VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
ERIN DORMAN, FINANCIAL STABILITY IMPACT AREA COUNCIL CHAIR
Throughout my tenure with the council and certainly as chair of the Financial Stability Council, I continually ask myself, “How would I explain our council decisions to potential donors during a workplace campaign presentation?” I think that stories about the need are important but it’s also very important to address concerns that donors have about administrative fees charged by non-profit organizations. How much of what is given actually goes to clients? That factor has always been significant for me and the local decisions we make on the council, the back-and-forth discussions we have, as well as the robust reviews, done by council members from all walks of life in our 10-town catchment area, mean we treat donations as if it’s our own money.
A good steward of money separates emotion from consideration. If a program is not hitting its mark, then we have to make the hard choice. There is some latitude but, at the end of the day, we are making a rigorous evaluation of the partner agency’s goals and then hold them to those goals. Usually, it means we hear a wonderful story of success and how we got there.
The time commitment that councils demand is a factor to consider. You never want a council to have only a few voices making decisions and United Way is good at beating the bushes to find volunteers who are willing to review a lot of information coming in several times a year, examining financials and outcomes. We’ve also restarted site visits, which stopped during the pandemic, to see the program in action and how staff interact with clients and the public.
When I joined the Financial Stability Council more than 30 years ago, Kristen Jacoby’s father, Dick Bulkovitch, was chair. He was a joy to work with and, when he cycled off the council, I increased my involvement with United Way. The role of chair involves orienting new members and bringing continuity from past experience.
For all that it is work, we also feel really good when we hear success stories. The POWER initiative, which trains people on how to run a safe, educational, and successful daycare, is near and dear to me. I also love the work of St. Vincent de Paul’s culinary program, which gives people a chance to earn ServSafe certification, making them more valuable to food service employers. You see how one, two, and then more people are helped. You have to start somewhere and then see the results grow.
I couldn’t do this work on my own. Many people don’t appreciate the collaboration that United Way supports in our community. United Way identifies gaps; agencies don’t always have the resources to step back and look far down the road. United Way is a driving force behind strategies that, when you assemble the right partner agencies, improve outcomes. It’s wonderful to work with professionals who really care about what they’re doing.
I honestly don’t know what the community would do without United Way. The need is growing but, thankfully, so is the work being done to help. For example, Joanne and now Kay are working with corporate donors and government agencies to identify programs that need and deserve a grant, which then has even more impact because of United Way coordination.
If someone is wondering where to put their community dollars, I’d advise them to consider putting it where you can see how the dollars are leveraged. On the Financial Stability Council, we see it all the time, especially at the year-end review. It’s fascinating to learn how much United Way does with so little: they’re lean and mean and not afraid to ask for help. They recruit volunteers, like our council members, to maximize the outcome by encouraging collaboration and sharing of best practices between organizations.
I think that a lot of people don’t know how to get involved. They hear a heart-breaking story of a homeless teen and wonder if they should give $20 to that person or try to find a program that might correct the situation. They wonder if a program is beneficial in a thoughtful way or might be wasting time and effort going in the wrong direction. In that case, we can lean on United Way. Think of all the initiatives that have come out of this non-profit. I, personally, don’t have the ability to identify the gaps and how to fill them. United Way makes it easy for me to help.
We can’t stop what we’re doing because the need isn’t going away. I don’t think enough people realize the resources that are available, just as they might not realize that a neighbor is in trouble with no economic safety net following a layoff. You think about what that person is going through, financially and emotionally, as they try to navigate the struggle out of financial instability. Our council sees this and how United Way is that navigational aid.
I need and have a council with a broad set of experiences and knowledge. We consider results together, well aware that resources are limited. Volunteering on a council is my small way to make a big problem easier to solve. With United Way, my efforts go further than if I tried to do something by myself.
The United Way team is just great. They do a lot of work and do it so well, you may not appreciate the effort that goes into it. I think we all owe them a debt of gratitude as they take on a huge task. Every staff member is so dedicated, I’m comfortable knowing my donation is a good investment. And on a personal note, they are so nice, it’s easy to work with them as a council chair.