Largest Single Gift Ever to United Way of Central Ohio

First Time any Local United Way has Led an Initiative on a National Level

 

UWCO-SIFS_poster_400pxColumbus, Ohio – The Columbus Foundation, United Way of Central Ohio (UWCO), and local philanthropists Al and Barbara Siemer announced the launch of The Siemer Institute for Family Stability. The Institute will lead the work of initiatives in ten communities in Ohio and Florida that help families at risk of homelessness stay in their homes and keep their kids in their current schools.  It will also spearhead efforts to enhance the initiatives and expand into new communities. The Institute is part of UWCO and represents the first time any local United Way organization has led an initiative on a national level. It will be funded by a $4.9 million gift from the Siemer Family Foundation -- the largest single gift ever made to UWCO.

In central Ohio, the Institute will build on the successful work of the Family Stability Collaborative, the Columbus-based initiative, which has over the past three years helped 525 families with 1,112 children become and remain stable. 90% of the families who completed the program have found permanent housing and resolved the issues that led them to a housing crisis. The Collaborative has also proven itself very cost-effective, with an average intervention cost per family that is approximately one-third of the average total cost per family in Franklin County's emergency shelter system.

"We know that keeping families stable and in their homes has a large positive effect on helping their kids succeed in school," said Al and Barbara Siemer. "The family stability initiatives we have invested in are effective ways of addressing this crucial issue, and we are confident that the Institute can use the expertise and relationships of the United Way system to truly make this a national model."

"The vision and generosity of Al and Barbara Siemer have made the Institute a reality," said Janet E. Jackson, President and CEO, United Way of Central Ohio. "They understand that we must take a holistic approach to the many issues that face our communities, and that we must come together to create a collective impact that will transform them. That is exactly what the Institute will do."  

 "The launch of the Institute once again illustrates how central Ohio is a leader on the national stage in pioneering effective solutions to issues that affect communities across the country," said Doug Kridler, President and CEO of The Columbus Foundation."As the home of the Siemer Family Foundation, The Columbus Foundation is proud to be part of this work of national importance."

It was also announced that Rob Podlogar has been named Director for the Institute and will oversee its expansion and enhancement activities.

About The Columbus Foundation

The Columbus Foundation is the trusted philanthropic advisor® to more than 1,800 individuals, families, and businesses, who have created unique funds and foundations to make a difference in the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. Serving the region for more than 67 years, The Columbus Foundation is the tenth largest community foundation in the United States today, with assets of more than $1 billion.

About United Way of Central Ohio

Founded in 1923, United Way of Central Ohio is working to advance the common good by focusing on the building blocks of a better life: a quality education that leads to a productive career, enough income to support a family through retirement, good health, and a safe place to live. Together, we can achieve real, lasting improvements in our community.  For more information, visit www.liveunitedcentralohio.org. 

Siemer Institute for Family Stability Fact Sheet

The Siemer Institute for Family Stability will lead the successful homelessness prevention efforts of the Siemer Initiatives for Family Stability in four Ohio and six Florida cities (Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo; Sarasota and Manatee County, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tampa). It will also drive enhancements of the initiatives and expansion into new communities, creating a platform for nationwide change. The Institute is headquartered at United Way of Central Ohio, which was selected by the Siemer Family Foundation to lead this work on a national level.  

The Institute:

  • Aligns and coordinates the activities of existing program sites through data collection and evaluation
  • Creates an expansion plan that will launch new program sites in targeted cities across the country
  • Provides ongoing management through a national Project Director headquartered at UWCO

An Advisory Council for the Institute includes key leaders, both local and national, who guide program policy and practice, and provide input in investment decisions and plans for future sustainability and expansion. 

History and Initiative Details

In 2007, Al and Barbara Siemer, founders of the Siemer Family Foundation, proposed an innovative new program to UWCO designed to prevent homelessness and reduce student mobility among low-income families in the Columbus City School system, and throughout our community.  The program was based on a successful pilot effort in Sarasota, Florida, and had the strength of addressing two key areas of United Way’s work -- education and financial stability. As a result of the Siemers’ proposal, United Way partnered with the Community Shelter Board to launch the Family Stability Collaborative in April 2008, which provides at-risk families with a combination of immediate emergency funds and ongoing services to help them achieve long-term stability.  

The Collaborative focuses on families with school-age children who are at immediate risk of homelessness.  The program targets neighborhoods and schools with high student mobility rates to locate families most at risk.  Full-time prevention specialists are assigned to work intensively with these families for three to six months, and follow up with them for up to a year. Each family commits to making the long-term changes needed to maintain their stability.

The specialists help to negotiate with landlords, utility companies and other entities to work out solutions that allow families to stay in their homes.  Counseling and follow-up contacts help families develop the skills, knowledge and resources to help them build lasting stability and avoid future economic and housing crises.  Specialists also connect the family to youth programs, health care, job and financial literacy training and behavioral health services, and serve as advocates for the children with school and social service representatives. 

United Way of Central Ohio has brought together several of its member agencies to make the Collaborative a success.  Partners include the Community Shelter Board, Communities in Schools, Central Community House, Gladden Community House and the YWCA Family Center.  The Columbus Foundation, the State of Ohio Department of Development and the Franklin County Commissioners are also providing program funding. 

Results

Over the three year period ending in June 2011, the Family Stability Collaborative helped 525 families with 1,112 children in central Ohio. These families were identified and selected from more than 1,000 referrals for the program because they were at risk of imminent homelessness, had school-age children and had incomes that were at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

Of the families who have completed the program, 90% have found permanent housing and have resolved the issues that led them to a housing crisis. Among those families who exited the program successfully, 95% did not enter emergency shelter during a one-year period following their participation. Approximately 75% of the school-age children of enrolled families did not experience a disruptive move before or after program entry.

Participants in the Family Stability Collaborative reported:

  • Increased housing stability
  • Increased life-skills capabilities such as household budgeting
  • Increased school stability for children
  • Greater capacity to avoid another housing crisis