Stephanie McLemore Bray - United Way California Capital Region

Post October 10, 2018 Stephanie McLemore Bray

Another Year Older, Another Year Wiser

October 2018 Blog, Stephanie Bray

I was born in October and every year I become quite pensive as my birthday approaches. I often reflect on my life up to this point, especially my childhood. I chuckle when I think about how I once believed that anyone older than 50 was really old and pretty much done with life.

Imagine that! Now that I am in my fifties, I am grateful and privileged to lead a life dedicated to serving others and I still feel like I am just getting started! Every day is an opportunity to leave the world a little bit better a place than it was the day before. At United Way, our Experience Corps volunteers share that same passion.

Experience Corps is our United Way’s partnership with AARP to help kids who struggle to read stay on track. Volunteers who are age 50 and older tutor small groups of first through third-graders in the classroom or after school two to three days a week. Our Experience Corps results are remarkable.

During the 2016-2017 school year, 27 Experience Corps volunteers helped 273 students in 9 schools across 4 school districts. 71% of local students who were below grade level at the beginning of the year improved their reading and literacy performance by half a grade level or more compared to 67% nationally. 42% of local students improved by a full grade level or more compared to 30% nationally. And 38% of local students were at or above grade level by the end of the year compared to 29% nationally.

Grade-level reading is a cornerstone of our Square One Project to end poverty – starting at school. By fourth grade, children are reading in order to learn. Therefore, if they are not reading at grade-level, they will not only fall further and further behind, but are also far more likely to drop out of high school.

Our Experience Corps volunteers tell us time and again that they get so much more out of volunteering than they could ever give. When surveyed, 100% of volunteers felt that the Experience Corps program helped them stay physically active, increased their sense of purpose in life and helped them make a difference in the community. Nearly 90% reported that the program helped expand their social network. You can read the full 2016-2017 Experience Corps report here.

Teachers love Experience Corps, too. 92% of teachers reported that the Experience Corps volunteers had a moderate or strong influence on student reading and literacy performance. 87% reported that the volunteers had a moderate or strong influence on student academic engagement behaviors, such as motivation, concentration, participation, or self-confidence. Kids who receive tutoring support are more excited to come to school and experience fewer behavior issues.

So, if you are 50 or older and want to give some of your time to change the life of kid struggling to read, Experience Corps is for you! Join us at one of our upcoming Experience Corps orientation sessions and help change a life today!

Success Story August 14, 2018 Stephanie McLemore Bray

The Power of Partnerships

Published August 15, 2018

Back-to-school time was always bittersweet for me. My daughters are in college now, but I remember how it felt to drop them off on the first day of school. Each new school year was an opportunity for them to learn and grow. Central to their academic achievement was, and still is, the commitment that schools make to provide all kids with the quality education they need to reach and even exceed milestones on the path to high school graduation and beyond. However, for far too many from low-income families, success in school is a struggle.

There are many studies that link poverty with student achievement and the data are distressing. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 40% of the variation in average reading scores and 46% of the variation in average math scores across states, is associated with variation in child poverty rates. That does not bode well for California which, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, has a child poverty rate of 21.3% (about 1.9 million) when adjusted for cost of living. Without the social safety net, (programs like Cal-Fresh, federal and state earned income tax credits, child tax credits and school meals), the percentage would be 35.3% (about 3.2 million.) The five-county region (Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Yolo) that our United Way serves has an average poverty rate of 15.6%. Sacramento County has the highest at 18.4%, and El Dorado County has the lowest at 10.6%.

Through our Square One Project partnership with Title I schools, which have the highest concentration of kids who live in poverty, our United Way is committed to keeping kids in school, keeping kids on track, setting high expectations for their success, and supporting their families along the way. By providing healthy meals after school, we give kids the fuel they need to focus on their homework. By providing reading support, we are increasing grade-level literacy rates, an important measure of future success in school. By educating parents on how to manage their finances, we open a pathway to financial stability for families. None of this would be possible without our partnership with school districts.

As we head back to school, we salute our school district partners for investing with us to improve outcomes for kids. With their support of volunteerism in schools, programs with measurable outcomes, and by allocating financial resources, we have a strong Square One Project partnerships with the Robla, Center, Washington, and Elk Grove districts. Together, we are breaking the cycle of poverty through education one student and one family at a time.

Square One Project March 2, 2018 Stephanie McLemore Bray

A salute to our Young Leaders
Defying the millenial misconception

A recent study of Millennials by Campbell Rinker, a market research firm, told us what we at United Way have known for some time: that those born from 1982 to 2000, are more engaged in philanthropy than anyone believed. Furthermore, Millennials tend to become more generous as they grow older, and they believe “nonprofit organizations meet many of the needs that government cannot.” In fact, they have a strong belief that nonprofit organizations are better at helping those most in need than government, and “expressed a higher confidence in nonprofits” than Gen Xers (1965-1981), Baby Boomers, (1946-1964), or Matures (1945 or earlier).

Our United Way’s Young Leaders Society (YLS), through their generosity, are the next generation of philanthropists. Despite the negative association that many people have with Millennials, who themselves shun the term, YLS members are leaders in their companies and businesses who care about the future of our region. They believe that everyone should have the opportunity to realize their potential. They believe that they have a responsibility to give back, but they want to do more than just give money. They want to see the impact of their giving in real time. Through YLS, they are changing the face of philanthropy in big ways. Since 2015, YLS has raised over $100,000 in support of the Square One Project. Those funds helped provide hydration stations in each of the five schools in the Robla School District, our first Square One Partner, to encourage students to drink more water and less sugary drinks. Those funds will also be used to provide every kindergartener who entered Robla School District this past fall with an education savings account. This matched savings program, known as K2C, will enable parents to help save for their children’s education beyond high school. More importantly, the program starts a conversation about the future, setting high expectations for students. Studies show that by investing just a small amount in an education savings account, students are seven times more likely to complete some level of education beyond high school.

Students will have the opportunity to earn matching funds by achieving all of the educational milestones along the way, including staying on track through grade-level reading, attending school every day, and making the successful transition to middle school. Parents will earn matching funds for every dollar they contribute and through their engagement in the educational success of their children.

Through volunteerism, YLS is helping to educate parents about the power of saving for their children’s futures, another way that parents can earn K2C matching funds. YLS members are also helping with hands-on projects on each of the five Robla campuses throughout the school year. Whether it’s building a school garden, or painting classrooms or playgrounds, or helping to distribute water bottles to the students, YLS members give generously of their time to support the Square One Project. Through special events like the upcoming Brews & Brains Trivia Night, YLS members have fun raising money and increasing awareness about the Square One Project.

Please join me in saluting our Young Leaders Society!

Square One Project January 9, 2018 Stephanie McLemore Bray

United Way’s 2018 Goals
With a new year comes resolutions, see what ours are!

Every new year brings an opportunity for reflection and renewal. Whether it’s to lose a few pounds or reconnect with old friends or get involved in the community, many of us pledge to make changes that make our lives and our communities better. As we look back on the past year, did we do the things that we resolved to do? Did it make a difference? What will we do with the year ahead?

As a volunteer or donor, you have witnessed firsthand or read about our progress with our Square One Project in 2017. We are proud of the work we have done and we hope that you are, too. 2018 brings an opportunity to work even harder on behalf of those we serve. In this new year, we resolve to:

Continue to build and strengthen our partnership with the Robla School District by helping more kids stay on track. We are beginning to see results of our efforts to help students read at grade level through our AARP Experience Corps Program, but we need more volunteers. Learn more about now you can help here.
Provide matched education savings accounts for every kindergartener who entered the Robla School District this past fall, thanks to our Young Leaders Society, setting high expectations for their success in college and beyond.
Continue the fight against food insecurity for the thousands of children and families who go hungry during the summer by increasing the number of meals we serve. We are going for a million meals served, starting this year, with the help of our Summer Meals Collaborative.
Help 67% more families become financially stable through our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). Thanks to the support of Citi Community Development, we are increasing the number of sites so that we can increase the number of people who get their taxes done for free.
Improve attendance rates in partnership with the Campaign For Grade-Level Reading because we know that attendance every day and all day is the key to success in school for students. Daily attendance also keeps funding in the hands of the school districts, which is especially vital to those that serve low income students.
Broaden our work with foster youth in the region to increase high school graduation rates so that foster youth are less likely to be homeless or become victims of human trafficking. Join Women United and learn how you can help.

I hope that you know how important you have been to our success. With your continued support, we resolve to continue to engage you – our donors, volunteers, and stakeholders – in the work we do to create access to opportunity for those most in need. Together, we will keep these resolutions and many more because our community depends on us.

Happy 2018!

Square One Project July 7, 2017 Stephanie McLemore Bray

Women United!
I am excited to announce that Women in Philanthropy is now Women United!

Our United Way has joined thousands of other women around the country in the next generation of a powerful movement. As leaders in that movement for nearly sixteen years, Women United in the Sacramento Region has invested over $1.9 million in support of emancipating foster youth, the most vulnerable among our children. That support includes matched savings accounts so that foster youth have a safety net when they exit the system. That is why I am a platinum member of Women United and I am humbled to be part of such a dynamic group of women.

Women United members make an annual commitment through workplace giving or by giving directly to our United Way. Women United members give their time to provide life skills workshops and mentoring to teach foster youth how to manage the transition into adulthood. Foster youth learn how to create and manage a budget, how to ace a job interview, how to dress for success, and how to set and accomplish life goals, all skills that we teach the children in our own lives.
During this next phase of our work, Women United will become even stronger advocates on behalf of foster youth to ensure that public policies and the systems they support address their needs, and that resources are being invested in their success. This work will include visits with state legislators to share the successes and challenges that our current policies enable for foster youth in this region.

Women United is an integral part of our United Way’s Square One Project. By ensuring that emancipating foster youth stay on track, one of the four pillars of the project, we know that those students are more likely to graduate from high school and go on to college or career.

And finally, I hope that you will join us on October 26, 2017, as we welcome Simone Biles to Sacramento as our very special guest at the 16th Annual Women United Luncheon. As a former foster youth, Simone is an inspiration not only for other foster youth, but also for all of us because of her determination, grace and excellence. Join us to hear more about her story and meet the foster youth in our region. Their stories are powerful reminders of why we are Women United.

To learn more about Women United, please click here.

Square One Project April 27, 2017 Stephanie McLemore Bray

Food for Thought
Showcasing the importance of nutritious meals and engagement during summer

When I was a child, every weekday at noon during the summer, a truck would lumber down the street where I lived and many of my friends would run behind it until it stopped at the end of the block. My friends would come back up the street with a tray that had a sandwich, a small container of apple juice or milk, and a piece of fruit or a fruit cup. For many, it was the only meal they would have that day. I was fortunate: I did not know what food insecurity was. It saddens me to know that after all these many years, there are far too many children who are food insecure. Research shows that the rate of food insecurity, particularly among households with children, increases during summer break. Only 20% of the students who qualify actually participate in a meal program during the summer. To put it another way, the summer nutrition gap affects 67,435 children in Sacramento County alone.

In 2016, our United Way formed the Sacramento Summer Meals Collaborative which brings together the region’s Summer Food Service Program Sponsors and community advocates to collaborate on ways to increase the involvement of youth in summer programs, raise awareness about summer meals and community meal sites, and develop and implement a regional marketing plan. This regional group which, to date, serves children in Yolo, Placer and Sacramento County, plans to serve nearly 30 summer meal sites this year. Sites will be located at local community centers, schools, libraries and public housing communities. We will serve summer programs and open sites where any child under eighteen can come and receive a healthy, nutritious meal.

A healthy meal is just one way that we meet the needs of children at our meal sites. We feed their minds, too. Many of those children often struggle in school, experience a “summer slide,” and lose much of what they have learned during the school year because of a lack of enrichment opportunities during the summer. To close that education gap, the Collaborative is developing toolkits with activities that will be easy for meal sites to implement this summer.

The Collaborative is one of the many ways that our United Way’s Square One Project provides families with the support system they need so that children can stay on track. We could not do this without the support of donors, champions and partners, which include: Davis Joint Unified School District; Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services; the program sponsors and sites; and, funders like the Wal-Mart Foundation, Sierra Health Foundation, Bank of America, and the many generous individuals who support United Way. We also could not do this work without the leadership of Kristina Ricci, our program officer for health, and Sayla Elsbree-Kraft, our program coordinator. They work diligently to engage our program partners and the communities that we serve.

It truly takes a village and together, we are making a difference.

Square One Project March 7, 2017 Stephanie McLemore Bray

VITA and Square One
Working together to lift families out of poverty

We’re in the midst of tax season and working hard to ensure that low-income, working families file their taxes for free through our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA).

VITA dates back to 1971 when Gary Iskowitz, a professor at California State University Northridge, organized college students to volunteer to prepare tax returns for free. What started out as a valuable community service and hands-on learning opportunity for students has become one of the most efficient and effective ways that low-income, working families achieve financial stability.

In our region, VITA was launched ten years ago and is led by a coalition of nonprofit organizations that our United Way brings together. Each year, we recruit as many as 200 volunteers who give their time from January to April at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations, including public housing sites, to help eligible families file their taxes for free. Our volunteers receive 12 hours of training, in addition to the many hours they give preparing taxes at VITA sites during the season.

VITA volunteers inform taxpayers about special tax credits for which they may qualify such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (state and federal), Child Tax Credit, and the Credit for the Elderly or Disabled. Not only does the VITA program save families an average of $200-300 in tax preparation fees, but it also enables people to claim billions of dollars annually, boosting the state’s economy. At the same time, families are encouraged to save a portion of their refund for a rainy day and receive valuable coaching on how to achieve their financial goals. And thanks to our diverse corps of volunteers, we are able to offer VITA services in Spanish-speaking and Russian communities.

The work of the Capital Region VITA Coalition would not be possible without support from generous funders including the IRS, the Franchise Tax Board, the State of California Department of Community Services and Development, SAFE Credit Union, SMUD and Wells Fargo. This year, we also received a very generous donation from JPMorgan Chase of 50 Samsung tablets that we use to train volunteers, and to file returns on myfreetaxes.com, another way that eligible filers can prepare their taxes for free if their household made less than $64,000 in 2016.

We are inspired by the work of our volunteers and our coalition to help lift families out of poverty, the goal of our Square One Project. That’s why this year we hosted VITA sites at schools in the Robla School District.

Ending poverty really does start at school!

Learn more about VITA, MyFreeTaxes.com and how you can file your taxes for free.

Blog October 8, 2015 Stephanie McLemore Bray Written by: Stephanie M. Bray

Stephanie McLemore Bray
President and CEO, United Way California Capital Region

Why do YOU give to United Way?
There a many reasons why giving to United Way is THE best way to help those in need.

For 25 years I have worked in the nonprofit community. During that time, I have seen many changes in how people give to support their favorite causes. When United Way was started in the late 1800s, it was a way for people to contribute to a community chest to help their neighbors. Through direct mail, online giving and now crowdfunding, people have more choices than ever when it comes to how they give to the charities they want to support. So, I am not surprised that people are wondering why give to United Way when I can give directly to my favorite charitable organization?

There a many reasons why giving to United Way is THE best way to help those in need.

When you give to United Way, you are helping to improve literacy rates for children at risk of dropping out of school, providing a safety net for foster youth who have no other resources, and you are helping to provide healthy, nutritious meals to children who often do not have enough to eat.
United Way connects donors to nonprofit organizations that would have a tough time doing it on their own. Most charitable organizations have under $100,000 in assets which means that they don’t have marketing budgets or even fundraising budgets. United Way provides them with a way to get in front of people to tell their story.
United Way makes it easy for donors to support local nonprofits. We ensure that those organizations are fiscally sound so that donors don’t have to and we enable donors to give small amounts over time that make a BIG impact in the community.
We help companies that want to give back to the community by matching them with nonprofits. Our annual Day of Caring is one example of how we help business leaders and their employees support their local communities. This year, more than 116 companies and groups participated in the day contributing more than 4,206 volunteer hours!

Why do YOU give to United Way?

July 1, 2014 Stephanie McLemore Bray

Happy New Year!

If you are like me, New Year’s Day is a day of reflection and a day to make big plans for the coming year. At our United Way we celebrate New Year’s Day twice a year: on January 1st, the official New Year’s Day, and on July 1st when our new fiscal year begins.

As I reflect on our work over this past year, I am thankful to you– our donors, volunteers, advocates and ambassadors—for your steadfast and generous support. Thanks to you, more than 690 kids in our STAR Readers project are on the path to reading at grade level. Thanks to you, 3,371 kids are learning how to be Fit Kids by adopting a healthy lifestyle and reducing their risk of childhood obesity. Thanks to you, 495 families were able to complete their tax returns this year at no cost and receive refunds that will help them on their path to financial stability. Thanks to you, 90% of foster youth in our $en$e-Ability project have better money management skills and a safety net as they emancipate out of the system into adulthood and independence. Thanks to you, the Toilet Paper drive received more than 161,000 rolls of toilet paper to be distributed to our nonprofit partners, which will represent real savings that they can invest in programs and services.

Now I will admit that like most folks, I have a tough time keeping those New Year’s resolutions. At our United Way, we resolve that over this next year, we will continue creating pathways to success for individuals and families in this region to realize their potential through education, financial stability and healthy lifestyles. With your support, that is one resolution we will keep. Who’s with me?

Stephanie McLemore Bray is the President & CEO of United Way California Capital Region.

Roster February 10, 2011 Stephanie McLemore Bray

Executive Committee

It is composed of the board chair, vice chair, immediate past chair, CEO, and the chairs of other various standing committees of the Board of Directors.

Julie Quinn, Chair, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Dave Cable, Chair, Bank of America
David C. Wilson, Grant Bennett Associates, CPA
Carolyn S. Mullins,Board Development & Nominating Committee Chair, Community Leader
Blair Crossan, Resource Development Committee
Dr. Richard Pan, Collective Impact Council, State Senate

For more information about this committee, contact Stephanie Mclemore Bray at Stephanie.Bray@uwccr.org.

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Roster February 10, 2011 Stephanie McLemore Bray

Board Development & Nominating Committee

This committee recruits new board members, nominates the officers of the organization and works to assure that the Board has the capabilities it needs to fulfill its governance role.

Dave Cable, Bank of America
Carolyn S.Mullins, Chair, Community Leader
Julie Quinn, Deloitte Consulting LLP., Ex Officio
Dr.Vanessa Sheared, Vice Chair, University of the Pacific

For more information about this committee, contact Stephanie Mclemore Bray at Stephanie.Bray@uwccr.org.

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Stephanie McLemore Bray President and CEO

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Stephanie McLemore Bray
President and CEO