The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas has seen a six percent increase in the number of donors and contributions in 2011, allowing them to disperse nearly $25 million to 77 nonprofit service providers.

Despite the increase, however, United Way has either decreased or stopped providing funds for 31 organizations in the Dallas area, resulting in budget cuts, some layoffs and a scramble for new money.

“We have an important program that needs to be strengthened and right now it is a lot weaker than I want it to be,” said Diane Jones, the associate executive director of Citizens Development Center in Dallas, one of the organizations that lost funding from the United Way. Her center provides employment and training to over 150 individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities.

The Citizens Development Center’s budget decreased by $200,000 this year.  The organization now serves about 40 percent fewer people in their employment program and had to cut back on some of the benefits they were providing.

United Way officials say they stopped or reduced funding for some organizations in order to focus on education, income and health issues. They changed their grant process to allow any nonprofit to compete for money for programs that focus on the three areas.  The organization picked up 19 new beneficiaries this year that provide services in these areas.

“Each year our campaign income has increased slightly, and it may not have increased as much as it would have if we were in good economic times, but we’ve raised more money every year,” said Susan Hoff, United Way vice president of community impact.

For the 2011 year, the United Way received proposals for grants from more than 160 different organizations.

Dallas Challenge Inc., one of the new organizations picked up by the United Way, helps more than 6,700 youth a year stay on the right track by urging them to stay in school and avoid destructive behaviors, drugs and alcohol.

Funded by state and county grants and an annual campaign, Dallas Challenge Inc. has been able to provide a new program, Smart Decisions, because of the $45,000 it received from United Way.

“Because of the new funding from the United Way, we will be able to serve more children than in the past,” Vicki Keifer, the Dallas Challenge Inc. director of development said.

The new program teaches children aged 12 to 17 how to obtain and manage money legally, and the importance of education as it relates to earning money in the future.

Camp Summit, an organization that offers weeklong and weekend camp sessions for adults and children with mental and physical disabilities, lost $130,000 in United Way funding.

Carla Weiland, the CEO of Camp Summit, said her organization has been very careful with their money for the past few years fearing they would not receive more because of the new United Way grant process.

2011 was the first year that United Way allowed any nonprofit to apply for program funding.

“We’ve seen a shift in how we’re being funded, so we really just tried to structure ourselves in a way to not get into any trouble,” Weiland said.

Camp Summit brings in revenue through small program fees, a small amount of designated United Way funding, direct mailing and two annual fundraising events.

Last year, the 64-year-old overnight camp in Dallas added nine weeks of camp services in the fall, which helped bring in money. Weiland hopes the expansion will help them increase funding over the years.

“Even though we were a year-round facility before, with the new program we are offering we are being taken more seriously, and hopefully it will help bring in money from funders and foundations,” Weiland said.

The open application process for 2012 United Way grants ended Nov. 7 and officials report they received applications from about 150 organizations.

Around 200 volunteers will now review the applications and make site visits to determine if the proposal fits within the long-term goal of the United Way.

With funding decisions announced in May, Diane Jones of the Citizens Development Center is remaining hopeful that they will receive funding for 2012.

“We’ve been able to continue our program without them this year, but we are definitely a lot stronger with their support,” she said.

Lauren Scheinin is a senior journalism student at Southern Methodist University

This year’s annual United Negro College Fund’s “Red, Hot and Snazzy” gala was just that –snazzy, elegant and hot! The Dallas UNCF hosted the event at the historic and newly-renovated Union Station in downtown Dallas, where guests were treated to a chic décor and culinary delights from Wolfgang Puck, as well as live entertainment from the S.O.S. Band.

The doors opened to the ballroom at 7:30pm, following the silent auction and private VIP reception in the foyer. Veteran Fox 4 News Anchor Clarice Tinsley was the Mistress of Ceremonies, setting a graceful tone for the evening. After the national anthem, Tinsley invited the gala’s co-chairs Stephen and Kimberly Littleton and Rick and Von Purdy to extend a warm greeting to guests.  The invocation was appropriately provided by an associate pastor of St. John Baptist Church.   The congregation collectively raised $10,000 towards UNCF scholarships.

Following dinner, UNCF’s Area Development Director, Diane Stephenson, took the podium to reiterate UNCF’s legacy and mission – and share how proceeds are invested in the lives of area youth in this very worthy cause. Diane also took the opportunity to acknowledge multi-level sponsors who made the evening possible, including American Airlines, Citi, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Frito-Lay Inc., FedEx Office, and BNSF, and many others.

The featured speaker for the evening was State Senator Royce West, who addressed attendees with a call to action. “Dallas County is in the best position for black political clout [with elected officials] who hail from Dallas.. But with all that, we need a pipeline of people to take their places in those roles,”said West

Following West’s keynote, representatives from area HBCUs underscored the senator’s sentiments by bridging the need for education advocacy to the collective philanthropic responsibility of Dallas-area citizens. “For the past few years, UNCF has raised more than $360K for Paul Quinn College. Money does not go to shiny structures and new facilities –it goes to giving students an opportunity. They are students that need us, and they need us now more than ever,” said Michael Sorrell Esq., President of Paul Quinn College.

Dallas-area media veterans Sam Putney and Chris Arnold challenged prospective donors to come forward and collectively pledge $30,000 on the spot – which was led by Senator Royce West’s gift of $2,000, followed by a personal pledge from President of ExxonMobil’s Foundation Gerald McElvy along with a $8,000 foundation match.

Many others stepped up to the challenge until the goal was ultimately exceeded. Thereafter, Putney and Arnold presided as celebrity auctioneers in a live auction, with luxury packages ranging from a Neiman Marcus $1,000 giftcard and shopping spree to an all-expense paid trip to the UNCF Annual Evening of the Stars in California, valued at $1500. They definitely brought a new level of energy and excitement to the evening’s program.

The final plea of the evening was given by Therese Badon, UNCF Regional Development Director, who invited students up to incite donors to pledge to the fund. “We have over 200 students who are in jeopardy of graduating this May,” said Badon. ” [These students] have worked hard- and are not looking for a handout, just need an opportunity,” she said.

Media personality Lynne Haze ushered in the highlight and finale of the evening – a high energy performance by 1980s rhythm and blues phenomenon, The S.O.S. Band. The sextet performed recognizable chart-toppers as The Finest, Just Be Good To Me, Tell Me If You Still Care, and No One’s Gonna Love You. The perfect way to end the evening.

Michelle London-Bell is a new contributor to Dallas South News with experience as a freelance writer. She has a passion for fashion, the arts, and community and cultural affairs and can be reached at dallasurbanmedia@gmail.com.

m strategies inc. (MSI), a full-service public relations agency specializing in traditional and emerging media strategy, media training and messaging, has announced its selection of The SoupMobile as its 2010 annual pro-bono public relations services recipient. The SoupMobile will receive one year’s worth of free public relations services within an agreed upon scope of work.

Founded by David Timothy in 2003, The SoupMobile is a non-profit mobile soup kitchen feeding and sheltering the needy and homeless in the Dallas area. In addition to its mobile soup efforts, the organization also leads its SoupMobile Village, a series of group homes designed to place homeless men or women right off the streets and on the path out of homelessness. Additionally, the Dallas-based organization hosts an annual Christmas Angel Project, in which 500 homeless men and women are provided with free stay at the downtown Dallas Hyatt Regency Hotel for Christmas, and are provided with new clothes, gifts and a banquet held in their honor.

“The SoupMobile has a clear mission—to feed the hungry and provide shelter to the homeless,” said L. Michelle Smith, President and CEO at m strategies inc. “Their story is also compelling, and we look forward to sharing it on their behalf so that we can increase awareness and drive volunteers and donors their way.”

Since 2003, MSI has engaged in this pro-bono program. Most recently, the agency provided counsel for The Forth Worth Chapter of the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas (HWNT), specifically for its Latinas In Progress Program (L.I.P.P.). The agency has also assisted Promise House, a teen runaway and homeless advocacy organization, with its annual “Who’s Sofa Surfing Tonight?” campaign; provided community-awareness service for at-risk youth outreach organization Services of Hope; and created awareness to help drive ticket sales for the Dallas Furniture Bank’s recent “Top Chef” cook-off competition and fundraiser, which featured local Chefs Casey Thompson and Tre Wilcox.

On January 6, 2010, Councilmember Tennell Atkins will give special recognition to Southern Dallas Business Plan Competition winners here at Dallas City Hall during the Council Ceremonial Briefing. In October, Momentum Texas, Inc. recognized four finalist in the business plan competition at a ceremony held in the Blue Room at Southside on Lamar.

Three firms, including Dallas South News, each received cash awards of $1,000.  Other winners included Bumble Bee Energy Solutions and The Kelvin Nunley State Farm Agency.  These firms will also received pro bono consulting services to assist their business growth.

Business Plan Competitions have been recognized by the Kauffman Foundation, a national leader in entrepreneurship, as a cost effective way to assist small business growth.  MTI plans to hold the Southern Dallas Business Plan Competition on an annual basis as part of an “Economic Gardening” strategy for Southern Dallas  that is designed to “grow our own jobs” through  entrepreneurial activity in Southern Dallas.

The council briefing is open to the public and is scheduled for 9 a.m on January 6th at City Hall in 6ES (red elevators).

Why should I hire Gen Y? Employers ask me this question every day. Then they start in with their stories about people my age. One of my recent favorites: “I know all about employing your generation. Last year I hired a young guy right out of college. He had good grades and seemed like a hard worker. A week later I’m in the company bathroom and I hear him talking on his cell phone in a restroom stall. And his phone was on speaker! Even worse, he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. He just kept talking and talking.”

Okay, I get it. My peers and I can be a little different when we enter the workplace (which is, on average, about 10 minutes later than you’d like). Sure, we show up to work with our iPod buds dangling out of our purse or backpack, and our ever-present cell phone is ringing loudly during the CEO’s Monday morning pep talk. Yes, many of us have a tattoo (or several); some of us sport nontraditional hair colors; and it’s not uncommon for us to have a piercing somewhere besides our ear lobes (and, no, it didn’t hurt much).

However, in my work consulting and speaking with business leaders around the world, I’ve seen time and again that Gen Y can deliver tremendous workplace performance and loyalty at a substantial value — when managed correctly. This combination could not have come at a better time, because the current economic climate is forcing companies to do more with less in an increasingly competitive business environment. It’s my belief — and I’ve seen it in action — that Gen Y can be the strategic differentiator you’ve been looking for to decrease your costs and grow your business.

Here are a few of the strengths that I’ve seen Gen Y bring to a workplace when managed correctly:

Outcome driven – By definition this means Gen Y is all about results (especially the kind we can brag about on Twitter). We want to see we are making ongoing progress and be a part of the solution. When you manage us based on results rather than a job description, we will focus all our energy on the outcomes you’ve deemed most critical to your business’ operations.

Tech aware – Gen Y has come of age immersed in technology that our grandparents only dreamed about (although it was our grandparents’ generation that created the engineering that led to the current technology). Gen Y’s comfort with technology can be an asset for companies that rely on technology to run their business as well as serve customers. One way to leverage Gen Y’s tech awareness is to ask us to test new technology you are considering for adoption.

Desire to prove – The huge expectations sometimes negatively associated with Gen Y’s entrance into the workplace can be a big value-add to a company when managed correctly. Harness this ambition by giving us the chance to temporarily take on larger responsibilities as well as short-term projects that stretch our skills. While it’s true we have much to learn, we also have a huge desire to show you (and our 5,000 friends on Facebook) what we can do. Let us. When you do, we both win.

Cost effective – In many places where I speak, Gen Y is the least expensive employee group to hire. Being less expensive by itself is not enough reason to hire Gen Y, but in combination with the timely skills and big aspirations we carry into the workforce, the potential ROI from our employment is significant. The key is to manage us correctly — what I call Y-Sizing your business.

To understand which steps to take, I interviewed executives, managers, and entrepreneurs around the world to learn the actions they have taken to successfully employ Gen Y. I share the best of these frontline tested actions in my new book, Y-Size Your Business: How Gen Y Employees Can Save You Money and Grow Your Business. Here are three Y-Size actions that will give you an immediate head start when employing Gen Y:

Y-Size Strategy 1) Make the first day at work unforgettable

Gen Y decides on our first day at work whether or not we can stay with an employer long term. To make the first day unforgettable all you have to do is welcome Gen Y with a handshake and a small box of our new business cards. This unexpected gesture sets the tone upfront that we are professionals — and that we must meet those expectations. And who is the first person we’re going to give our new business card to??? Our mom! And many of us will give it to her right when she picks us up . . .

Y-Size Strategy 2) Demonstrate the performance you expect

Gen Y is entering the workforce at a later age and with less real world training than previous generations. You can quickly bridge this skills gap, and in turn rapidly increase our workplace value, by providing us with specific examples of the performance you expect. The more specific the examples you provide, the easier it is for you to hold us accountable. And, no, business casual does not mean leather flip flops.

Y-Size Strategy 3) Check in so we stay tuned in

Gen Y seeks specific feedback about our performance every month. However, we don’t need an in-depth 360-degree evaluation. All we need is a quick 30-second check-in where you tell us what we are doing well and where we can improve. These quick interactions build our loyalty to you as our leader and are way more motivational than a gift card for a free car wash. After all, it’s hard for us to wash our scooter in a drive-through car wash.

Jason Ryan Dorsey, author of Y-Size Your Business: How Gen Y Employees Can Save You Money and Grow Your Business is an award-winning entrepreneur and an acclaimed keynote speaker often referred to as “The Gen Y Guy”®. He has been featured as a Generation Y expert on 60 Minutes, 20/20, the Today show,and The View, as well as in Fortune magazine.

For more information about the book, please visit www.JasonDorsey.com.