Public Policy
Report to the Community 2023-2024
For decades, Cleveland has topped national charts in the number of working adults, children, and older adults living in poverty.
Our work to eliminate the barriers to economic mobility and create a region where people do not just get by but get ahead includes advocacy for legislative and systemic changes to provide Greater Clevelanders with access to living wage jobs, high-quality education, excellent healthcare, and safe and affordable housing.
Our advocacy efforts focus on ensuring that all Ohio residents have access to 211 services, guaranteeing equitable access to safe and affordable housing, removing barriers to employment, and creating programs that enable individuals to transition from public benefits to obtaining a living wage.
For decades, Cleveland has topped national charts in the number of working adults, children, and older adults living in poverty.
Our work to eliminate the barriers to economic mobility and create a region where people do not just get by but get ahead includes advocacy for legislative and systemic changes to provide Greater Clevelanders with access to living wage jobs, high-quality education, excellent healthcare, and safe and affordable housing.
Our advocacy efforts focus on ensuring that all Ohio residents have access to 211 services, guaranteeing equitable access to safe and affordable housing, removing barriers to employment, and creating programs that enable individuals to transition from public benefits to obtaining a living wage.
State advocacy
In February, our Public Policy Committee held an information session for nine Ohio House and Senate representatives from Cuyahoga and Geauga counties. During the meeting, we discussed our services that impact economic mobility, including United Way 211, Bridges@Work, Collaborative Approach to Public Goods (CAPGI), and our expanding data analytics capabilities. The legislators spoke favorably about the benefit that United Way 211 brings to their constituents, and are eager to continue to collaborate with us, especially on promoting current legislation to increase utility affordability, which our United Way 211 data shows is consistently the second-highest need from callers.
We also led the effort with the Greater Cleveland Funders Collaborative to increase the state’s capital budget allocations to vital health and human service programs in Cuyahoga County. The group’s advocacy was essential as state officials approved more than $3 million in capital funds to five organizations, including one of our grantee partners.
Federal United Way 211 funding
United Way of Greater Cleveland joined Ohio 211, a non-profit organization that provides leadership in advocating for increased access to referral services in the state, to submit a federal appropriation request to Senator Sherrod Brown for $952,000, which was then sent to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies. If awarded, these funds will support Ohio 211 in its efforts to develop a comprehensive statewide 211 database, ensure disaster coverage across Ohio, create a statewide 211 marketing campaign, and build a network of social service, youth, and family providers in the 31 Ohio counties that do not have full 211 services. The Senate and House will consider these submissions over the next several months.
PUBLIC POLICY IMPACT NUMBERS
$3M+
state funding awarded to vital health and human service programs in Cuyahoga County
80+
state legislators and staff attended United Way 211 training sessions
750+
community members attended the Community Conversation series
Federal advocacy
Over the summer, Sharon Sobol Jordan, President and CEO, joined United Way Worldwide CEO Angela Williams and other United Way CEOs from around the country for a meeting at the White House. Several Biden Administration officials met with the group to share how they are making significant investments to strengthen and grow the United States economy in ways that create stable jobs, inclusive opportunities, and economic mobility. Sharon also met with Ohio Congresswoman Shontel Brown, and staff from Ohio Congressman Dave Joyce’s office, to share data from United Way 211 callers in their districts and findings from the most recent ALICE report, which shows that 42 percent of households in Cuyahoga County are living paycheck-to-paycheck, and almost 40 percent of households headed by people aged 65 and over in Geauga County are in the same situation.
Additional advocacy efforts
United Way of Greater Cleveland hosted several training sessions tailored to legislators and their staff about the impact that United Way 211 has in their districts, along with how legislators can utilize United Way 211’s Community Resource Database to help their constituents find the assistance they need. Training sessions were held locally for Cleveland City Council and Cuyahoga County Council, and in Columbus for General Assembly legislators and staff in partnership with Ohio 211.
Finally, we hosted three virtual Community Conversations on the following topics: the growing problem of utility debt; how community members can effectively engage with their elected officials; and Universal Basic Employment, an innovative program aimed at eliminating poverty through a federal jobs guarantee program. These informative conversations attracted almost 750 participants for the live broadcasts, along with countless more through our simulcast partner WOVU community radio, and remain an effective way to engage with the community on key issues they face every day.
