Starting From a Place of Strength: United Ways Using Data and Messaging to Tell an Impact Story

This GLR Learning Tuesdays Peer Exchange Conversation, presented in collaboration with United Way Worldwide and Ascend at the Aspen Institute, explored how data and messaging drive community impact. Moderated by Marjorie Sims of Ascend at the Aspen Institute, the session emphasized the need to shift from an individualistic mindset to a collective approach in advocating for children’s well-being. Speakers discussed how reframing narratives and leveraging high-quality data can enhance advocacy efforts, inform policy and build broader public support for investments in children and families. 

David Alexander, MD, of Leading for Kids introduced the Collective Caregiving frame that his organization developed with the FrameWorks Institute. Frames are active choices that advocates use to talk about the issues they care about. The Collective Caregiving frame repositions children’s welfare as a shared societal responsibility. Alexander explored how current policy decisions often neglect children’s needs and stressed the importance of using messaging that shifts public perception toward collective accountability. 

“One of the major things that drives the way Americans think about kids is this notion of care. And so we came up with this new framing called collective caregiving….It takes this notion of care and stretches it in three important ways: The first stretch is taking care from something that’s individual to care that’s something that’s collective. The second stretch is by explicitly calling out the fact that we can and should care for children who don’t necessarily look like ours….The third way to stretch this concept of care is to take the narrow band of things that people think of as care issues and bring care into every issue.” 

Ayeola Fortune of United Way Worldwide underscored the role of data in shaping equitable solutions and compelling storytelling. She shared how United Way leverages data to assess community needs, track progress and drive strategic decision-making. By effectively using data, organizations can craft impact stories that resonate with stakeholders, strengthen advocacy efforts and influence policy. 

“We have to connect [data] both to the frames that resonate currently with people in the culture and society in which we live, and then stretching that, changing the frame.  

Sometimes the issues that we talk about can seem intractable, they can seem unsolvable. Poverty is one. I put that right at the forefront. [With the Child Tax Credit,] we cut child poverty in half through that policy measure. Even though not sustained, it showed us what is possible…the framing we use has to show people what is possible through collective efforts.” 

Gretchen Ceranic of United Way of Central Florida then provided insights from their Success by Six program, which supports early childhood education in one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions. She highlighted the importance of developmental screenings, authentic family engagement and wraparound services to address gaps in school readiness. She also emphasized the power of strategic messaging in communicating the urgency of early investments in child development. 

“So we will share a success story…but the way the message is shared, it is less about ‘look at what this family did’ and the feel, the takeaway is ‘look at how the support from the community came together to make change.’ And I think that’s really important. When those messages are shared, we will often hear from partner agencies that are doing good work for children and families in our community and say, hey, I want to be a part of this.” 

The conversation underscored the power of research-driven advocacy and the necessity of reframing narratives to connect personal stories with broader systemic change. Panelists stressed the importance of applying equity frameworks, leveraging data to make a case for sustainable policy shifts and fostering political will to ensure children’s needs remain at the forefront of decision-making. Participants were encouraged to integrate these strategies into their work to drive lasting impact for children and families. 

If you were able to attend the session, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives, ideas, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences.