July 28, 2015

Power in Partnership—

Tomorrow will begin with our annual United Way Site Visit.  In a nutshell, this means that four members of the Board and I will make a formal presentation to a panel of United Way volunteers, as well as our United Way Funding Manager, Ed Hennessy.  The purpose of the site visit is not merely to update the panel about the agency and its accomplishments over the past year, but much more importantly, to demonstrate that the United Way’s continued investment in Good Shepherd is a wise one.  The site visit is about accountability; it will focus on all aspects of the agency—from mission and history, to Board functioning and program impact, to fiscal management and stability.  Frankly it’s one of the things that makes our partnership with the United Way so special.  Not only does the generous financial support of the United Way make our work possible in a concrete sense, but the United Way makes us a better agency by holding us accountable to the community (and all those who donate the United Way).  The United Way panel volunteers annually evaluate our performance in relation to a set of rigorous quality standards that focus on four keys areas of functioning: program, governance, administration, and finance.  The United Way also puts its money where its mouth is by offering a host of valuable trainings for Board and agency leadership aimed at helping agencies improve their performance.  When Good Shepherd made the decision to discontinue its Residential Treatment Program, expand its Maternity Services, and to create a new Treatment Foster Care Program, the United Way was with us every step of the way.  Indeed, the United Way’s flexible funding is what makes that transition possible.  At the same time, the United Way understands that its donors and stakeholders expect results, and that will be a big part of tomorrow’s site visit: results—return on investment.  The United Way wants to make sure that Good Shepherd is making real difference in the lives and communities it serves, and that’s just what we will show them.

Yours in Christ,

Michael