We believe every child should enter kindergarten ready to learn. The early years of a child’s life are the foundation upon which they can build future success. In fact, in the first three years of life a baby’s brain grows faster than any other body part. At United Way of Lancaster County, we recognize the importance of early childhood education for our community and the vital role it plays in helping to achieve our community’s Four Bold Goals. That is why we have set a goal of raising $100,000 to fund an additional Collective Impact Partnership focused on preparing children for kindergarten – because every child in our community deserves a chance at a bright future.

Over the past three years, United Way of Lancaster County has been pioneering an innovative movement to foster collaboration among a wide range of entities…nonprofits, businesses, public sector entities, faith-based organizations, and more… to address needed social change in our community. These changes are key to making Lancaster County a better place for all our residents.

I’m sure you have heard of our Four Bold Goals for the community. We have recently received and reviewed proposals from many exciting new and returning Collective Impact Partnerships who are working toward helping us achieve these Bold Goals. The best and brightest of these proposals, paired with our campaign projections, show that by raising an additional $100,000 in pledges before June 30, 2018, we will be able to include one more impactful team of partners in our funding commitments this spring, enabling us to fight for more of our neighbors who are in need of assistance.

Your modest gift, combined with similar gifts from a select group of other local supporters, will allow us to invest in resources that will move this community closer to achieving kindergarten readiness for all children, post-secondary credentials for all students and adults, a 50% reduction in the number of people living in poverty, and access to comprehensive health care for all residents.