Did you know that high school students in San Diego County can explore careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) before they even graduate? United Way of San Diego County is making this possible through our STEAM-to-Careers after-school program and Dream with STEAM summer program, empowering teens with hands-on experience, mentorship, and career readiness skills.

Since launching these programs, United Way of San Diego County has:

• Engaged 673 students in the STEAM-to-Careers after-school program
• Supported 156 students in the Dream with STEAM summer program
• Provided over $171,500 in educational awards to remove financial barriers

Teens who participate report feeling more confident, accomplished, and ready for life after graduation. Watch this short video to hear directly from the students themselves. 

Preparing Teens for the Jobs of Tomorrow

In today’s rapidly changing economy, STEAM fields are shaping the careers of the future. In fact: 

• The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce accounted for 24% of U.S. workers in 2021 (source). 
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in STEM occupations is projected to grow at twice the rate (10.8%) of overall employment (5.3%) through 2031.
• Research shows that a lack of awareness is the primary reason students don’t pursue STEM careers. In a recent survey, 42% of adults said they would have considered a STEM career if they had better understood the opportunities available.

STEAM occupations offer a realistic opportunity to earn a living wage in San Diego County, a region with one of the nation’s highest costs of living, according to a 2025 Times of San Diego article on affordability in the region. By introducing high school students to these industries early, we help them discover their passions, gain practical skills, and chart a path forward. Our programs don’t just teach concepts, they bring them to life through real-world projects, interactive workshops, and career guidance. 

Students see tangible results from their efforts. For example, those in the creative writing track become published authors in a collective book of poetry and short stories, while students in the healthcare track can earn certifications such as CPR. Across all tracks, teens also learn essential career skills, including resume writing, interview preparation, salary research, and building professional LinkedIn profiles.

Mentorship That Makes a Difference

One of the most impactful elements of our programs is mentorship. Students are introduced to professionals who provide guidance, answer questions, and show them what it takes to thrive in STEAM careers. 

Children and young adults cannot be what they cannot see. Our STEAM programs invite community professionals to play a vital role in ensuring kids gain exposure to these fields and help them imagine their own futures in these careers. These relationships provide students with relatable role models who inspire them to aim high.

STEAM-to-Careers: Hands-On Learning After School

The STEAM-to-Careers program focuses on high school students from historically underserved communities like Escondido and Lincoln Heights. Through after-school sessions (and in some cases, Saturday sessions), students dive into interactive science and engineering projects, healthcare training, creative writing, and career readiness workshops.

They also benefit from special guest speakers and hands-on resume-building, giving them the tools and confidence to pursue future careers they may not have known existed before participating in the STEAM-to-Careers program.

Dream with STEAM: Expanding Opportunities in the Summer

Our Dream with STEAM summer program takes learning beyond the classroom. Students visit a number of local companies and organizations to explore different industries and meet professionals in STEAM fields. Some of the places students have visited in recent years include:

• UC San Diego Health
• Eli Lilly
• KPBS
• Dr. Bronner’s
• Taylor Guitars
• San Diego Safari Park 
• Solar Turbines 
• PCL Construction 
• SDGE 
• Solar Turbines 
• SeaWorld
• Booz Allen 
• Cubic
• Maverick Manufacturing 
• Alaska Airlines
• Illumina

By visiting these sites, hearing from professionals about their personal career journeys, and seeing what’s possible, students gain inspiration and clarity about their own career paths.

Here’s what our students have said about their field trips:

“Dr. Bronner’s was really cool and made me think more about biochemistry outside of a purely medical or lab context.”

“The most memorable moment was the Alaska Airlines field trip, and being able to actually interact with what we were doing made it just memorable!”

“UWSD’s STEAM-to-Careers program at Escondido High School allowed me to discover my passion for space. An SDG&E field trip led me to DREAM with STEAM, MIT programs, and a NASA internship where I designed a lunar base and learned to code. Now, I’m pursuing aerospace for my career.” – Angela Tran, Escondido High School Student & STEAM-to-Careers Program Ambassador

Removing Financial Barriers

Students from low-income backgrounds often face financial barriers that limit access to extracurricular programs or unpaid internships. Many need paid after-school or summer jobs to help their families cover basic expenses like rent and groceries, leaving little room for unpaid career-building opportunities.

Through our STEAM-to-Careers and Dream with STEAM programs, students receive an educational award that helps remove these barriers, ensuring talented students from all economic backgrounds can access meaningful work experiences, professional networks, and pathways to career advancement. 

Since launching these programs, United Way of San Diego County has provided over $171,500 in educational awards to remove financial barriers.

Join Us in Preparing the Next Generation

With the support of donors and community partners, United Way of San Diego County is working to expand the program across more neighborhoods in the county, helping even more teens build confidence, connections, and skills for careers of the future.

If you’re an educator, donor, or company interested in supporting STEAM education and career development for teens, we invite you to learn how to get involved. Together, we can ensure students across San Diego County have the tools, mentorship, and opportunities they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving job market. Learn more about STEAM-to-Careers and Dream with STEAM at uwsd.org/steam-to-careers

The post How We’re Equipping Teens for High-Growth Careers with Our STEAM Programs appeared first on United Way of San Diego County.

Did you know that last year, over 53,000 San Diegans received support through United Way of San Diego County (UWSD)? When you give to UWSD, your donation stays right here in our community. Together with local schools, nonprofits, businesses, policymakers, volunteers, and our dedicated San Diego-based staff, we harness the collective strength of our community to tackle disparities in education and economic mobility, addressing not just immediate needs, but the root causes of systemic challenges.

How Your Donation Creates Impact

We believe in long-term, sustainable change. We not only offer our own education and economic mobility programs, but we also partner with local nonprofits, businesses, and policymakers to amplify resources and design strategies that ensure everyone in San Diego County can achieve educational success and financial stability.

Here’s how your support powers our programs:

Education Programs: Building Brighter Futures

Education empowers young people with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate a rapidly changing world and career landscape. For this reason, UWSD is dedicated to closing educational achievement gaps through early childhood literacy and career readiness programs, creating brighter futures for our San Diego County youth.  

United for Literacy

71% of California’s 4th graders aren’t proficient in reading, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This alarming statistic threatens kids’ academic success and life prospects, with minority and low-income children being hit the hardest. This is important because literacy levels are closely linked to high school graduation rates and economic success. 

Through our United for Literacy program, UWSD is working towards closing these literacy gaps by ensuring children in our county have the support, resources, and opportunities needed to read proficiently and thrive in school and in life. We provide children ages 3–8 with books, writing tools, multi-lingual support, and literacy-rich experiences at home, school, and in the community.

Building stronger readers requires collaboration among families, schools, communities, businesses, nonprofits, and elected officials. By working together and leveraging proven strategies, we can ensure every child in San Diego County has the tools and opportunities to reach their full potential, creating lasting, positive change across the region.

STEAM-to-Careers & Dream with STEAM

Your donation to United Way of San Diego also helps prepare the next generation for success through UWSD’s STEAM-to-Careers program. Through this program, high school students in historically disinvested communities, such as Escondido and Lincoln Heights, explore careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Children and young adults cannot be what they cannot see, and it is our job, as a collective community, to provide the mirror for our local students.

This after-school program provides students with real-world experience through hands-on projects, mentorship, and career-readiness training. They develop essential skills like interviewing, resume-building, and creating LinkedIn profiles. Students are offered tracks such as healthcare, creative writing, engineering, and more to learn more in depth about their area of interest and what careers may be available to them. Students in the creative writing track become published authors in a shared book, while those in the healthcare track can earn CPR certification.

With the support of our donors and partners, our vision is to scale STEAM-to-Careers across opportunity zones in San Diego County, equipping even more students with the knowledge, connections, and confidence they need to enter the workforce prepared. 

Dream with STEAM

Our Dream with STEAM summer program takes learning further, offering students the chance to explore diverse industries across the region. Students at partner schools engage in hands-on skill-building activities and connect with experts from local STEAM-based organizations through site visits at businesses such as Eli Lilly, KPBS, Dr.Bronner’s, Taylor Guitars, San Diego Safari Park, Solar Turbines, PCL Construction, and UCSD. This program responds to the growing need for talent in the region and expands access to STEAM jobs for students who may not have exposure to these industries. The program also introduces students to a range of professionals, some of whom share their backgrounds, demonstrating that a pathway to these careers is within their reach. 

Since its inception, UWSD has also awarded over $171,500 in educational awards, removing financial barriers and helping students learn, grow, and dream big. Additionally, it has had 673 participants in the STEAM-to-Careers afterschool program and 156 participants in the Dream with STEAM summer program. 

Students who participate in the program feel accomplished and more prepared for their path after graduation. 

With your donation, you’re helping UWSD empower the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders.

Economic Mobility Programs: Building Financial Stability

Financial security is the foundation for building a prosperous future, and United Way of San Diego County is helping families and individuals achieve it.

Through our comprehensive economic mobility programs, we provide residents in under-resourced communities with the financial tools, education, and guidance they need to lay the groundwork for long-term success. From free tax preparation and personalized financial coaching to safe banking services, UWSD creates real, tangible pathways to financial stability.

Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition (EITC)

$34 million. That’s how much San Diegans received in tax refunds thanks to free tax help from United Way of San Diego County and our Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition partners in the 2025 tax season.

For more than 24 years, the UWSD-led San Diego EITC Coalition (made up of over 45 community organizations) has provided free tax preparation services, helping millions of local residents claim the credits they’re eligible for and maximize their refunds.

Through the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program, UWSD and our partners mobilize volunteers to make this possible. VITA volunteers receive free IRS training, volunteer hours, networking opportunities, and the chance to make a tangible difference in our community. 

In 2025 alone, VITA volunteers prepared 47,581 tax returns, putting $34+ million back into the pockets of San Diego residents and boosting the local economy.

They also saved $8,653,050 million+ in tax preparation fees, an average of $350 per individual or family filing.

Helping families and individuals get money back allows them to cover essentials like groceries, rent or mortgage payments, utilities, transportation, and more. Our EITC Coalition and VITA volunteer program prove the power of community-driven support in helping San Diegans thrive.

SparkPoint 

SparkPoint empowers clients to build economic mobility through a trauma-informed, equity-centered, and family-focused approach. Coaches work 1:1 with clients to identify goals, develop tailored strategies, and foster long-term financial resilience, helping individuals and families achieve their financial milestones. SparkPoint also hosts Money Management Workshops across San Diego County, offering expert-led financial education on topics such as budgeting, credit, and debt management while connecting participants to valuable community resources.

SparkPoint’s financial coaching provides budgeting help, goal-setting, and connections to career and housing resources to help people reach goals such as creating and sticking to a budget, purchasing a car, saving for the first month’s rent and security deposit, paying down credit card debt, and advancing their careers. The program is founded on the notion that individuals are the experts of their own lives and what kind of support they need to succeed. Coaches meet people wherever they are on their financial journey and help them map out real steps forward.

Since its launch, the SparkPoint program has provided one-on-one financial coaching to 67 clients and hosted workshops that have reached 175 individuals. Impressively, 76% of clients have achieved at least a 30% improvement in key financial areas, including income, savings, credit score, or debt. By providing financial education, we help ensure the next generation has the knowledge and tools to achieve financial stability and break cycles of generational insecurity.

San Diego Bank On Coalition

Did you know the lifetime cost of living without a bank account can reach $40,000? Many San Diegans without traditional bank accounts turn to payday lenders and check-cashing services, often paying high fees and interest that make financial challenges even harder. 

United Way of San Diego County is tackling this issue through the San Diego Bank On Coalition, connecting communities to low-cost banking, practical financial education, and outreach programs that help people take control of their money and build a more secure financial future.

Flexible, Rapid Response in Times of Need

United Way of San Diego County can quickly shift resources to meet emerging community needs, providing support where it’s needed most. Unlike many small charities, we have the partnerships and capacity to support our community through unexpected events, such as disasters or economic challenges. 

For example, during the January 2024 floods in San Diego County, UWSD activated emergency funds to support over 100 children and families. Through a 10-week hands-on science and literacy program in partnership with UCSD CREATE and Words Alive, and a flood-relief pop-up event providing books and school supplies, 63 students in kindergarten through fifth grade received critical educational support during a time of crisis.

We’re a Hub for Community Impact

United Way of San Diego County serves as a central partner for a wide range of community organizations, including nonprofits, schools, and government agencies, helping them coordinate efforts, reduce duplication, and launch initiatives in underserved areas. By pooling donations, grants, and partnerships, UWSD ensures your support reaches more people in our community than most single charities can on their own. 

We back multiple programs spanning education, financial stability, and literacy, allocating resources where they’re needed most. By supporting many nonprofits and initiatives at once, UWSD can provide shared resources, streamline services, maximize efficiency, and track impact– capabilities that smaller organizations often struggle to achieve on their own.

Creating Philanthropic Pathways for Local Businesses

United Way of San Diego County empowers local businesses to make a real impact through our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. We offer flexible giving opportunities tailored to each team to provide year-round engagement.

Your Donation in Action

Every dollar you give stays in San Diego County, strengthens our network of community organizations, and empowers kids, families, and neighbors to thrive. From building literacy and career skills to creating financial security, your gift fuels change that lasts for generations.

Join us. Together, we can build a stronger, more equitable San Diego County. 

DONATE TODAY

The post The Real Impact of Donating to United Way of San Diego County appeared first on United Way of San Diego County.

The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for a family of four is $32,150. This measure is based on a calculation established in the 1960s that simply multiplies the cost of a minimum food diet by three to account for other family expenses. Because it only accounts for food costs and doesn’t consider modern expenses like housing, childcare, transportation, or healthcare, the FPL is a severely outdated and ineffective metric for evaluating true economic status or determining adequate support from the federal government.

But the 2025 Real Cost Measure report shows a family of four in San Diego County with two adults, one child in elementary school, and one in preschool actually needs more than $116,000 annually just to meet basic needs. That’s the equivalent of three full-time minimum-wage jobs.

For many local families, the official federal poverty threshold doesn’t come close to capturing the real cost of living here. Rent, groceries, child care, health care, and transportation costs have all risen dramatically, and yet the metrics for measuring financial need have barely changed in decades. That’s why the findings from this Real Cost Measure are so critical.

The Real Cost Measure also finds that:

• Almost HALF of San Diego County families with children under age six are not making enough to cover their expenses.
• On average, 97% of households below the Real Cost Measure in San Diego have at least one working adult.
• 42% of local households spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
• And when you have two kids, child care at $19,000 a year is a family’s second highest expense.
• Approximately 70% of single-mother households in San Diego County are not meeting the basic costs of living.

What Is the Real Cost Measure Report?

This year, United Ways of California, in partnership with local United Ways across the state, released The Real Cost Measure in California 2025. For over ten years, this annual report has provided an in-depth look at how rising costs continue to shape economic opportunity and what we can do to create a future where every Californian can achieve financial security.

The Real Cost Measure is designed to show the true cost of living in our state. It shines a bright light on what it actually takes for households just to get by and to cover basic needs. While the federal poverty level might label around 10% of Californians as “poor,” the Real Cost Measure reveals a much starker truth:

More than 1 in 3 California households (nearly 3.7 million families) don’t earn enough to make ends meet.

This means that even with full-time jobs, many families still struggle to afford essentials like housing, food, and transportation.

The Real Cost Measure goes beyond income alone. It looks at:

• Household makeup (number of adults and children)
• Conjugal status (single parents)
• Education level of the head of household
• Gender and ethnicity
• Regional cost differences (because living in San Diego County is very different from living in Fresno or Redding)

The 2025 study examines how systemic and historical inequities contribute to this ongoing struggle, particularly for communities of color, women-headed households, and workers in low-wage industries.
The Real Cost Measure study gives policymakers, nonprofits, and community leaders actionable insights into who is struggling and why.

The data underscores an urgent need for expanded income support, affordable housing, and workforce development initiatives to help families move from surviving to thriving.

Turning The Data Into Action in San Diego County

United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) hosted the 2025 Real Cost Measure Event on October 7, 2025, gathering local partners, policymakers, and community leaders around one shared goal: building a stronger, more equitable San Diego.

Attendees heard firsthand from an inspiring panel of local experts and changemakers:

• Senator Steve Padilla, California State Senate
• Stephen Russell, President & CEO, San Diego Housing Federation
• Alondra Alvarado, President & CEO, San Diego Hunger Coalition
• Pamela Gray Payton, VP & Chief Impact & Partnerships Officer, San Diego Foundation

Together, we explored how economic pressures are affecting San Diego families and what actions can help close the gap between getting by and getting ahead.

United Way of San Diego County’s Programs for Financial Stability

United Way of San Diego County partners with organizations across the region to ensure that all children, individuals, and families have the support they need to achieve educational success and financial security.

Through education-focused initiatives like United for Literacy, which supports early childhood reading, and STEAM-to-Careers, an after-school program introducing students to in-demand fields in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, we help open doors to opportunity.

We also lead programs that strengthen financial well-being, including SparkPoint, a financial coaching program; the San Diego Bank On Coalition, which expands access to safe and affordable financial services for unbanked and underbanked residents; and the San Diego County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition, which helps low- to moderate-income individuals and families file their taxes for free.

Beyond our own programs, we collaborate with local nonprofits, businesses, and policymakers to drive lasting community impact.

Why It Matters for San Diego

San Diego is the second most expensive place to live in the United States, according to a 2025 Redfin analysis of housing affordability among the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Housing costs alone can consume much of a household’s income, even for those earning well above the federal poverty line.

The Real Cost Measure offers a local roadmap for action. By revealing the true cost of living in our community, it helps leaders and policymakers design solutions that reflect what families actually need to make ends meet and build lasting stability.

At United Way of San Diego County, we’re using these findings to create and support programs that help bridge the gap for struggling individuals and families. By shining a light on the growing issue of unaffordability, we’re encouraging local policymakers, organizations, and businesses to take meaningful action.

When we redefine what “low income” really means, we also redefine what’s possible for San Diego County’s future.

Join the Movement

Everyone has a role to play in shaping a more equitable and resilient San Diego County. Share the insights from the Real Cost Measure, start conversations in your community, and advocate for policies that give every person a fair shot at economic mobility.

You can take action by supporting local nonprofits that help families meet their basic needs, volunteering your time or expertise, and making your voice heard by contacting local policymakers about issues affecting affordability and access to opportunity.

Visit unitedwaysca.org/realcost to explore the data, follow @unitedwaysd to stay informed about local efforts, and share these insights with your own networks to help spread awareness and inspire action.

Together, we can turn awareness into action and ensure that every San Diegan has the opportunity to live with dignity, stability, and hope.

The post What It Really Costs to Get By in San Diego County (The Real Cost Measure Study Explained) appeared first on United Way of San Diego County.

For families, the return to school is a great time to introduce a new reading routine. It can instill an interest in reading from an early age and promote social and emotional learning.

Children with strong literacy skills experience compounding benefits such as:

• increased vocabulary
• improved reading comprehension
• expanded creativity, imagination, and interests
• improved confidence and mental health
• enhanced critical thinking abilities

By incorporating reading time into a child’s daily routine, families can help reduce screen time and build on educational concepts introduced in the classroom. Here are six simple and effective ways you can encourage reading and support your child’s continued learning all year long.

Cultivate Reading Routines & Interests

Setting aside specific times – such as morning time, after school, or before bedtime – can make reading a consistent and enjoyable part of your child’s routine. Choosing books that match your child’s interests or align with what they’re studying in school can enhance their reading experience and make it more meaningful. For example, a child who enjoys action stories, animation, or comics might be captivated by a graphic novel. By using these strategies, you can help foster both their social and academic growth by linking learning at home with their favorite subjects in school.

Create a Literacy-Friendly Environment at Home

Creating a literacy-friendly environment at home is another powerful way to foster a love for reading. Caregivers can make reading enjoyable and appealing by setting up a cozy reading nook, building a reading fort, or designating a study area filled with a variety of reading materials, such as books, magazines, and educational games. This doesn’t need to be costly! Visiting Little Free Libraries, local used bookstores, or borrowing from public libraries can provide your child with a steady supply of new reading materials. Adding personal touches with your child’s favorite colors and themes makes the space even more inviting and motivational. A dedicated reading area not only encourages regular reading but also reinforces its importance as a cherished activity in your home.

Make Reading Interactive by Bringing Stories to Life

Additionally, encouraging your child to write their own stories or create book reviews to share
with family can make reading a more interactive and creative process. Pairing this with discussions about the books they’ve read helps improve comprehension and critical thinking skills. Talk about the story, characters, and plot themes with your child to deepen their engagement and understanding, transforming a solitary activity into a shared experience.

Participate in Community Events

Community involvement further enhances a child’s literacy journey. Participating in local literacy activities, such as author readings or library events, allows children to explore new books and connect with peers who share similar interests. Encouraging children to read in real-world contexts, like identifying words at the grocery store or on street signs, makes learning interactive and demonstrates the relevance of literacy in everyday life. These activities help make reading a social and dynamic part of a child’s experience, reinforcing the value of literacy beyond the classroom.

Establish Goals and Rewards

Another great way to keep your child motivated is by setting reading goals and offering rewards for achieving them. Establishing realistic targets, like finishing a certain number of books each month and celebrating each milestone, can make reading both enjoyable and rewarding. Rewards can be easy, free, and creative!

Some non-monetary rewards you can give to children are:

• Extra playtime: Allowing additional time for their favorite activity or game.
• Special privileges: Offering a chance to choose the family movie, pick dinner, or stay up a little later.
• Certificates or badges: Creating personalized certificates or badges for achievements, like “Super Reader”.
• Praise and recognition: Highlighting their accomplishment in front of family or peers.
• One-on-one time: Spending extra quality time together, like going for a walk, playing a game, or having a special chat.
• Leadership opportunities: Giving them the responsibility to lead an activity or help plan a family event.
• Access to a favorite activity: Providing more time with a favorite toy, book, or hobby.

Ask your child to help come up with rewards that they may enjoy and customize them to fit your lifestyle and budget.

Become a Reading Role Model

Most importantly, families can inspire their children by modeling the behavior—grab a book yourself to show that reading is a fun and engaging activity. For those less comfortable with reading, engage with graphic-rich magazines and novels in your preferred language so your child sees you with reading materials. Creating a literacy-rich environment can come in many forms – so explore what works best for you and your family!

As your child heads back to school this fall, consider these strategies to strengthen literacy skills outside the classroom. By weaving new reading habits into your child’s routine, you can ignite a love for reading and witness their progress soar. These simple adjustments can significantly enhance their social, emotional, and cognitive development while also creating meaningful moments for your family to connect. Now is the perfect time to support your child’s continued learning and educational growth!

The post Beyond Back-To-School: Strategies to Help Families Build Literacy-Rich Environments All Year Round appeared first on United Way of San Diego County.

UWSD Affinity Groups: Networking with a Purpose

How are you connecting in and outside of your organization? What avenues are you using to build your professional development and make an impact on your community? UWSD is here to help you! United Way of San Diego County’s Emerging Leaders and Women United affinity groups are a great way to connect with like-minded peers across various industries while also providing a way to give back to those in our community who need support most. Typical networking groups often lack a philanthropic aspect, but UWSD’s affinity groups allow members to network with a purpose, in turn creating a long-lasting impact on both members and the broader community. We believe that we all rise when we lift others.

Networking can be a daunting task, but UWSD’s affinity groups offer a welcoming, enriching, and fun environment for all current and prospective members. Each event is an opportunity to make new connections, learn about other organizations, and become a champion for philanthropic causes that create a deeper impact across San Diego County.

Our Emerging Leaders network, which focuses on volunteerism and professional development, delivers on its mission to turn today’s members into tomorrow’s leaders. Emerging Leaders’ events provide opportunities for professionals to foster strong relationships with peers across non-profit and private sectors in industries such as manufacturing, insurance, education, engineering, social services, marketing, and more. Past events have included professional skill-building workshops taught by San Diego business leaders, as well as tours of The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park and the San Diego International Airport. As a member, you are given an inside look into San Diego businesses and access to the professionals that lead them!

Women United currently represents more than 70 members across a variety of industries and sectors, offering meaningful philanthropic opportunities to learn, lead, network, and support other like-minded professional women. Whether taking advantage of local volunteer opportunities or fundraising for a college scholarship, members experience the first-hand impact that they make when uniting together. Women United members not only raise funds, they also determine how the Women United Fund dollars will be allocated to make the most impact on helping women and children here in San Diego County. In 2022, Women United allocated $150k to support 10 high school seniors with scholarships, seed funding for UWSD’s STEAM to Careers programming, and a two-year partnership with Armed Services YMCA-Camp Pendleton to support Operation Little Learners.

Emerging Leaders and Women United offer high-quality activities such as workshops and programming to enhance professional skills and one-of-a-kind experiences that leave members with a fresh perspective, and often, new friendships. The value from both organizations extends beyond attending networking events – both new and long-standing members can get involved in purposeful charitable work, support their professional ambitions, and develop close personal connections outside of their existing social circle.

By subscribing to the UWSD newsletters and following UWSD on social media, you can stay up-to-date on all upcoming events and opportunities. You can learn more about Women United and Emerging Leaders and join them at one of their next events.

The post UWSD Affinity Groups: Networking with a Purpose appeared first on United Way of San Diego County.

Why CSR is the Key for Companies to Connect with Gen Z

Generation Z is quickly entering the workforce with expectations of the companies they work for and their impact on our society and environment. Gen Z is not looking for companies to just give a yearly donation; they want more. This means your current way of doing business will be outdated sooner than you think. For Gen Z, social impact will drive what they buy and where they work. They are looking for organizations that serve society because this generation is built around community and support. Gen Z workers are three times more likely to defend this statement than any other generation.

Shifts in generational attitudes around companies started with Millennials, but Gen Z is taking the concept of incorporating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into business practices from a nice-to-have to a must-have. Gen Z will make up roughly 27% of the workforce by 2025. Considering the fact that Millennials also share similar views, which would mean within the next decade, most of this country’s workers will expect more from their employers in terms of social responsibility.

In fact, Gen Z’s attitudes around a company’s greater purpose were a common theme at the 2022 Cause Conference where leaders across all sectors gathered to discuss social impact. The social impact made through CSR initiatives can make a difference in an applicant’s decision to work for a company by providing a greater sense of purpose and the opportunity to work while participating in actions that address issues in their community. Adopting CSR, specifically social impact initiatives, can help reach this generation through building relationships, increasing morale, and collaborating with like-minded organizations.

Builds Strong Relationships

Incorporating CSR in general practices helps establish a strong relationship between an organization and Gen Z. Sustainability has seen an increased presence in modern education and has encouraged Gen Z to include it in their values. As a result, Gen Z has higher expectations of the companies they shop and apply for, looking for those whose values align with their own. Companies and organizations can build and strengthen their relationships with Gen Z by putting their ethics into action. Social activism has played a massive role in job searches, and finding a route that implements this into practice would encourage younger applicants to consider an organization. One study by Deloitte found that companies are more likely to retain their Gen Z and Millennial employees for more than five years by taking action on the specific needs in their communities in an impactful way.

Increases Employee Morale

Higher employee morale can be a workplace trait developed or reinforced through CSR activities. Workplaces across the nation are still finding ways to increase morale and connection in a world where remote and hybrid work models are becoming more common. CSR initiatives can provide opportunities to engage employees and allow different departments and generations to collaborate and connect. Overall, good corporate citizenship helps increase employee satisfaction and reduces the risk of employees looking for other jobs.

Gen Z is known for having frequent job changes due to poor working conditions, lack of growth opportunities, or no connection to the mission or purpose of the company. With Gen Z becoming an increasing percentage of the workforce, keeping them engaged must be a priority that starts now. Having employees from other generations guide them on leadership and skill development can encourage a lower turnover rate among staff. CSR can further develop opportunities to engage Gen Z by providing a sense of purpose and pride that their contributions are for the greater good of the community.

Pathway to Collaboration

Leaders from every sector notice a need to attract this new generation of talent and adjust to changing work environments. When implementing a CSR business model, the possibility of networking and collaborating with other organizations in different industries increases. Part of CSR centers on collaborations that can address community issues, motivate employees, and allow for growth for all organizations involved. Utilizing social media to promote these partnerships can increase a brand’s reputation with Gen Z because the actions are visible. This is important because Gen Z wants to see action, not PR or greenwashing.

The time to adjust your business model is now. Being proactive by implementing corporate social responsibility initiatives can lead to a higher retention rate among young minds. The first line of talented Gen Z workers have already started their careers, and more will be entering the workforce in the years to come. Adopting a CSR strategy can be an employer’s response to win them over.

To find out how your organization can utilize CSR practices or enhance your CSR strategy, United Way of San Diego County can help. Our years of working with our corporate partners and giving back to communities have given us a unique ability to unite the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. We can help your company build your CSR program to retain and attract this next generation of talent.

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