United Way of Jackson County (UWJC) is a community-based organization with more than 1,700 volunteers serving on its committees, councils and campaigns. As executive director Dee Anne Everson puts it, “Our mission is to mobilize caring to effect change.” UWJC uses half its resources to fund social programs. The other half funds community initiatives like the Meth Task Force, Jackson County Child Abuse Network, and the HOPE Chest emergency fund.
“We come together under the power of collective wisdom and we change things,” Everson explains. “There is no greater joy than having the opportunity to create change in the world, so this is a remarkable place to be.”
By creating an endowment with The Oregon Community Foundation, UWJC has been able to build its assets without losing focus on the things it does best. Everson says, “We had a really smart board and staff who decided it was much more effective to add our small amount of assets to OCF’s assets, and benefit from their expertise. That way, we don’t have to manage our investments all the time and be subject to the whims of the market.”
The endowment also gives UWJC the flexibility it needs. “Some people want to leave a legacy to their community,” Everson notes. “Our endowment helps them give gifts that last forever. It also lets us provide smaller venture grants for innovative programs and supplement our general fund in tough times like these. By coming together with The Oregon Community Foundation, we made a really smart move, and we’re proud of ourselves for that.”