It is a new day at United Way of Central Arkansas in every sense – from a new calendar year to a new Executive Director, 2010 promises to be positive for the organization. Amy Blaylock took the helm in November 2009 and has plans to make United Way as successful as possible for its partner agencies.
A native of Batesville, Arkansas, Amy has been a resident of Conway for about eighteen years and says, “I love that Conway is constantly growing but still has a small-town atmosphere. I love that no matter where your children go to school, all parents are accepting of your choice. It is just a great place to live.” A self-professed “band geek” in high school, Amy got her first taste of being a leader as flag corps captain, saying, “That was my first true leadership role. Not only was I in charge, I also learned design and development from coordinating and implementing the routines.”
From Batesville, Amy went on to the University of Arkansas where she earned a BSBA in Marketing. She also met her future husband, Ray, there. The couple has been married for twenty years, and their son, Josh, attends the University of Arkansas, and their daughter, Hannah, attends Carl Stuart Middle School in Conway. Amy has volunteered in the Central Arkansas area for years; in fact, she served as co-chair of the Race for the Cure’s Pasta Party in 2009 and has been involved with the race for several years. She has also volunteered for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Central Arkansas, United Way of Central Arkansas (prior to becoming Executive Director), she is a PTO member at Carl Stuart Middle School, and she is also a Sunday school teacher at First United Methodist Church in Conway.
It was her love of volunteerism that prompted Amy to become involved in the Faulkner County Leadership Institute. The Faulkner County Leadership Institute, a program of the Conway Chamber of Commerce, serves as a venue for emerging leaders to learn about the community and its needs while providing networking opportunities with other leaders in order to build a stronger community. Amy is a 2009 graduate of the program who was employed by Metropolitan National Bank when the program began.
After the Human Services day associated with the Leadership Institute, Amy disclosed to a few of her fellow attendees, “You know what I want to do? Be an Executive Director for a non-profit.” A few months later, she heard that very position was available with United Way of Central Arkansas, an organization she was quite familiar with through her volunteerism. “I was interested right away. That is exactly what I wanted to do.” She applied and solicited the backing of some fellow Leadership Institute enrollees and secured the position. Amy strongly credits the learning opportunities provided through the Chamber of Commerce-sponsored program and her work background in government, non-profit, and corporate as being part of her becoming Executive Director.
In addition to the leadership provided by Amy, she counts Jennifer Bickers, Resource Development Director, among the United Way staff. Jennifer is tasked with being in charge of developing resources for the use of United Way of Central Arkansas, including fundraising campaigns, and coordinating and making presentations on behalf of the organization. Dawn Ide also serves the organization as Program Coordinator, working directly with the community agencies that benefit from United Way funds. Theirs are the only full-time, paid positions with the United Way of Central Arkansas, and the longest-tenured of the three dates back to March, providing a fresh perspective and forward-thinking attitude for the program.
When asked how the United Way of Central Arkansas functions administratively, Amy responds, “We are currently honing the allocation process, but it will still basically work as it does in its current form.” Agencies, which can mean any 501(c)3 community-related agency from CAPCA to CASA to Habitat for Humanity to the local Girl Scouts organization, essentially complete allocation application paperwork similar to that for a grant. The United Way of Central Arkansas staff then reviews these packets and organizes teams of community volunteers to perform site visits. “Involving the community in these site visits opens the process to the donors who are essentially the investors of United Way. The community volunteers get a sense of how the agency programs work through sitting and asking questions at the site visits and through reading and critiquing the applications of the applying agency program in question. I actually got my feet wet with United Way as a site visit volunteer,” says Amy.
Post site visit, the community volunteers construct individual reports, then join a larger team of additional volunteers to collaborate on a large team report that is eventually presented to the Community Impact Committee of the United Way of Central Arkansas. From there, the Community Impact Committee summarily recommends chosen organization projects to the Board of Directors, so they, in conjunction with the Community Impact Committee members, can render final decisions as to the allocation of United Way of Central Arkansas funds. The process begins and ends with community volunteers.
When asked how United Way of Central Arkansas ensures an equitable allocation of funds, Amy responds, “The disbursement of funds is based on specific projects; there is no quota.” There is also no specific cause the United Way supports; they fund projects in every area including schools, government agencies, businesses, organized labor, community development entities, and other voluntary projects. They also may campaign in certain areas at different times.
Every two years, United Way of Central Arkansas forms a Community Vision Council, which is comprised of community volunteers; these volunteers are charged with assessing the community’s top ten needs. This assessment has a great impact on the allocation of funds, placing community members in a position of power to create change where they reside. Another component in the disbursement of funds is United Way’s categorization of agency programs into three key impact areas: education, health, and income. United Way of Central Arkansas typically spends four years focusing on each of these areas; for example, the education focus began in 2008 and will run through 2012, at which time the primary focus will shift to health. Amy says, “While we do place an emphasis on education in our campaigns right now, it is important to note that all of our partner agencies educate in some way, shape or form, so no agency is excluded simply because their mission does not fall specifically into the Education field.”
When asked about the need for volunteers, Amy states, “United Way of Central Arkansas can always use volunteers, and help comes in different forms. We encourage the community to live united by giving, advocating, or volunteering. While financial support is necessary, we understand that some want a more hands-on approach and opportunities for whatever area of involvement a person is interested in. One easy way to help is through Workplace Campaigns, which allow area businesses to payroll deduct a nominal amount from each paycheck and forward as a donation.” She further encourages interested individuals to ask their Human Resources personnel if this option is available. “Also, if you work in Little Rock and have a Workplace Campaign, you can request that your donation go specifically to United Way of Central Arkansas.”
In addition to Workplace Campaigns or direct donations, the site visit teams will form in March. “We always like to see new people join site teams because they bring a new experience and perspective to the process,” says Amy. “In addition to United Way of Central Arkansas, there are so many ways to get involved in Faulkner and Perry Counties: HAVEN, Faulkner County Literacy Council, Interfaith Clinic, Bethlehem House, Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Central Arkansas. The list goes on!”
In addition to these volunteer opportunities, individuals who donate at least $1,000 annually to United Way of Central Arkansas are known as pillars. When asked of her goals for United Way of Central Arkansas for 2010, Amy responds, “We want to increase our pillars. I believe one important way we can do this is by making people aware of what we do. Giving to United Way is an easy way of giving to many different organizations.” In fact United Way of Central Arkansas’ allocated money to partner agencies can turn $1 into $9, representing quite a return on investment.
Another goal for 2010 is the agency’s continued dedication to disclosure. United Way of Central Arkansas is committed to transparent accountability and measurable results. This is achieved through transparency in its financial accountability and in its mission.  Because United Way of Central Arkansas relies on donor support, they publicly disclose the amount of money raised and which partner agencies benefit from that money.  They also routinely audit their finances, provide an annual report, and are always open to questions about administrative costs.   
When asked about challenges, Amy cites a possible lack of the community’s awareness of United Way’s partnership and allocation processes as one of the agency’s predominant obstacles. Another obstacle is the current economic downturn, which primarily creates a greater demand for the services of United Way of Central Arkansas without necessarily providing additional resources for monetary disbursement. United Way receives calls daily with requests for funds or resources. Another issue is the loss of local jobs, particularly at businesses that offer Workplace Campaign payroll deductions.
Despite this, United Way of Central Arkansas is looking forward to a productive 2010 with its new leadership and crop of agencies receiving allocations for program funding. The success stories are what drive the staff and volunteers to do all they can to ensure a positive gains and outcomes for the agency. Says Amy, “It’s the family who gets assistance after a house fire because of the Red Cross and the disadvantaged teenage girl who becomes pregnant and seeks help from one of our agencies like Cradle Care that keeps us going. Helping as many people as possible is the goal at the end of the day.”