>>GERRY: UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL INDIANA HAS ANNOUNCED THE FIRST ROUND OF GRANT RECIPIENTS OF THE BASIC NEEDS FUND.
MORE THAN 237,000 CENTRAL INDIANA HOUSEHOLDS ARE EITHER LVING IN POVERTY OR ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
THE BASIC NEEDS FUND IS ONE OF THREE NEW IMPACT INITIATIVES ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS YEAR. WITH MORE ON WHERE THE $4
MILLION IN UNRESTRICTED GRANTS IS GOING, LET'S TURN TO UNITED WAY PRESIDENT AND CEO ANN MURTLOW.
WELCOME BACK! >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME AGAIN. >> VERY INTERESTING THESE ARE MAJOR DOLLARS BEING DOLED OUT.
BUT THIS IS -- THIS FUND AS PART OF A BROADER INITIATIVE THAT REALLY KIND OF RESHAPES THE FUNDING MODEL AT UNITED RIGHT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT OUR BOARD APPROVED LAST AUGUST A NEW STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK THAT REALLY FOCUSES ON HELPING THE
STRUGGLING FAMILIES 50 PERCENT OF WHOM ARE WORKING GET TO A BETTER PLACE AND PARTICULARLY TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY SO THIS IS ALL
ABOUT CHANGING THE WAY BE FUN TO FOCUS ON OUTCOMES RELATED TO THE GOALS OF THOSE THREE FUNDS. >> MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT BASIC
NEEDS FUND RECIPIENTS, $4 MILLION IN TOTAL TO NEARLY 50 COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. WHAT TYPE OF THINGS WILL THIS
HELP ACHIEVE? >> IT'S VERY FOCUSED ON REALLY , HUNGER, TRANSPORTATION AND HEALTH.
THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO IN THIS CASE ARE REALLY TRACKING OUTCOMES AND ALL OF THOSE AREAS AND WE HAVE A
FOCUS ON THE SERVICE TO RESIDENTS IN ALL SIX OF OUR COUNTIES. >> YOU MENTIONED THE BASIC NEEDS
FUND ONE OF THREE KEY FUNDS AND ANOTHER FAMILY OPPORTUNITY FUND AND THAT WILL BE LAUNCHED LATER IN THE YEAR.
>> FAMILY OPPORTUNITY FUND IS ABOUT MEETING FAMILIES WHERE THEY ARE AND WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN THE
HOUSEHOLD TOGETHER THOSE STRATEGIES ARE DESIGNED TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY. THE THIRD IS THE SOCIAL
INNOVATION FUND AND THAT'S ABOUT THE CYCLE OF INNOVATION IN THE HUMAN SERVICES SECTOR SOMETHING THAT RARELY HAPPENS.
>> TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT THAT IT WAS INTERESTING AND AN INNOVATIVE WAY TO DO THINGS IN TERMS OF
LAUNCHING NEW PROGRAMS. HOW DO YOU SEE THE SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND PLAY OUT. >> I THINK IT WILL BE REALLY
INTERESTING BECAUSE IF YOU THINK HOW TIGHT HUMAN SERVICES AGENCIES TYPICALLY RUN THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXCESS
INCOME TO PUT TO NEW IDEAS SO OUR GOAL IS TO REALLY TRY OUT THESE IDEAS AND REALLY DECIDE WHICH ONES ARE WORKING, WHICH
AREN'T WORKING, WHICH CAN BE SCALED AND MAKE IT HAPPEN. >> AS WE WRAP UP, IT STRIKES ME THIS NEW FUNDING MODEL AND THE
DIFFERENT FUNDS AND THE IMPACT UNITED WAY HAS NOT ONLY ON INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES BUT ON THE HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY AND
YOU CAN TRACK JOBS A NEW BUSINESS START UPS ON THE ROLE OF UNITED WAY IN THAT OVERALL ECONOMIC PICTURE IN THE
COMMUNITY IS BIG. >> IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT SO ALL THESE THINGS ARE INTERRELATED. UNITED WAY WILL INVEST
$52 MILLION A YEAR AND PROGRAMS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE REALLY DEDICATED TO MEETING THE GOALS OF OUR FUNDS AND THAT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT SO THIS IS A SMALL PIECE OF IT. IT WILL GROW OVER TIME BUT THAT IS A BIG INVESTMENT IN WE CAN
ONLY DO IT THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY SO THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO GET TO UNITED WAY.
>> INNOVATION THIS WEEK THE FIRST ROUND OF BASIC NEEDS