Frequently Asked Questions

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United Way of Greater Battle Creek addresses some of our community’s most pressing problems and measurably improves the lives of individuals in need. We do this by raising dollars that fund more than 50 local programs operated by 34 non-profit agencies. We also collaborate with local organizations and people to identify and address emerging needs and issues.

United Way of Greater Battle Creek serves Calhoun County with the exception of the cities of Albion and Marshall, which have their own United Ways.

100% of every individual donation helps people in need.

Each individual gift directly funds vital programs and services in our community.
Several corporations generously sponsor United Way’s overhead costs, so your gift is guaranteed to impact the lives of people right here in greater Battle Creek.
Your dollar gets results.

Community volunteers go through extensive training before they recommend which programs should be funded.
Each program is examined, in detail, to ensure it produces meaningful and measurable results.
Once programs receive funding, they are monitored to make sure they are successfully changing lives.
One gift addresses many critical community problems.

Annie needs clothes for school; Missy and her children need a safe place to stay for the night; Juan needs after-school tutoring. Who do you choose to help? By investing in United Way, you can help all three, and more, because United Way funds programs that address everything from hunger to domestic violence to literacy.
Think of United Way of Greater Battle Creek as a mutual fund for charitable giving. United Way acts as your giving advisor by researching community needs, investing in programs that help meet those needs and then monitoring the programs for measurable results.
We work hard to earn your trust.

United Way of Greater Battle Creek proudly and voluntarily adheres to financial and program standards from United Way of America.
A board of respected local citizens reviews audits, financial information and funding decisions.

United Way of Greater Battle Creek provides oversight and monitoring of programs funded through the Community Solutions Fund, which is the pool of unrestricted gifts. Gifts designated outside of the Community Solutions Fund cannot be monitored and cannot be used to address crises or issues identified as important by community members, donors and the Board of Directors.

United Way of Greater Battle Creek and the programs we fund touched the lives of local residents more than 212,000 times in 2004. More importantly, United Way produced meaningful change in the lives of area residents. How do we know? Our funded programs document that some of our community’s most critical needs are being met. Some examples…

98.1 percent of youth graduating from the Advocates program of St. Philip Church have stayed out of trouble with the law. Only two of 208 participants re-offended.
244 women and 275 children received residential shelter and/or counseling through S.A.F.E. Place. Of those 244 women, 96 percent reported feeling safe from physical abuse while receiving shelter.
Food Bank of South Central Michigan distributed 1.7 million pounds of food in Calhoun County in 2004; the average yearly household income of Food Bank recipients is $10,816.

When Edith Mejia, whose primary language is Spanish, moved to Battle Creek in 2001, she struggled in school and socially because of the language barrier. Then she joined Community Action Agency of South Central Michigan’s Latino After-School and Summer Enrichment Program. The United Way-funded program provides one-on-one tutoring and mentoring that has helped Edith excel in school and develop a network of caring friends.

Teyuna Colen could hardly wait until she was old enough to be matched up with a big sister through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Just recently, the six-year old was matched with Angel Shoff who has done everything from take Teyuna to the zoo to swimming. Teyuna's grandmother says Angel is providing Teyuna with opportunities she never would have if it weren’t for the United Way-funded program, and she's thrilled Teyuna has a positive role model in her life.

When area resident Anthony Torres needed reliable transportation to get back and forth to work and his undergraduate classes at Western, Goodwill’s Wheels to Work program was there for him. The United Way-funded program helped him purchase an at-below-market price car and he was able to live up to his employment commitments, as well as finish his undergraduate work. He is now a full-time social worker, husband, father and graduate student.

United Way of Greater Battle Creek listens to donors and community leaders about what issues are a priority. Priority funding areas were determined based on the findings of Common Commitment in Action, a community visioning process that included leaders from area business, government, school, neighborhood and health and human service organizations, as well as hundreds of area residents. United Way Board members and Planning & Investment Committee members also consider community research and input from donors when determining what programs to fund. As a result, United Way funds programs in three key priority areas. Those areas are:

Strong & Successful Families & Children

Programs in this priority area must nurture healthy, safe and secure relationships between parents and their children or work to reduce the teen pregnancy rate.
Brighter Futures Through Learning

Programs in this priority area must advance literacy, help children develop to their fullest potential and value diversity in our community.
A Community Safety Net

Programs in this priority area must keep those in our community healthy and self-sufficient.

United Way of Greater Battle Creek helps identify and address our community’s most pressing problems by working with local health and human service agencies, other funders and governmental organizations. Sometimes we call people and organizations together to address a problem, and other times we take part in solutions offered by other groups. Here are some ways United Way makes a difference outside of funding programs:

Promoting Literacy. United Way of Greater Battle Creek is partnering with the Battle Creek Area Educators Task Force to fund the Community Literacy Collaborative (CLC) and find solutions to the area’s illiteracy problems. The CLC’s first priority is to get more books into the homes of targeted populations.
Connecting People to the Help They Need. More than 27,000 requests for service were logged by the 211 Call Center in 2003-2004. United Way of Greater Battle Creek partners with the Volunteer Center of Battle Creek to fund the 211 Call Center, which connects residents with vital services.
Keeping People Warm in the Winter. When all the resources to help local residents pay their heating bills were exhausted in early 2005, United Way and corporate donors contributed $80,000 to help those in need stay warm during the winter months.
Helping Women Deliver Healthy Babies. When the number of area physicians providing obstetrical services dropped dramatically, United Way contributed $100,000 to help bring obstetrical services to the Family Health Center of Battle Creek.
Working to Lower the Teen Pregnancy Rate. In 1998, United Way began leading the way to lower the area’s high teen pregnancy rate by initiating the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnership (TP3) and funding four pregnancy prevention programs. According to the Calhoun County Department of Public Health, the birth rate to Battle Creek teens has dropped by 9 percent since the baseline data of 1998-2000 was collected.

American Red Cross, Calhoun County Chapter
(The) Arc of Calhoun County
Battle Creek Area Educators' Task Force (BCPS)
Battle Creek Area Math and Science Center
Battle Creek Community Foundation
Battle Creek Family YMCA
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Boy Scouts – Southwest Michigan Council
Calhoun County Public Health Department
Calhoun County Drug Treatment Court (37th Circuit Court)
C.A.R.E.S (Community AIDS Resource & Education Services)
Catholic Family Services
Charitable Union
CIR (Community Inclusive Recreation)
Community Action
Community Healthcare Connections
Community Unlimited
Disability Network of Southwest Michigan
Family & Children Services, Inc.
Family Health Center of Battle Creek
Food Bank of South Central MI
Foster Adoptive Family Resource & Support Center
Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan
Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan's Heartland
Guardian Finance & Advocacy Services
HandsOn Battle Creek
Legal Services of South Central MI
Minority Health Partnership (BCCF)
S.A.F.E. Place
(The) Salvation Army
Sexual Assault Services of Calhoun County
S.N.A.P. Inc.
Substance Abuse Council
Urban League of Battle Creek

Community by community, United Way works to elevate the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. As an interconnected movement, United Way transcends borders and cultures in pursuit of the common good.

United Way is a worldwide movement of nearly 1,800 community-based United Ways in 45 countries and territories. We advance the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all, by focusing on education, income and health. The United Way movement mobilizes millions to action to improve the conditions in which they live.

Unlike other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Ways around the world engage all sectors—public, private and civil society—at the community level, mobilizing individuals so they become the change agents in their own communities to improve the conditions in which they live. By working at the local level, the United Way movement addresses the root cause of issues that affect families and individuals. And with United Way’s worldwide network, we have the depth, breath and reach to quickly scale up with ease and create positive change locally, worldwide.

Whether it’s helping small and medium enterprises build their capacity in South Africa, investing in youth mentoring programs in Brazil or Poland, providing relief and recovery to victims of the Taiwan typhoon, cleaning up slums in Mumbai, or dramatically reducing the rate of teen pregnancies in the U.S.A., United Way is a powerful force for change—locally, nationally and globally.

The United Way concept was founded in Colorado, USA in 1887 when a Denver priest, two ministers and a rabbi recognized the need for cooperative action to address their city’s welfare problems. The Rev. Myron W. Reed, Msgr. William J. O’Ryan, Dean H. Martyn Hart and Rabbi William S. Friedman put their heads together to plan the first united campaign for ten health and welfare agencies. They created an organization to serve as an agent to collect funds for local charities, as well as to coordinate relief services, counsel and refer clients to cooperating agencies, and make emergency assistance grants in cases which could not be referred.

That year, Denver raised $21,700 and created a movement that would spread throughout the country to become United Way. Over 118 years later, United Way is still focused on mobilizing the caring power of communities and making a difference in people’s lives. In the mid 1900s local United Ways founded a national organization, later called United Way of America, to support them with training, coordination, advocacy, the sharing of best practices, and more.

By 1974, there were enough United Way organizations outside the United States to demand the same support. It takes a special staff, speaking eight languages, with a Board of Directors from more than seven countries, to inspire and assist member organizations in 46 countries and territories outside the US. footprint. United Way Worldwide was created with the express mission of serving and growing the United Way movement worldwide.