To reach UWSC's bold goal, approximately 240 additional community-based education participants should report a better understanding each reporting year, thru 2025.

The huge decrease in numbers from FY18-19 to FY19-20 has two primary causes: 1)The coronavirus pandemic. Many surveys were shortened or not conducted and a number of public education programs were cancelled. One such cancelled program resulted in a decline of nearly 2,000 individuals served; and 2) A loss in grant funding for one large funded program, resulting in a major decline in numbers served. The percentage who stated they had a better understanding actually stayed relatively stable, from 94% in FY18-19 (corrected) to 92% in FY19-20.

The significant increase in FY20-21 is a metric we are proud of as it includes data from 13 partner programs (= a robust data point), and it exemplifies partner resilience through the pandemic. In fact, the Year 2 data on “better understanding” reflects a 20% increase over baseline. Part of the increase is due to our partners’ successful implementation of e-surveys, one way of determining impact including for virtual public education and awareness events. YSS’ new Human Trafficking program, for example, was able to collect more than 4,000 survey responses in FY20-21, significantly increasing the reportable data. Similarly, ACCESS’ education and awareness programming about domestic violence and sexual assault surveyed 224 individuals, a 578% increase over their baseline survey numbers (33).

At United Way of Story County, our goal is to ensure individuals and families are better off due to our programming. As such, we work with our partners to gain qualitative data such as this. Surveys are one great tool to see if the programs we fund are actually helping move the needle – and the evidence suggests they are!

The partners whose data is aggregated and included here include only those programs that are funded specifically under the "Education" pillar (of United Way's annual ASSET investment), thereby most clearly meeting the definition of "community-based education." Other partners do provide educational components in their programming, but are not included here. Those included are:

• ACCESS: Public Education & Awareness 
• MGMC Home Health: Community Clinics & Health Education
• NAMI: NAMI on Campus, Public Education & Awareness, Family & Consumer Education, Family & Consumer Support, Wellness Center 
• The Arc: Advocacy
• Volunteer Center: Volunteer Management (center closed in June 2021. No data collected on this measure for FY20-21 and beyond)
• YSS: Public Education Child Safety, Public Education "Combined Other" (Substance Abuse Prevention etc.)*
• YWCA: Engaging International Spouses & Students, "Talk Back"*, Girls Power & College Bound*

Note: While these programs served additional individuals, this figure only represents individuals who completed surveys and noted having a better understanding.  

*Note: The FY18-19 baseline number included Legal Aid and Central RSVP data, but did not include data from YSS Substance Harm and other combined programs, YWCA Mentoring and YWCA Talk Back Student Group. The new calculation approach results in a very similar baseline number, 3936.*