One of them is returning to serve a third term!

 We recently elected two members to its Board of Directors. Eli Ashley is returning to serve a third term after a hiatus required by our bylaws, which allow only two consecutive terms. Anthony Georger is new to our Board.

Eli Ashley, Community Volunteer, was born in Olympia, raised in Seattle, New York, and Washington D.C. He graduated University of Washington, B.A. Business Administration and M.B.A Marketing and Urban Development. He has spent his 30+ year career managing or employed in nonprofit service, as well as nearly 20 years of service in municipal government in Tacoma, WA. In addition, Eli has served as a nonprofit consultant, as well as on Boards of Directors and/or as Board Chair for organizations in Seattle and Tacoma, as well as Director and Chair of the Board of City Club of Central Oregon. He served as a member of the Board of United Way of Central Oregon from 2013 through 2019, filling the role of Campaign Chair for the 2015/2016 campaign and Board President in 2017. As a longstanding member of our community, married for 39 years, and an animal lover, Eli enjoys helping nonprofits succeed in achieving their missions and improving the quality of life for all members of our community.

Anthony Georger, Chief Financial Officer for EO Media Group and owner of the Bend Bulletin, grew up in Southern Idaho, as did his wife. He graduated from the University of Idaho with a B.S. in Finance in 2004. After working in the Puget Sound region for many years, he completed an M.B.A. at Western Washington University in 2010, then worked in Windsor Locks. He and his family were excited to return to the west coast and move to Central Oregon in 2020 to enjoy all the outdoor activities our region has to offer. Anthony is pleased to have the opportunity to give back and serve our community as a volunteer with United Way of Central Oregon.

We at United Way of Central Oregon are working to ensure all community members are cared for by directing efforts and resources to where they will have the greatest impact, especially for individuals identified as being part of our community’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups. As an intermediary funder, we support local, direct-service nonprofits that focus on a wide range of human health and welfare issues – from basic needs to empowerment – through grantmaking that provides direct financial aid to these programs and services.

Last year, our grantmaking was focused on community needs formed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, we’ve returned to our customary annual grantmaking cycle and focused on supporting local and regional agencies as they help our community members adapt and recover from the pandemic. This funding is helping these nonprofits as they stabilize the delivery of services that build resilience in individuals, families, and our Central Orgon community – achieving positive outcomes in the face of adversity.

Since the pandemic began, we have awarded over $1.5 million to local and regional nonprofits.

These funds will specifically target nonprofits with reach beyond Deschutes County.

 Six nonprofits that serve Crook and Jefferson Counties, as well as the lands of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs have been collectively awarded $35,000 from our second round of grantmaking since this summer. In an effort to reduce barriers to accessing funding faced by nonprofit applicants serving communities beyond Deschutes County, this grant application was much shorter than our standard application, had fewer requirements, and came with a simpler process for the Committee of volunteer reviewers to follow.

 

These grant recipients are: Redemption House Ministries ($5,000), Every Child Central Oregon ($10,000), Jefferson County Faith Based Network – LINC Madras program ($5,000), The Children’s Learning Center ($5,000), Treehouse Therapies Associates ($5,000), and Warm Springs Community Action Team ($5,000). Along with UWCO’s first round of grantmaking this summer, which awarded $245,000 to 31 Central Oregon nonprofits, we have collectively funded 36 local and regional nonprofits with $280,000.

 

Our Executive Director, Ken Wilhlem, said of these grants, “Naturally, the grants align with our mission to fight for health, education, financial stability, and resilience. While many of the programs we fund provide services throughout the region, we want to also support agencies that are based in and serve communities beyond Bend-Redmond. We are grateful for local community volunteers who helped us get the word out that we had set aside money for this purpose and helped decide where the grants would make the most impact.”

 

Each year, we award grants to vetted local nonprofits that focus on health, education, prevention and development, financial stability, basic needs, childhood trauma, community transformation, and building resilience. UWCO is working to ensure all community members are cared for by directing efforts and resources to where they will have the greatest impact, especially for individuals identified as being part of our community’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups.

 

Since the pandemic began, we have awarded over $1.5 million to local and regional nonprofits. Last year, during COVID-19, we modified our grantmaking process to award funds to address immediate emergency needs created by the pandemic and then to help the nonprofits who serve our community adapt the way they operate. We created two Funds focused on Emergency Response, Recovery, and Resilience that addressed the fallout of COVID-19 across Central Oregon, and from them awarded 44 COVID-19 Partners with $295,000 in emergency relief. Also last year, we created a plan for distributing $500,000 that came from the City of Bend’s CARES Act funding to nonprofit organizations providing essential services to vulnerable populations. And, we were tasked with distributing $260,000+ in federal Emergency Food & Shelter funds in Deschutes County.

 

We are working towards equitable access to resources for all Central Oregonians. Through grantmaking, the we are striving to reduce disparities and increase equity. As an intermediary funder, we support local, direct-service nonprofits that focus on a wide range of human health and welfare issues – from basic needs to empowerment – through grantmaking that provides direct financial aid to these programs and services. Last year, our grantmaking was focused on community needs formed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, we have returned to our customary annual grantmaking cycle and focused on supporting local and regional agencies as they help our community members adapt and recover from the pandemic. This funding is helping these nonprofits as they stabilize the delivery of services that build resilience in individuals, families, and our Central Orgon community – achieving positive outcomes in the face of adversity.

Grants Will Help Community Members Thrive

 

Thirty-one Central Oregon nonprofits have been collectively awarded $245,000 as part of our annual grantmaking process. As an intermediary funder, we at United Way of Central Oregon (UWCO) support local, direct-service nonprofits that focus on a wide range of human health and welfare issues – from basic needs to empowerment – through grantmaking that provides direct financial aid to these programs and services.

 

Last year, our grantmaking was focused on community needs formed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, we’ve returned to customary annual grantmaking cycle and focused on supporting local and regional agencies as they help our community members adapt and recover from the pandemic. This funding is helping these nonprofits as they stabilize the delivery of services that build resilience in individuals, families, and our Central Orgon community – achieving positive outcomes in the face of adversity.

 

This year’s grant recipients include: Assistance League of Bend ($3,000), Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend ($12,000), CASA of Central Oregon ($8,000), Children’s Forest of Central Oregon ($5,000), Council on Aging of Central Oregon ($5,000), DAWNS House ($8,000), Diversability, Inc ($8,000), Families Forward ($8,000), Family Access Network ($16,000), Friends of the Children – Central Oregon ($12,000), Habitat for Humanity of La Pine Sunriver Critical Home Repair ($5,000), Healing Justice Collective of Central Oregon ($5,000), Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center ($5,000), Heart of Oregon Corps ($12,000), KIDS Center ($6,000), La Pine Community Kitchen ($5,000), The Latino Community Association ($12,000), MountainStar Family Relief Nursery ($16,000), NeighborImpact Food Bank ($12,000), NeighborImpact Housing & Homeless Services ($8,000), Redmond Senior Center ($5,000), Rimrock Trails Treatment Services ($12,000), Saving Grace of Central Oregon ($7,000), Shepherd’s House Ministries ($5,000), SMART Reading ($5,000), St. Vincent De Paul – La Pine ($5,000), Society of St Vincent De Paul – Redmond ($3,000), THE SHIELD ($5,000), Thrive Central Oregon ($7,000), Treehouse Therapies Associates ($8,000), and Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades ($12,000).

 

Nonprofit organizations that receive grants from United Way are working every day to address the most pertinent, unmet needs of individuals and families in our community. United Way’s “Community Impact Partners” are 501(c)(3) nonprofits that are assessed and rigorously reviewed on a competitive basis using standardized criteria by a Community Impact Committee (CIC), made of up volunteers representing all segments of our community, before receiving a grant. After receiving a grant, these nonprofits submit reports to United Way throughout the funding cycle.

 

Joshua Romero volunteers as Chair of UWCO’s CIC and on the Board of Directors. He said of UWCO’s grantmaking: “Central Oregon is fortunate to have so many incredible nonprofits supporting our community. I’m honored that United Way Central Oregon and our donors get to be a part of investing in these nonprofits and improving the health, education, financial stability, and resilience of everyone these organizations serve. I’m proud of our continued focus on diversity and equity in our grantmaking and am excited to see how it impacts the lives of our friends and neighbors in Central Oregon.”

 

Among the funded organizations are several first-time United Way grant recipients. Children’s Forest unites our community to inspire lifelong connections to nature for each child. Diversability, Inc. empowers community connections for individuals with diversabilities and their families. Families Forward provides small loans to help low‐income individuals and families with rental security deposits or establishing credit. Healing Justice Collective of Central Oregon exists to resource Black, Indigenous, Identifying People of Color, and historically oppressed people in their healing. Society of St Vincent De Paul – Redmond helps local community members in need. THE SHIELD provides mental health services to Central Oregon veterans and first responders. And, Treehouse Therapies Associates positively impacts children and families in our community by providing compassionate, comprehensive, and affordable therapy programs regardless of insurance or financial limitations.

 

Last year, during COVID-19, we modified our grantmaking process to award funds to address immediate emergency needs created by the pandemic and then to help the nonprofits who serve our community adapt the way they operate. We created two Funds focused on Emergency Response, Recovery, and Resilience that addressed the fallout of COVID-19 across Central Oregon, and from them awarded 44 COVID-19 Partners with $295,000 in emergency relief.

Also last year, we created a plan for distributing $500,000 that came from the City of Bend’s CARES Act funding to nonprofit organizations providing essential services to vulnerable populations. And, we were tasked with distributing $260,000+ in federal Emergency Food & Shelter funds in Deschutes County.

 

26% of Central Oregonians were served by a program or service that we funded by last year.

 

About United Way of Central Oregon

 

We’re working towards equitable access to resources for all Central Oregonians. Through grantmaking, we’re striving to reduce disparities and increase equity. Each year, we award grants to vetted local nonprofits that focus on health, education, prevention and development, financial stability, basic needs, childhood trauma, community transformation, and building resilience. We are working to ensure all community members are cared for by directing efforts and resources to where they will have the greatest impact, especially for individuals identified as being part of our community’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups.

 

DONATE TODAY!

Through grants, we at your local United Way of Central Oregon (UWCO) are working to ensure all community members are cared for by directing efforts and resources to where they will have the greatest impact, especially for individuals identified as being part of our community’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups.

 

To that end, we just announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) from all organizations providing essential services regionally to individuals in Jefferson, Crook, and/or Deschutes counties and/or on the lands of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

 

Each year, we award grants to vetted local nonprofits that focus on health, education, prevention and development, financial stability, basic needs, childhood trauma, community transformation, and building resilience.

 

This year, we’ve evolved our Community Impact funding priorities to focus on supporting community agencies as they help our community members adapt and recover from the pandemic. Funding will help these nonprofits as they stabilize the delivery of services that build resilience in individuals, families and our Central Orgon community – achieving positive outcomes in the face of adversity.

 

Last year, our grantmaking was focused exclusively on COVID-19. As a longstanding, nimble local nonprofit, we rapidly evolved our priorities to be immediately responsive to new community needs formed by the COVID-19 pandemic and created two Funds focused on Emergency Response, Recovery & Resilience that addressed the fallout of COVID-19 across Central Oregon. Through those Funds, United Way funded 44 COVID-19 Partners with $295,000 in emergency relief.

 

26% of Central Oregonians were served by one of these United Way funded programs last year.

Also last year, we created a plan for distributing $500,000 of grant funding supported by funds that came from the City of Bend’s CARES Act funding to nonprofit organizations providing essential services to vulnerable populations in the City of Bend. And, we were tasked with distributing $260,000+ in federal Emergency Food & Shelter funds in Deschutes County.

 

This year, we are accepting applications for Community Impact Grants between now and May 26th at 2pm.

 

More info can be found HERE.

 

The grant application may be found HERE.

 

Organizations with a need specific to Crook or Jefferson counties and/or on the lands of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, please email kati@unitedwaycentraloregon.org or call 541-389-6507 for additional guidance.

 

To be eligible to receive Community Impact Grants from UWCO, an organization or its fiscal sponsor must: be recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt nonprofit under IRS code 501(c)(3); have a program with goals in the areas of education, financial stability, or health and supporting resilience building; have an annual tax return (990/990EZ); have current Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet statements; and have an active Board of Directors.

 

Nonprofit funding proposals will be assessed on a competitive basis by a Community Impact Committee (CIC), made of up volunteers representing all segments of our community. The CIC rigorously reviews applications using standardized criteria, including applicant program’s alignment with goals outlined in UWCO’s Community Impact Priorities, and decides grant funding awarded to the nonprofit applications. Following receipt of a grant, nonprofits submit reports to United Way throughout the funding cycle.

 

At United Way of Central Oregon, we fight for the health, education, financial stability, and resilience of every person in our region. We are simultaneously driving the change that is building a resilient Central Oregon and working to reduce disparities and increase equity through grantmaking and through the TRACEs movement.

 

DONATE TODAY!

Today is #StopAsianHate National Day of Action and Healing. Asian American and Pacific Islander lawmakers, community leaders, and organizers have chosen today to highlight ways that community members, businesses, and communities can work to end racism and targeted violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

On March 16^th, a gunman in Atlanta murdered 8 people, 6 of them women of Asian descent. We mourn the loss of Delaina Ashley Yaun, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, and Yong Ae Yue. These horrific murders are heartbreaking, enraging, and devastating.

We at United Way of Central Oregon strongly condemn these acts of violence, anti-Asian racism, and we grieve these losses. Our hearts go out to the loved ones of those who were killed, and all who have been affected. And we are aware that words of sympathy are not enough. We seek to turn our words into action by standing with our Asian American and Pacific Islander community members, listening, and examining our role in dismantling systems, structures, and processes that perpetuate harm to members of our community.

Anti-Asian racism has deep roots in this country. This racist anti-Asian act of violence is not an isolated incident. People of Asian descent have been the target of bigotry and xenophobia for more than 160 years – facing racism, discrimination, and violence since before the Civil War. For instance, Chinese immigration was banned to the US by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882; those of Asian descent faced restrictions on owning property, voting, or running for political office; and during World War II, the US government imprisoned 120,000 Japanese people in concentration camps, separated from families and deprived of rights, property, money, community, health, and their lives.

Since COVID-19, our country has seen a disturbing surge of discrimination and hate crimes directed at Asian Americans, with nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents having been self-reported across the country in the last 12 months.

Our local communities are not isolated from this. Many in our community who identify as Asian and Pacific Islander are deeply impacted not only by these recent acts of violence, but also by the history of Anti-Asian racism in this country, as well as microagressions, racism, discrimination, hate, and violence they and their loved ones may have faced right here in Central Oregon.

We at United Way are committed to building a stronger and more equitable Central Oregon. We all must speak out and act against racism towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and protect the basic human rights and freedoms to which we all are entitled. We urge everyone in our community to stand in support of Asian American communities.

Now is the time to educate yourself about this history of racism in Oregon and our nation, speak up, disrupt it, talk to your children, and fight anti-Asian racism and white supremacy.

 

Here are a few places to start:

To learn how you can act today to #StopAsianHate, visit this list of focused AAPI community actions.

To learn how you can help stop and report acts of hate towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, visit: Stop AAPI Hate.

To learn how to take action and get educated, visit:  Anti-Racism Daily.

To help individuals educate others, take action, donate, and more, visit: Anti-Asian Violence Resources.

To support Asian American advocates in Georgia, and donate to support victims and their families, visit: the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon.

 

Go deeper!

Educate yourself

Learn about the history, contributions, and past and present experiences of Asian American communities.

Watch:

• The PBS series Asian Americansabout the history of identity, contributions, and challenges experienced by Asian Americans
• The Smithsonian’s video series We are not a stereotype: Breaking down Asian Pacific American biaswhich explores what it means to be Asian Pacific American and the impacts of Asian Pacific American stereotypes

Read:

• Books about Asian Pacific American history and experiences
• What is the Model Minority Myth?
• Anti-Asian Racism Exposes the Model Minority Myth

Listen:

• Asian America: The Ken Fong Podcast
• Self-Evident: Asian America’s Stories
• Asian Enough

 

Speak up

Silence is consent. Now is the time for all of us, particularly those who have privilege, to speak up and challenge racism, discrimination, and white supremacy when we encounter it.

• How to Respond to Coronavirus Racism
• COVID-19 Toolkit: Strategies to Defeat Asian American Racial Profiling and Xenophobia
• Show Up: Your Guide to Bystander Intervention
• Speak Up! Responding to Everyday Bigotry
• Sign up for a virtual Bystander Intervention trainingjointly organized by Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Hollaback!
• Safety Tips for Those Experiencing or Witnessing Hate

 

Report any incidence of hate or bias

If you see something, say something. Report any incidence of hate or bias locally to the Chinese Information & Service Center and nationally to Stop AAPI Hate or Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

 

Shop at businesses owned by Asian Americans

The Intentionalist has a database of businesses owned by Asian Americans.

2020 was a historic year, as it shone a spotlight on financial and racial inequalities in our region, in Oregon, and across the nation. Nearly 40% of Central Oregonians were already living on the edge before COVID-19. The pandemic and economic fallout deepened existing disparities.

Having been a nonprofit grantmaking organization in our region for the last 69 years, we at United Way of Central Oregon revised our grantmaking structure in 2020 to be immediately responsive to new community needs caused by the pandemic, executing 6 grantmaking cycles over the year rather than our customary annual cycle.

Through our COVID-19 Emergency Response, Recovery, and Resilience efforts, we raised and granted $295,000 to 44 local and regional agencies in 6 grantmaking cycles, touching 65,000 Central Oregonians.

26% of Central Oregonians are served by at least one of these programs or services. This funding met immediate critical needs of our community’s most vulnerable and helped the agencies that serve them to adapt to new challenges in delivering services.

In 2020, United Way also distributed $260,600+ of federal and county emergency food and shelter grants to organizations that are providing meals, clothing, housing, rent, and mortgage assistance in Deschutes County, impacting over 26,000 people. And, the nonprofit was empowered last year by the City of Bend to allocate $500,000 of CARES Act funding to nonprofits providing essential services to vulnerable populations, benefiting nearly 3,500 community members.

2020 was historic for other reasons here at United Way of Central Oregon. In addition to a name change to reflect a service area that we’ve been serving for years, we also hired two new employees in service of the TRACEs movement: Kerani Mitchell and Kristen Kaul.

Joining the team in mid-August, Kerani Mitchell brings a background of nonprofit, equity consulting, and philanthropic experiences to “TRACEs 2.0.”  A graduate of Sisters High School and Seattle University, she is excited to collaborate with community members to foster a region where we all have what we need to thrive. Kerani serves as the TRACEs Movement Director.

Kristen Kaul has been part of the TRACEs initiative since 2018. With experience in statewide community wellness projects, Kristen has seen the importance of trust and relationship building with community members as we work together to tackle the root causes of trauma. She is excited to continue listening and learning with our Central Oregon communities. Kristen serves as the TRACEs Operations and Training Manager.

TRACEs (Trauma, Resilience, and Adverse Childhood Experiences) is a region-wide collective action partnership of over 150 public, private, and nonprofit sector partners in Central Oregon tackling the root causes of major social concerns such as suicide, depression, chronic diseases, incarceration, lost productivity, low performance in schools, and more. Since inception, TRACEs has touched over 8,200 lives in an effort to tackle the root cause of challenges faced by many in our community by raising awareness of the effects of trauma, reducing its incidence and impact, and building resilience in individuals, families, and our community.

With 2020 has come “TRACEs 2.0” – a reimagining of the work with a continued commitment to addressing root causes of trauma and oppression with transparency about those causes, such as white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism, as illustrated by last year’s events. By collaborating with communities who are currently, and have historically, been most impacted by those systems and structures, “TRACEs 2.0” aims to foster a true collective movement for, and by, the people.

As we enter 2021, we continue the valuable work we’ve always done, and we simultaneously are broadening our scope to deepen opportunities for collaboration in service of all Central Oregonians.

At United Way of Central Oregon, we fight for the health, education, financial stability, and resilience of every person in our region. We’re concurrently driving the change that is building a resilient Central Oregon and working to reduce disparities and increase equity through grantmaking and through the TRACEs movement.

GIVE today.

We are aware that United Way Worldwide has released a summary of the third-party inquiry carried out by a law firm investigating the allegations by multiple women describing harassment, improper conduct, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and other serious charges at United Way Worldwide.

These allegations were deeply troubling to us at United Way of Central Oregon, and they do not reflect the ideals, policies, and practices of our local United Way. We believe all allegations of sexual harassment and any other type of harassment must be taken seriously and stand by all who bravely speak out in these situations. We do not condone any type of harassment, intimidation, or retaliation.

In the released summary, UWW indicated the investigation found no evidence of “actionable” harassment, discrimination, or retaliation, but did find areas where culture can be improved. As such, the UWW and United Way of America Boards will form a Culture Task Force to look at their own workplace environment.

While appointing a task force is a worthwhile endeavor, it alone does not allay our concerns about these allegations. Because we do not view UWW’s actions as having offered sufficient resolution, we continue to work with other local United Ways in the Pacific Northwest to pursue further answers and actions. We continue to have concerns about the scope of the investigation and its limited transparency. We are strongly urging UWW to make the full report public.

United Way of Central Oregon is a local, independent nonprofit with our own mission, vision, volunteer Board of Directors, Executive Director, and budget. At United Way of Central Oregon, we fight for the health, education, financial stability, and resilience of every person in our community.

There are 1800 independent local United Ways throughout the world, United Way Worldwide operates as a hub for the network. Local United Ways pay dues to access resources, such as training, support for multinational workplace giving campaigns, national advocacy, and use of the brand trademarks.

At United Way of Central Oregon, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. We do not wish these troubling allegations to impact the work we continue to do to support our local community.