The Dorothy O. Jackson Society supports the mission of United Way by:

• Increasing understanding of United Way’s work on underlying community problems
• Building bridges between business and community leaders and minorities
• Increasing the number of minority leadership givers

Dorothy Jackson is considered Akron’s "goodwill ambassador". For almost 20 years, Jackson served as Deputy Mayor of the City of Akron. She was the first African-American woman to serve in an Akron mayor’s cabinet. Jackson retired in June 2003 but continues her community activism.

Prior to becoming Deputy Mayor, Jackson worked twelve years with Goodwill Industries, followed by a sixteen-year career with the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority as the Social and Tenant Services Administrator.

Jackson has won many awards over her decades of service to the community, including the Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award, the Ohio Black Women’s Leadership Caucus Rosa Parks Award, United Way’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Urban League’s Community Service Award. She has also been inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame. A 28-unit handicapped housing development was named Dorothy O. Jackson Terrace in her honor. The Jewish National Fund named a park in Israel in her honor and she was inducted into African American History Makers.

Key Components

Membership Means...

How is United Way Helping Local Minority Populations

Minority Leadership Council

Join Now

The Dorothy O. Jackson Society is sponsored by

 

• Fundraising– to increase the number of minority donors giving at the $1,000 leadership level and encourage participation in United Way’s Young Leaders Society, The Women’s Leadership Giving Society and The Tocqueville Society.

• Outreach– to provide information through social, personal development and networking events to minority leaders and prospective donors on how the minority community participates in and benefits from the United Way.

• Volunteerism– to encourage participation in United Way’s decision making process. Volunteer opportunities include United Way’s Portfolio Councils, Community Investment Committees, Day of Caring and Project Blueprint.

• Increasing your impact to our community through your gift to United Way
• Being recognized as a philanthropic individual and a community leader in our annual Leadership Directory
• Interacting with diverse groups of community leaders to effect lasting change in our community

• United Way is Helping Improve Neighborhoods
Example: Our Building Stronger Neighborhoods and Communities Portfolio Council is making lasting change in the Summit Lake neighborhood. Summit Lake was identified by the Summit County Quality of Life Project as a target community because of its low home ownership, high crime rates, low levels of education, high instance of single parent families and high unemployment. Through grassroots efforts, United Way, East Akron Community House, the Urban League and other organizations and religious leaders are increasing opportunities for home ownership, instilling community pride, creating job training opportunities and much more.

• United Way is Helping Ex-Felons Re-Enter Society
With the help of our Increasing Self Sufficiency Portfolio Council, programs are being provided to assist convicted felons with re-entry to society. The programs help them obtain job skills and counseling and interview skills, reducing the likelihood of additional criminal behavior. Major partners in this effort are the Urban League, Goodwill Industries and Mature Services.

The following percentages illustrate an overview of United Way services provided to individuals identified as members of racial minorities*:

• 44% of clients using vocational programs provided by Mature Services, Goodwill Industries and the Urban League

• 64.8% of those using neighborhood organization services provided by EACH, YMCA and the Urban League

• 51.5% of recipients of crisis intervention services provided by Battered Women’s Shelter, ACCESS, YWCA and Legacy III

• 70% of recipients of emergency assistance services

• 17% of people seeking Family Planning Services at Planned Parenthood

• 37.5% of the children receiving funded day care

• 38% of recipients of financial assistance for medical care

• 60% of the individuals receiving alcohol/drug abuse prevention and treatment

• 77% of the individuals receiving legal services

* These figures only reflect clients specifically identified as belonging to a minority, many services are provided without knowledge of ethnicity.

Chair
Theresa Carter
 OMNOVA Solutions, Inc.

Virgil L. Brown
 The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Retirees
 
Malcolm J. Costa
 Akron Summit Community Action, Inc.
 
 Russell C. Holmes
 KeyBank
 
Dorothy O. Jackson
Deputy Mayor, Retired
 
 Judge Carla D. Moore
 9th District Court of Appeals
 
 Rockette L. Richardson
 Charter One Bank
 
 James V. Stewart
Stewart-Calhoun Funeral Home

Judge Annalisa S. Williams Esq.
 Akron Municipal Court Judges
 
Bernett L. Williams
 Akron Community Service Center & Urban League
 
Margaret E. Williams
 AT&T Ohio

For more information on the Dorothy O. Jackson Society please contact Katie Rennard, Vice President of Resource Development at 330.643.5517 or email krennard@uwsummit.org.