in support of United Way staff. Uhl has stepped up and says he is excited to participate.

As a reviewer, Uhl will be reading RFPs related to possible funding for financial stability work and helping to evaluate prospective future partners for United Way as we continue to work towards measurable outcomes. Educational preparedness, financial stability and basic needs are the Agenda for Change focus areas.

UWSEM and Leadership Next would like to thank Uhl and all the volunteer reviewers from Leadership Next who are giving a substantial amount of time to help UWSEM ensure that meaningful impact happens in our region. Chris and the rest of the review team, Michelle Peters, Albert Berger, Nancy Robinson and Marcus Harris, are true leaders.

Tip of the Month
Ensure we know who you are

United Way for Southeastern Michigan begins its routine information verification process this week, and it's important that your organization particiapte.

The process is convenient and simple. Starting February 6th, your organization will be contacted in an attempt to verify the name of your CEO and campaign coordinator, title, phone, fax, address and e-mail that we have on file is accurate. If any changes are necessary simply indicate and e-mail or fax back to UWSEM.

Verification takes less than 3 minutes and can save endless time later in the year. Do you know who the ECC will be next year? Smooth the transition between coordinators by letting your UWSEM staff person know now. Did you company get a new CEO over the last year? Provide the updated information now and avoid potential embarrassments -- like including the wrong name on printed material for your next campaign.

Having your correct information is important to UWSEM. We want to make sure that you get credit for the amazing work that you do in your workplace.