Community Impact.

What is Community Impact?

At United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois, Community Impact means identifying the most pressing community needs, then bringing together the community to make changes in systems that make a better life for us all.  It is our goal to connect local businesses, human service agencies, labor organizations and families across our service area in a way that brings lasting change to the areas in which we live, work, and grow.

Why give to the Impact Fund? 

So many people understandably associate the United Way brand with our annual fundraising campaign; but United Way is about much more than the dollars we raise.  We are about bringing lasting change to the community by being responsible stewards of donor dollars; bringing the community together to decide what is most important and where their impact funds will be put to best use; and measuring the results of those investments to ensure progress toward our goal of strengthening Education, Income and Health for our community’s most at-risk populations.  The more dollars we raise, the more people involved, the more presence we have in the community…the more power of change we bring to Decatur and Mid-Illinois.

United Way donors have a choice:  They can designate their donation to a specific agency, or they can make their money go further by giving to the United Way Community Impact Fund.  Donor dollars granted to agencies through the Community Impact Fund are carefully decided upon by panels of volunteers, then monitored for the results those investments bring to the community.  This system is proven successful in moving more children through school, providing more people access to affordable healthcare, and helping more families with the basics during times of great need.