Investment Priorities

United Way’s current investment priorities reflect a change from a demographic-based approach to community impact, to one based on specific issues that cut across disadvantaged populations. The development of the current priorities also draws on the important foundational work of the Community Impact Councils, as well as on specific research, needs assessments and guidance from our community volunteers. The investment priorities were established to further focus the work and are designed to:

  • Address root causes or systemic issues
  • Offer rich opportunities to align the work with multiple community partners
  • Enable evidence-based approaches
  • Capitalize on community energy

Volunteer committees, service providers and community stakeholders will continue to guide and contribute to achieving the identified priority goals.

Four Investment Priorities:
The following priorities: Growing Up Great, Belonging To Community, Turning Lives Around and Agency Capacity Building Priority will drive United Way’s investments going forward. 
 

Growing Up Great

Improve conditions for children and youth to reach their full potential.

For Growing Up Great, there are two priority goals:

  • Decrease the proportion of children not ready for school
  • Increase opportunities for children and youth to be engaged outside of school hours

 

Belonging To Community

Improve opportunities for vulnerable people, including seniors, immigrants and people with disabilities, to contribute fully to their communities.

For Belonging To Community, there are four priority goals:

  • Increase opportunities for meaningful employment for people with disabilities
  • Decrease the unemployment and underemployment rates for immigrants and new Canadians
  • Enable vulnerable seniors to remain living in their own homes and engaged in their community
  • Increase the number of residents in priority neighbourhoods leading their own community development initiatives

 

Turning Lives Around

For Turning Lives Around, there are three priority goals: 

  • Increase access to community-based mental health and substance abuse supports
  • Increase access to crisis supports
  • Decrease homelessness through housing supports

 

Agency Capacity Building

Increase the capacity of service delivery partners in the social services sector.