United Way of New York State Issues Statement on Gov. Hochul's State of the State Address
United Way of New York State applauds Governor Hochul for including critical essential needs in her 2025 State of the State address. Many of the proposed initiatives align with United Way's mission, such as expanding free school lunches, protecting children's mental health, and securing affordable housing.
We were disappointed yet again not to see the critical funding for 211, and we strongly urge the Governor and the Legislature to fund 211— a service that falls directly in line with the themes of this year’s state of the state-housing, financial stability, and emergency response resources. 211 has been an important governmental partner for 20 years and has proven to be the most efficient way to connect New York families to health and human services.
As we indicate in our ALICE Report, every New Yorker deserves the opportunity to have safe and secure housing, food, and access to affordable mental and physical healthcare. Out of 7.8 million households— 31% qualify as Alice (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) and 46% fall BELOW the Alice threshold. The Governor’s initiatives and measures aim to ease the burden on struggling families, as so many New Yorkers are not able to make ends meet.
The United Way of New York State is thrilled to work with Governor Hochul and the Legislature to improve the safety and security of every New Yorker from Buffalo to Montauk.
Therese Daly, President & CEO United Way of New York State
United Way of New York State and 2-1-1 New York, Inc. Announce Therese Daly as New President and CEO, Albany, NY
United Way of New York State (UWNYS) and 2-1-1 New York, Inc. (211 NY) are pleased to announce the appointment of Therese Daly as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 10th, 2025.
Therese Daly, a respected leader with extensive experience in advocacy, public relations, and government affairs, will lead the statewide organizations in its mission to improve lives and strengthen communities across New York.
Therese Daly brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of accomplishments in the political, transportation, and financial sectors. She most recently served as Chief Advocacy and Government Affairs Officer at the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals (NYATEP), where she played a pivotal role in policy development and advocacy. Daly’s expertise spans over a decade in strategy development, business development, communication, public relations, and government relations.
Before her time at NYATEP, Therese served as Vice President at Mercury Public Affairs, where she worked out of both the Albany and New York City offices. Her leadership experience also includes serving as the Director of Correspondence for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ office, where she served as a key staffer for the Leader for a number of years.
"I am thrilled to join UWNYS and 211 NY at such a pivotal time," said Therese Daly. "I am inspired by the organizations’ dedication to creating lasting change and improving the lives of individuals and families across New York. I look forward to working alongside the talented team at United Way, as well as our community partners, to further our mission and address the needs of our state’s most vulnerable populations. I am grateful to the leadership of Board Chair Darley Willis and Capital Region Executive Director Pete Gannon and looking forward to working with the incoming board chair, Kevin O’Brien and his extraordinary leadership. Together we can make a difference.”
Therese’s career is marked by her commitment to leadership and advocacy. She has received numerous accolades for her work, including Nominee for Forbes 30 under 30, YWCA Resourceful Woman Award, A Siena Saint Who Don’t Sit On The Sidelines, Friends of Recovery 2022 Recovery Community Spotlight Award Recipient. Therese was featured on City and State’s 2022 40 under 40 as part of a feature on the best and the brightest of Albany, a Rising Power Player in New York State by Politics NY and AM Media, City & State's 100 Most Responsible Leaders in NYS, City & State’s 100 Most Powerful People in Economic Development in NYS, City & State’s 2024 Trailblazer in the Nonprofit Sector in New York State, and was most recently named on City & State’s 2024 Economic Development Trailblazer List.
Therese serves on the board of the Shaker Heritage Site, Eleanor’s Legacy, and the NYS Economic Development Council.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Therese Daly as the new President and CEO of United Way of New York State," said Incoming Board Chair Kevin O’Brien. "Her deep experience in advocacy, public affairs, and her commitment to social change make her the perfect person to lead our organization. We are confident that under her leadership, United Way will continue to grow and create an even greater impact across the state."
As President and CEO, Daly will oversee the continued expansion of United Way's efforts to advocate for policy solutions, mobilize resources, and support local initiatives focused on improving education, advancing economic mobility, and promoting public health across New York State.
About United Way of New York State
United Way of New York State is a statewide organization that works with local United Ways across New York to mobilize resources, advocate for policy change, and create lasting solutions to the challenges facing communities. Through collaborations with individuals, businesses, and organizations, United Way empowers people to improve their lives and build stronger communities.
About 2-1-1 New York Inc.
2-1-1 New York, Inc., a subsidiary of United Way of New York State was designated by the New York State Public Service Commission to develop and oversee 2-1-1 services. 211 is a vital service leveraged by millions oof people across North America. Every day, people contact 211 to access free and confidential information about counseling, food, health care and insurance, stable housing and utilities payment assistance, employment services, veteran services, and disaster assistance. In New York State, 211 is available 24/7 and provided by local United Ways, community information and referral services, and the City of New York.
For more information about 211 NY please visit: www.211nys.org
*******************************************************************
Our plans for 2020:
Please review the amazing work our network accomplished in 2019!
*******************************************************************
2018 ALICE Report Released 9/16/18
New Yorkers Still Face Financial Hardship Despite Increases in Employment and Median Income
Updated ALICE® Report Released by United Way of New York State Reveals Continued Economic Hardship for Working Class New Yorkers
ALBANY, NY – Despite an overall improvement in employment and gains in median household income, the economic recovery in New York State has been uneven, according to an updated report released by United Way of New York State. The 2018 ALICE Report released today details how a large number of New Yorkers, 3.2 million households, or 45% of the overall population, cannot afford basic needs and lack sufficient income and resources to pay for housing, food, child care, transportation and health care.
The United Way ALICE Report provides a framework, language, and tools to measure and understand the struggles of a population called ALICE — an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE is a hardworking member of the community and earns above the federal poverty level, yet does not earn enough to afford a bare-bones household budget, or "household survival budget." The Report then examines how households across the state have fared since the Great Recession ended in 2010.
New York State released its first ALICE Report in 2016 and today released an updated report which shows that many ALICE households continue to face challenges from low wages, reduced work hours, depleted savings, and increasing costs of living. Since 2016, increases in the cost of living have pushed nearly 30,000 households below the ALICE Threshold, defined in the report as the "average income that a household needs to afford the basic necessities defined by the household survival budget for each county in New York."
In addition, the Report finds that ALICE households are not benefitting financially from seemingly positive economic trends. While there has been significant job growth in some areas (i.e. home health aides, teachers aides, personal care aides, retail salesperson), a number of these occupations continue to pay wages that are insufficient to support a basic household survival budget.
"More than four out of 10 working people in New York State live at or below the ALICE survival threshold, sometimes working multiple jobs in attempt to make ends meet," said Ruth Mahoney, Capital Region president and regional retail leader, KeyBank, which was a major sponsor of the ALICE project. "The ALICE Report shines a light on how deep this crisis is, and through KeyBank's support of and partnership with the United Way, we hope to raise awareness and advance dialogue around the understanding that if we want our communities to be stronger, the people who live and work in them need improved pathways to financial stability and the opportunity to thrive."
Other key findings from the updated ALICE Report include:
• In order to meet the ALICE Threshold for survival, a 4-person household (2 adults, 1 infant, 1 preschooler), needs an annual income of $68,808 or $34.40 per hour. An individual needs an annual income of $23,148 or $11.57 per hour. This is 7 percent higher for single and 9% higher for the 4-person household compared to the report issued in 2016.
• Fifty-one percent of all jobs in NYS pay less than $20/hour or $40,000 annually for full time work. Even working multiple jobs often does not provide sufficient income to meet the ALICE Threshold.
• ALICE is everywhere. All but one of New York's 62 counties has 30% or more households earning less than what is needed to afford a basic household budget.
The United Way ALICE Report uses measures to provide a more accurate picture of financial insecurity at the state, county, and municipal level. Both the cost of living and job opportunities vary greatly across New York State and this breakdown makes those differences readily apparent. Data sources include the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey.
"The success of a community is directly related to the financial stability of its members and the ALICE report raises awareness about a huge but hidden segment of our community that is struggling," said Brenda Episcopo President of United Way of New York State. "Everyone knows an ALICE. ALICE is your child care worker, your parent on Social Security, the cashier at your supermarket, the salesperson at your big box store, your waitress, a home health aide, an office clerk etc… ALICE is essential to our communities' economic well-being and when ALICE is forced to make difficult choices, the entire community faces consequences."
United Ways across the state work with many community partners to provide support to ALICE families by assisting with financial literacy, education and workforce readiness on a daily basis. In addition, United Way of New York State hopes that the ALICE Report will shed light on a growing population in New York State and start conversations about how to help more families achieve financial security. Nine United Way chapters in New York are also administering $16 million in state grants to develop new strategies to combat poverty. The United Way's 2-1-1 information and referral phone number has also assisted more than 400,000 New Yorkers with housing and other human service issues.
For the ALICE Report and Data visit www.UnitedWayALICE.org/newyork
About the United Ways in New York United Ways across New York state advance the common good by creating opportunities for all, with a particular focus on education, income/financial security, health and basic needs – the building blocks for a good quality of life. Our work is a testament to what we can accomplish when individuals, government, businesses, academia, health agencies, faith-based groups and nonprofits join together in common cause.
*******************************************************************
UWNYS SUMMER CONFERENCE- Register Now! July 18-20, 2018
United Ways of New York State Annual Summer Conference will be held on July 18-20, 2018 at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls, NY!
Workshops include: Mary Sellers, U.S. President of United Way Worldwide
William Browning, United Way Worldwide on Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud
Matt Episcopo, International Speaker, Author, Coach, on the POWER of Networking
Product Development, Community Impact, Digital Marketing, Innovation in Fund-Raising, Human Resources: retention, culture building and many more!
Connect with your peers and learn from the best!
*******************************************************************
United Way New York State Names New CEO
Albany, NY (Oct.19, 2017) – The Board of Directors of United Way of New York State (UWNYS) has named Brenda Episcopo as the organization's new President and CEO.
For the full press release, see here.
*******************************************************************
NYS United Way Summer Conference Update
Over 60 members of the NYS United Way network met at the Summer Conference in Ithaca in late July.
Highlights included a presentation from Lisa Bowman, Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, UWW, on the brand and messaging directions for United Way.
At the MAC meeting held at the conference, John Bernardi, CEO of United Way of the Adirondack Region, was elected the new Chair.
Materials from the conference are available in the Dropbox.
**************************************************************************************************************
New York Gives Day 2017 Coming!
NYGives Day will be held on Tuesday, November 28, 2017, again in conjunction with Giving Tuesday. UWNYS is the co-sponsor of NYGives Day. Last year, across the state, giving for the day totaled $11.3 million. More than a dozen local UWs actively participated. Our partner in the day is NYCON, and our technology partner is GiveGab. NYGives Day is a one-day, online giving event for all nonprofits in New York State. The public was asked to consider making donations to charities that are participating in the event.
Free training webinars with information on how to best use the internet to fundraise are available to all nonprofit organizations. Participating organizations are given a free online giving platform for the day. More information is available at the #NYGivesDay website!
**********************************************************************************