Help Shape Our Future
United Way North Central Florida is Listening
Our community is changing. We want to understand what people are experiencing today, and what we need to do together to build a stronger tomorrow.
United Way North Central Florida (UWNCFL) is beginning the process of developing our next strategic plan, and we're asking our community to help shape the direction of our work over the next three to five years.
We're listening to community residents, nonprofit organizations, business and community leaders, donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders across Alachua, Bradford, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union counties.
Through a series of community surveys, we want to learn:
- What are the most pressing challenges facing our communities?
- How are rising costs affecting households and families?
- Where are people struggling to make ends meet?
- What needs are growing or changing?
- Where are there gaps in services?
- What do nonprofit organizations need to be successful?
- What role should United Way play in addressing these challenges?
- What would a thriving North Central Florida look like five years from now?
Your perspective will help us determine where UWNCFL can make the greatest difference.
Why We're Listening
Good strategic planning starts with listening.
United Way North Central Florida serves six counties, and each community has its own strengths, challenges, and priorities. We don't want to make assumptions about what our communities need. We want to hear directly from the people who live here, work here, serve here, and invest in our communities.
We'll combine the survey results with focus groups, community conversations, and other available community data to develop a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities facing North Central Florida.
The goal isn't simply to identify problems.
We want to understand where the greatest needs exist, where gaps remain, and where United Way can bring people and resources together to create meaningful change.
Looking at Our Community Through an ALICE Lens
A central part of our listening process is understanding the experience of ALICE households.
ALICE® stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
ALICE households are working but may still struggle to afford the basic costs of living in their communities. They can face difficult choices between necessities such as:
Housing • Food • Childcare • Transportation • Healthcare • Utilities
These households can easily be overlooked when we look only at traditional poverty measures.
By asking questions about the real costs of living and the financial pressures people experience, we hope to better understand what it takes for households in North Central Florida to achieve stability—and what barriers stand in the way.
Choose the Survey That's Right for You
We've created three surveys so we can hear from different perspectives across our community.
Community Survey
Live in North Central Florida? We want to hear from you.
This survey is for people who live in Alachua, Bradford, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, or Union counties.
Tell us about the challenges you and your neighbors are experiencing, the expenses that put the greatest pressure on your household, where people turn when they need help, and what you believe our community needs to thrive.
Approximately 10–12 minutes.
Nonprofit Survey
Work for a nonprofit organization? Share what you're seeing on the front lines.
This survey is for leaders and staff of nonprofit organizations serving North Central Florida.
We want to understand what your clients are asking for, how needs are changing, where gaps in services exist, what challenges your organization is facing, and how UWNCFL can better support the nonprofit sector and our community.
Approximately 15-20 minutes.
Stakeholder Survey
Connected to UWNCFL? Help shape our future?
This survey is for donors, volunteers, business leaders, community leaders, partners, and other UWNCFL stakeholders.
Share your perspective on our community's most pressing needs, how you view UWNCFL today, and where you believe we can make the greatest difference in the years ahead.
Approximately 10-12 minutes.
What Happens After the Surveys?
This is just the beginning of the conversation.
Survey responses will be considered alongside:
- Community focus groups
- Nonprofit partner conversations
- Stakeholder input
- Community data and research
- United Way's existing community impact information
We'll look for areas of shared concern, emerging needs, service gaps, and opportunities for greater impact.
We're particularly interested in where different groups see things differently. Those differences can help us understand issues more deeply and identify questions that deserve further conversation.
The findings will help inform United Way North Central Florida's strategic priorities for the next three to five years.
Help Us See What You See
No single organization has all the answers to the challenges facing our communities.
But when residents, nonprofits, businesses, government, community leaders, and volunteers share what they're seeing and experiencing, we can develop a much clearer picture of where we need to go—and how we can get there together.
Your experience matters. Your perspective matters. Your voice can help shape what's next.
Take a survey today and help United Way North Central Florida build a stronger future for our community.