Like the turn of the last century, today we face an economic revolution that has created both incredible opportunity and human need. The U.S. is now part of a global economy that has changed how income and wealth is accumulated and distributed. We as a nation manufacture less, which means, fewer jobs that pay enough for a low or moderately skilled worker to earn enough to sustain his or her family. The issues we face today as communities cannot be effectively addressed by systems and strategies that were created for a national industrial economy. The point is that our economic condition and social condition have changed and we must change with it.

In Merced County alone, there are now well over 750 different non-profit agencies. This certainly gives donors and investors a broad choice of individual non-profits, or even a system of non-profits, to support - it is still not enough to adequately respond to our changed social conditions.

We are currently working with individuals and institutions to identify what we need to work on together, investing resources together and in various ways to make positive results against issues that affect the entire community. Leveraging our relationships with such a diverse group of players produces greater results for all of us. When United Way combines your donations, gifts, resources and effort with others we can change entire communities.

1. If you’re an employer and you invest in United Way of Merced County:
    a. We in turn invest in after school programs that align with truancy or a high school drop-out reduction strategy - this provides an educated workforce and a larger pool of local qualified employees.
    b. In the longer term – we will invest and align ourselves with pre-kindergarten training for parents and children to reduce the dropout rate and develop a more qualified employment pool – statistically speaking this is a key issue that needs to be addressed NOW!

2. If you’re a parent and you invest in United Way of Merced County:
    a. We in turn invest in community-wide teen drug intervention strategies keeping young people drug free - this contributes to a safe and healthy family.

All of the above can only happen through collective action!

United Way of Merced County with community involvement of our Funding Committees is helping to create a focused agenda, investing in strategies and agencies that are showing results and getting out of those that do not. We provide investment options that are issue-oriented. While providing maintenance for those in personal crisis, our focus will be on:
1. Education (pre-school and curriculum development),
2. Financial Stability/Economic Development (Earned Income Tax Credit, Financial Training, Job Training, and Economic Development)
3. Health initiatives (Obesity, diabetes and nutrition)