December 30, 2021
Shawna Forsberg
Shawna Forsberg:
I always try to surround myself by really smart and thoughtful people. We can really deal with these issues by working together.
Announcer:
Welcome to Agency for Change, a podcast from KidGlov that brings you the stories of changemakers who are actively working to improve our communities. In every episode, we’ll meet with people who are making a lasting impact in the places we call home.
Lyn Wineman:
The year was 1923 when a group of concerned citizens and community leaders in Omaha, Nebraska, got together and decided that there ought to be some way to help people in need. They called it the Community Chest, and that first year, the Chest collected donations and distributed those funds to at least 30 different nonprofit agencies throughout Douglas County. They’ve been helping the community ever since, though you may know them by a different name, the United Way of the Midlands. Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Agency For Change podcast. I’m Lyn Wineman, president and chief strategist at KidGlov. Thank you so much for tuning in. Today’s guest is Shawna Forsberg, president and CEO of United Way of the Midlands, which is dedicated to working alongside community leaders, volunteers and companies to achieve lasting change and help those in need. That sounds fabulous. Shawna, I’m eager to talk with you today and learn more about the great impact you’re making on the world.
Shawna Forsberg:
Well, Lyn, it’s a real pleasure to be here. We’re really honored you chose to have a conversation with us today.
Lyn Wineman:
Ah, how could we not have a conversation with you with all of the great things that you’re doing, and I’m really eager to dive into some of those, but let’s start with talking about the United Way of the Midlands. I think most people know that United Way of the Midlands helps our community, but could you take a moment to tell us who in the community you serve and how you help them?
Shawna Forsberg:
I think what’s really unique about the way the United Way network is set up is that we’re an independent 501(c)(3). So we have people in the community really best at discerning where challenges are at and how we can assist. And so we serve the Omaha Council Bluff’s Metro, and then several of our programs, we actually serve the entire state of Nebraska.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh, that’s great. I think that’s something I didn’t know about you as well. Shawna, I’m always interested in finding out the journey that leaders have been on, and I’d love to ask you about your career. I understand you started at the United Way in 2013 as the senior vice president of marketing. I love talking to fellow marketing people. And today you’re the president and CEO of the organization. Is this where you intended to be as you look back at 2013? And what were some of the big milestones that got you to where you are now?
Shawna Forsberg:
You know, I felt very fortunate to carve out a fun and engaging career in our community, but I did start off on the for-profit side. I actually ran the corporate marketing team at ConAgra for many years. And that was an amazing experience because you worked on a variety of brands and really worked for a chair stomach, right? Like we were selling great food and got to work with people from all across the country and really understood how important brand management was. I didn’t decide to start in not-for-profit at first. It was really, I had young kids and I was struggling with the pace, which I find a little ironic right now. Because the pace here is pretty crazy, but beautiful. But I’m very grateful I had that foundation in for-profit. I learned a lot from my schooling and amazing mentors and people along the way, but I always had a need or want to be involved in the community.
Shawna Forsberg:
So I had run several, not-for-profit boards, been involved in many boards, always tried to fill my cup, I guess, that way. And so when I had this opportunity to move into United Way in the marketing capacity, it felt like a really great fit for me, being able to leverage the people that I knew and my experiences to give back. I didn’t anticipate ever becoming CEO, but it was a really unique and wonderful opportunity that presented itself in kind of a hard way, to be honest with you, my predecessor passed away unexpectedly. And so I was given a really unique opportunity to lead in the interim space and then for an interim period of time and then quite frankly, fell in love with what we could do. And I was so honored to give the final nod in 2014 to lead the efforts here.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Shawna Forsberg:
So it’s been a great, really wonderful experience.
Lyn Wineman:
Shawna, a couple of things that you said there that really stand out to me. I can completely see how your corporate for-profit background probably did provide a really great foundation for a nonprofit organization. But also I do think sometimes people feel like, ‘I’m going into the nonprofit side, it’ll be a kind of a kinder, gentler, lighter workload.’ And it’s not really, is it? Because I think, in particular, when you can see how your effort does so much good for the community, it’s hard to stop, I think.
Shawna Forsberg:
Well, we do take on an awful lot. We try to be as efficient as we possibly can. And so you’re juggling lots of things at the same time. I think for me the benefit of working in for-profit, we’re very lucky to partner with 600 companies here in town to do our work. And so to understand how they think about the world and how they talk about the world, it helps us engage them in the work that we’re doing here. But you’re right. I think I had a big misconception when I left for-profit space to not-for-profit space. On this side of the coin you’re usually developing the strategy and that, but you’re also implementing a lot. Because you’re trying to spread yourself thin enough, but I find real joy in that. And I also just love the people that are drawn to work in this space. They’re here because their hearts are in it and it just makes for a really beautiful culture.
Lyn Wineman:
100%, I think that’s fantastic. So Shawna, what are you most proud of accomplishing during your time with the organization thus far and what are you looking forward to in the future?
Shawna Forsberg:
You know, we’ve had in the community two really significant challenges over the last three years. First was we had really widespread flooding.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh right.
Shawna Forsberg:
And overnight we had individuals that had never had to ask for help before that had lost their homes and were trying to figure out what next steps were. And you know, we really did respond in a very thoughtful way. Not only leveraging resources we had, but also quickly working to raise additional funding and get those dollars out to programs and people that really needed it. Whether it was our 211 staff that immediately went to 24/7 and was available to direct people to resources and locations, to starting a fundraising on the same day, the flooding hit, we just decided we were going to jump in. And that experience really helped set the foundation for us to be responsive to COVID. We’ve been very fortunate to work with thought leaders and many agencies on the front lines to do incremental work, to help our community recover from COVID. So I think that’s really where I’m most proud of our team.
Lyn Wineman:
Those were big initiatives. Yeah.
Shawna Forsberg:
Yeah. Being very nimble and responsive to what our community needed and drawing resources in, in a really thoughtful way so those that donated, knew that their dollars were really making a difference.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. So what are you looking forward to in the future? I mean, I’m hoping that we don’t have another giant flood, but I’m sure there will be something. I’m hoping we’re on the tail end of the pandemic. At least we’re kind of figuring out how to live with COVID, I think. Right. But what’s in the future for you and the United Way?
Shawna Forsberg:
Yeah. I think our biggest thing is helping with that recovery effort. So folks that were still struggling through COVID, how can we help provide resources to help them achieve financial stability?
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Shawna Forsberg:
We’re going to spend a lot of effort in that space. We’ve also been very excited to get involved in new programming for us. We were tapped by the governor and the head of Labor Commissioner, Albin, to start or take over Jobs For America’s Graduates Program. And it’s embedded in the school systems across the state. And it works with some of our highest need kiddos to help provide resources for them in their middle school and high school years to identify where they want to go after high school. What career paths could they see themselves in? And we’re just immensely proud of the group that’s working for our Jobs For America’s Graduates Program and seeing great results for young people.
Shawna Forsberg:
We want to keep our talent here in Nebraska and we want to help all students be ready to find meaningful careers for themselves once they’re done with their high school careers. We also have been really proud of our 211 call center doing a ton of work, making sure that people know where to go when they need help and providing resources. So we’re going to continue fundraising and ensure that we get dollars to the programs we have a great joy of funding. There’re amazing programs in our footprint. We’re going to do the best we can to raise as much as we can and also manage these other programs.
Lyn Wineman:
Well, fantastic. Well, I’m hoping that maybe there’ll be people listening to this podcast who are inspired to support you in that way. And we’ll get some contact information towards the end of our conversation, but those are great programs. I love to see the way the United Way partners with the community and programs that partner with government entities and companies. I mean, I think really that role is a very important one. So as you think about all of the different things people can be involved in, do you have any advice for someone who does want to get more involved in community work? I mean, in your view, how can they do the most good?
Shawna Forsberg:
You know, from my perspective, getting involved can be a myriad to things. If you want to make sure that your donation and treasure, if you’re able to help of course, that’s always a really good thing to do and help these not-for-profits do their amazing work. But there’s also, I think, people that lend their time and get to know others and take part in great volunteer experiences. It fills your cup in both ways, you’re helping others, but it also fills your personal cup and understanding. And so we do have a really strong volunteer effort and folks can sign up if they want to get involved in committees or we have amazing emerging leaders group. We have a Women United group that is doing some really fabulous work in mental health support. You can meet other lovely people in the community. I think that’s the thing that’s the most joyful part about my job, are the people I get to meet and work with. So we’ve got a myriad of ways, we really want to be able to meet people where they’re at and provide opportunities for them to engage in their community.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. I’ve often thought in the field of marketing, Shawna, it’s a good way for people to try out a new skill or maybe something that they don’t get to do in their day-to-day work, but they’d like to try. I mean, there’s a lot of nonprofits that could use some copywriting support or website support and those kinds of things as well. And it just makes you feel great, doesn’t it?
Shawna Forsberg:
Absolutely. I think that lead on in your professional expertise is one of the neatest ways to give back. You know, not-for-profits really do a lot of work with fewer people. They don’t have as many resources. And so if you can come in and it can be anything, if you can help with accounting or you can help somebody develop their own podcast, if you’ve got that expertise. Sharing that skill and talent and building up the not-for-profits expertise in these areas is incredibly rewarding. You know, there’s so many different programs, depending on what your personal interests are, working with kids or elderly, or like literacy programs or helping the homeless, there’s just a wide range of opportunities to get involved. And we’d be more than happy to connect people to those opportunities in the community.
Lyn Wineman:
That is what’s so cool about what you do, the wide variety of people and organizations that are helped. So, Shawna stepping back just a little bit, can you help our listeners understand the organization more? And I’m even curious, how does United Way of the Midlands fit it into the overall United Way structure?
Shawna Forsberg:
So I think what is really unique about United Way is we’re independent 501(c)(3). So we really listen and intently try to understand and best discern where we can provide supports in our community. We are very fortunate here to have an amazing board of directors and they provide immense, I guess, guidance to us about where we should be spending our time. So really what fundraising or what United Way started as was a fundraising arm for many critical, not-for-profits in the community. And in our case, the way we go about our investments is organizations that are doing great work have the opportunity to apply for funds every other year. And then they receive critical funding for programs based on what United Way is able to allocate towards them or to give them through a grant process.
Shawna Forsberg:
It’s a win-win for all, because the agencies recognize, it’s a pretty robust grant process, we want to ensure that every dollar that gets out there is really doing what the intention is. We do follow up and we basically serve our donors in that way to give them assurance that the dollars that are given really get to the best programs and doing the best good as you say, or the most good. You know, get to the absolute best programs and that assurance that they’re sharing their treasure with us, that it’s getting there. The nice thing is the agencies that receive the funding, kind of utilize United Way funding is that good housekeeping seal of approval.
Shawna Forsberg:
And it helps them achieve funding from other streams as well. So that’s really the foundational work that United Way does. We also, of course, run some programs directly, such as the Jobs For America’s Graduates or 211. We’ve had a really large housing stability program that we have run during COVID, distributing IRPA and CARES Act funding and helping people stay in their homes. So we do some direct service in that case. And then of course, we do a lot of fundraising and in investment. This last year, we were able to get $20,000,000 out into the community to provide services.
Lyn Wineman:
Wow. That’s quite a lot. So thinking about that $20,000,000 out in the community, so I’m just curious, what does the value say of a $5 donation to United Way of the Midlands and how are those dollars then used to help programs you fund?
Shawna Forsberg:
Yeah. So what we really are proud of is we try really hard to be as efficient as we possibly can. And that takes a lot of volunteers sharing their talents with us. Our investment teams, for example, are made up of volunteers and content experts across the community. Every year when we do fundraising, we have a robust cabinet led by leaders in the community. So this past year we were incredibly lucky to have Lance and Julie Fritz, Lance is the CEO of Union Pacific, lead the campaign effort. We simply could not do the work if it isn’t for those volunteers and having a lot of people step up. So what it’s allowed us to do is have 93 cents of every dollar donated going into the community.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s great. That is, that is really great.
Shawna Forsberg:
I’m going to try to, you wanted $5, so that means $4.65. I wanted to do that in my head here, so we’re a really great value. And for that 35 cents or whatever, that you’re paying for that $5, the benefit that you receive in that is assurance that your dollars are getting to the programs that are really driving the greatest change. And we know by combining dollars and really doing that analytics and review that the dollars go further. Instead of a bunch of smattering of donations, we’re able to really make sure that the dollars that people, they share their treasure with us, we owe it to them to make sure that we’re doing the absolute best we can with those dollars.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s great. I think people want to know that and you were super fast on that math in your head. I was trying to do it as well. And I asked the question, so I should have been more prepared for it. So $4.65 of $5. So that’s a pretty good ratio right there. So you mentioned earlier, we talked a bit about the pandemic and how it really did create a very fast and unprecedented level of demand for community services. How did that impact United Way of the Midlands?
Shawna Forsberg:
You know, I’ll just give you some examples. I think for us, it was just the volume of people that needed help went up dramatically. In our country, prior to the pandemic, 40% of Americans had $400 or less in their savings account. So if your income stream was disrupted, those are what we would call living paycheck to paycheck. The other unique thing in our community is Omaha has the highest number of working poor out of the top 100 communities in the country.
Lyn Wineman:
You know, I did not realize that.
Shawna Forsberg:
It’s an interesting dynamic. I mean, we have people that really want to do well and want to work. It’s getting alignment with the skillsets they have and ensuring that they can make a living wage in the types of positions that they have, especially if they’re caring for a family. And so we were hit really hard in a lot of ways. Some people managed through the pandemic actually at a cost savings. If you think about us, that we’re wearing suits every day and driving to work, we actually saved money. We were able to keep our jobs. We did it on Zoom or conference calls. I mean, I didn’t enjoy it personally. I missed my team, but…
Lyn Wineman:
We could make things work.
Shawna Forsberg:
… Keep things moving. Well, if your money and your finances were cut, it was a harder rebound. And so that’s kind of what we’re seeing. It’s almost a tale of two cities where you’ve got some that have managed through it. And it was definitely not something any of us enjoyed, but we figured it out and others, it just didn’t necessarily have the support system around them that they needed to get through it as clearly. So this is going to be a long recovery for some. And what we’re trying to do is to not only provide resources that help serve, so access to food, access to health and mental health services, which by the way, mental health is becoming a big problem through our program.
Lyn Wineman:
Big problem.
Shawna Forsberg:
Big problem. And then basically your basics, what do we need to be healthy, but also what can we be doing to help provide skill development? Up-skilling, re-skilling, getting people into more financially stable positions. Increasing trainings, those sorts of things. So we invest what we call a circle of support. You know, it’s ensuring people have their basic needs and are cared for, but we also want to invest in programs that are going to help people get access to training and things that will allow them to achieve financial independence.
Lyn Wineman:
I love that for a lot of organizations that help others. I mean, it’d be kind of great if we could figure out a way that the United Way is not needed in the future, but that doesn’t even seem like it would be possible. And I think that we’re lucky in times of great crisis that Omaha has an organization that you and your board have been doing the work that you’ve been doing, so you’re ready to respond. So Shawna, I don’t know if you’ve got a crystal ball there on your desk, but looking towards the future. I mean, any idea of what the organization looks like 10 to 15 years down the road?
Shawna Forsberg:
Yeah. So we’re coming up on our 100 year anniversary.
Lyn Wineman:
Congratulations.
Shawna Forsberg:
In 2023. Yeah. We’ll be 100 years old. And I think about the way that we spent that 100 years really trying to do good. Some of it you want that go forward to continue in that year there to be responsive to what the current needs of your community are. And I think that’s what’s the most beautiful thing about the way the United Way is set up is it has thought leaders and people that are leading the community, very much involved in the response. And it’s a collaborative response effort instead of just one dimensional or only pulling in a few people’s ideas on things. And I think that’s why at United Way, we sure want it to be around for the long haul because you know, whether it’s an emergency like a natural disaster or a pandemic, or just helping people that are living in poverty or generational poverty, what can we do to change trajectory for people? It’s a really critical role and resource in the community. And our biggest goal is to be adaptive and responsive to what’s needed.
Lyn Wineman:
That makes a lot of sense. Well, that sounds like a good plan to me. So we talked a little bit earlier about different programs and you mentioned running the 211 service, and I know that you recently celebrated 211 day on February 11th, which is 2-11, to mark 20 years of that service in Nebraska. What do you want listeners to know about the 211 program and what it does for the area?
Shawna Forsberg:
So we feel so fortunate. I think this is a really great example of a public-private partnership, thanks to Senator McDonnell and many legislatures across our state, we received critical funding after the flooding to go back to 24/7 service. And thank goodness because when the pandemic hit, we moved from the average of 80,000 contacts a year to 250,000 contacts.
Lyn Wineman:
Oh my goodness.
Shawna Forsberg:
Because of the needs, right? I mean, for us, it’s a good indicator in being able to understand the types of things people are looking for in housing, utility assistance, food assistance, and now mental health is one of the biggest things we’re getting calls for in where people can get resources. And so for us, February 11th is a big day for us. We celebrated 20 years as a 211 and then prior to that, we’d actually had a similar call center for 20 years before that. So we’ve actually been serving the community for about 40 years, but we worked really hard thanks to this incremental state funding and support to get the word out and really expand the services that are available through 211.
Shawna Forsberg:
And so we couldn’t be more proud of that group of amazing people. They have servant’s hearts, they’re sometimes on the phone with people when they’re really in a bad spot and they’re just able to bring calm and peace and help people figure out what’s available to them, and resources to help them deal with the situation that they’re in. We serve the whole state of Nebraska and significant portions of Iowa with our 211 service, and nights and weekends, we have all of Iowa. So our little call center here in Nebraska is doing a lot of good.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s amazing. It’s got to be nice too, for somebody who’s in crisis, sometimes you just don’t know who to call and your 211 center can really help them understand options, point them in the right direction. Maybe even multiple resources if needed.
Shawna Forsberg:
Yes, absolutely. We’ll do more than one referral. And if somebody’s calling about a specific issue, we’ll also try to unpack and see if there’re other things we can get them connected with. Then we always do follow up calls and check in on folks too.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah.
Shawna Forsberg:
And make sure everything worked out.
Lyn Wineman:
Yeah. Shawna, it has been very inspiring to talk with you. And one of my favorite questions to ask inspiring leaders is to give us a few words of wisdom. So I’m looking for a Shawna Forsberg original quote.
Shawna Forsberg:
My team really gets tired of me saying this, but I just believe people should be continuous learners. We need to always look for better understanding and learn from each other. And I guess that’s the second piece, is that I always try to surround myself by really smart and thoughtful people. We can really deal with these issues by working together better. And I just have an amazing team here. I’m really honored to get to work with them.
Lyn Wineman:
That’s great. I love both of those things, but I do think being a continuous learner, I was just sharing with someone on my team who’s too young to know this book. But in the late nineties, a book came out called, Who Moved My Cheese. I don’t know if you remember that book?
Shawna Forsberg:
Yes, I do.
Lyn Wineman:
But it was all about the world is constantly changing and you can either decide you’re not going to adapt or you can go for it and thrive. So that’s great advice. So, for our listeners who’d like to learn more about your work, how to support you, how to donate, how to volunteer, how can they find out more about United Way of the Midlands?
Shawna Forsberg:
Well, I’ve a pretty amazing marketing team, so we’re all over social, but probably the best place to start with the unitedwaymidlands.org. We do have a Facebook and Instagram page, which it’s United Way Midlands as well as the place that you go within those platforms, same within LinkedIn with our Twitter, YouTube. And you know, to be honest with you, if folks want to email us, you can email communitystrong@uwmidland.org, and we’d be happy to connect with you.
Lyn Wineman:
Great. We will make sure all of those get in the show notes as well, Shawna and listeners, anybody who wants to connect with United Way of the Midlands and all of the great things that they’re doing. So Shawna, what a great conversation. And as we wrap up our talk together today, what is the most important thing you would like our listeners to remember about the work that you’re doing?
Shawna Forsberg:
We’re here to make our community a stronger place and to help meet people where they’re at and help them. And so what we love to do most is connect people who care about the community and others with those that really could use the help. And so we would be honored for anybody that wants to raise their hand and get involved. We’re very much better together.
Lyn Wineman:
Ah, that’s awesome. What a great way, too, to get involved with just a variety of different ways to support your community and the people in the community. So Shawna, I fully believe the world needs more people like you, more organizations like United Way of the Midlands. Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me today.
Shawna Forsberg:
Well, Lyn, it was a real pleasure and we just appreciate you giving us the opportunity to talk here today and to get to know you too as well. So it was a fun conversation
Lyn Wineman:
Ah, thanks so much.
Announcer:
We hope you enjoyed today’s Agency for Change podcast. To hear all our interviews with those who are making a positive change in our communities, or to nominate a changemaker you’d love to hear from, visit KidGlov.com at K-I-D-G-L-O-V.com to get in touch. As always, if you like what you’ve heard today, be sure to rate, review, subscribe, and share. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time.