United Way of Greater Cincinnati and more than 200 community champions from 125 organizations kicked off a new chapter of partnership during a meeting Aug. 21.
United Way President and CEO, Moira Weir, set the tone with a clear message about the power of belonging and collaboration: “The challenges we’re tackling don’t exist in silos. They’re interconnected, complex and they demand coordinated solutions. No single organization, no matter how well-funded or well-intentioned, can solve these issues alone.”
Our 2025 Community Partner Fund grantees engaged with one another during several breakout sessions on a variety of topics, including:
- United Way 211
- Concrete ways to get involved in the Free Tax Prep program
- Policy and advocacy priorities
- New initiatives such as work on tangled titles, the Children’s College Savings Accounts Program, and our cradle-to-career strategy
- Design sessions for deeper partnership work
Partners also explored data from a 2024 regional social capital survey, sparking conversations about how frontline experiences align with research findings. These discussions generated new ideas for collaborative solutions rooted in community wisdom.
The day reinforced several key principles that guide our work:
- Belonging drives impact. When people feel truly seen, heard and valued, they contribute more and stay engaged longer. This creates the foundation for lasting community change.
- Diverse voices strengthen solutions. Long-term partners brought institutional knowledge while newer partners contributed fresh perspectives, representing the full spectrum of our community’s strength.
- Collaborative power can change systems. Together, we can shift community conditions and create measurable, lasting impact that no single organization could achieve alone.
When we asked our partners if they’d made connections they wanted to follow up on, nearly every hand in the room went up. These new relationships and strengthened partnerships are where real change happens.
We’re grateful to every change-maker, problem-solver and community champion who joined us. The conversations that started at this convening will continue to inform and strengthen our work building a community where everyone can thrive.
