As Jim and Alison Zimmerman made career moves from Houston to Cincinnati to Dallas to Atlanta and back to Cincinnati, one thing remained constant: their steadfast support for the community.
And no matter where they lived, they invested their time and treasure in United Way. “Everything it supports, we support,” Alison said.
Jim explained their desire to give back this way: “From whom much is given, much is expected. That’s one of the better phrases in life.”
In recognition of their generous gifts, United Way on May 29 will honor the couple with the Tocqueville Award.
Both Jim and Alison grew up in Texas, but Cincinnati has been fortunate to be the couple’s home for many years. After returning here in 1988, Jim successfully led Federated Department Stores (which became Macy’s) out of bankruptcy. While Chairman of Federated, he helped found Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), the nonprofit that led the redevelopment of Downtown and Over the Rhine.
While those achievements deserve high praise, Cincinnati also benefited from the indelible mark he made in the field of early childhood education. “That was the core area that lit my fire,” he said. “I became personally and deeply and aggressively involved.”
His involvement stemmed from the work of a civic panel formed in the aftermath of Cincinnati’s 2001 racial unrest. Among the panel’s recommendations: Launch a program to help the city’s neediest children become better prepared for kindergarten so they have more success in school and beyond. That led to the creation of United Way’s Success By 6.®
At the time, Jim acknowledged knowing little about early childhood education, but he agreed to lead the effort and quickly got up to speed. He had the support of Alison, a longtime advocate for early learning, who said, “I already knew 90% of brain development happens by the time a child is 5.”
Jim assembled a group of accomplished business people and early education professionals to focus on making quality preschool and child care available for more children ages 5 and under.
“Jim has become a warrior for those kids,” proclaimed a video produced for the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber when Jim was named a Great Living Cincinnatian in 2012.
“This clearly was a solvable, improvable problem,” Jim said. “And very talented people in the community were solving it. The issue, therefore, was to raise public and private sources of money and make a difference.”
The Zimmermans personally invested in the cause. “If you really believe and give yourself, it’s easy to ask somebody else,” Alison said.
Indeed, “I became a true believer,” Jim said. He spent considerable time locally and at the Statehouse in Columbus, raising awareness and lobbying intensely for funds for early childhood education.
A 2020 study showed that those investments paid off. Among the findings: Children from under-resourced families who attended preschool were 74% more likely to be on track in kindergarten. Children who were prepared for kindergarten were far more likely to succeed throughout high school.
Alison, too, has long championed youth education. For many years she was on the board of United Way partner Families Forward, which merged in 2023 with United Way partner Learning Grove, where she continues to serve.
While the Zimmermans have devoted themselves to ensuring children achieve educational success, they recognize United Way’s other focus areas are equally important. “Stable housing is critical to children’s success, as is financial security,” Alison said. “That’s what every human being should have. United Way has the correct emphasis.”
With the Tocqueville Award, United Way honors not just the Zimmermans’ philanthropy, but their enduring belief in a better tomorrow for all.
