Community Voice

Community Leadership Council Asset Mapping ICJ Advisory Contact Us

At United Way of Greater Houston, we believe that meaningful change begins with listening to those we serve. Our community-focused approach recognizes that the most effective solutions come from those with lived experiences of the challenges they face.

By centering the voices of ALICE households (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) and collaborating with local partners, we build stronger, more resilient communities through genuine engagement, shared leadership, and collective action.

Through our Community Leadership Councils, Asset Mapping, and the Integrated Client Journey Advisory, we create pathways for community members to directly influence our work, ensuring that our strategies address real needs with practical solutions. Together, we’re not just serving communities—we’re building them from within.

Community Leadership Councils

The Community Leadership Councils (CLC) are designed to incorporate the voices and lived experiences of community members into our work to so that we can serve them most effectively.

By centering this knowledge, community-engaged research uncovers root causes of issues, funds locally desired solutions, and contextualizes outcomes.

The CLC brings together passionate community members who have recently experienced life as ALICE and are committed to making a difference, advocating for positive change, and fostering a space of trust and support within our community.

Council members share their experiences and expertise to help shape the work and investments of United Way of Greater Houston. Each council is regionally based and typically consists of 10 to 12 members. Members receive compensation for their time and expertise.

Hear from a CLC Member

CLC Highlights

Asset Mapping

Discover the strengths in your community and connect with resources that can help you and your neighbors thrive. We believe that every community has valuable assets, knowledge, and networks that can be leveraged to create positive change.

If you’re experiencing ALICE, working hard but still struggling to make ends meet, you are not alone. We created a self-guided Asset Map designed to help you identify existing resources in your neighborhood.

Connect with local networks and support systems to discover economic and financial stability opportunities and build on the strengths already present in your community.

View the Full Asset Map

Check Back for New Updates to the Asset Map.

Integrated Client Journey Advisory

The Integrated Client Journey (ICJ) Advisory is composed of 13-15 partner agencies/staff dedicated to fostering collaboration and elevating the community partner voice to drive impactful, real-time improvements across our collective work.

We understand that agency insights are crucial to building a more efficient and effective Integrated Client Journey. Each cohort commits to a one-year, six-session participatory discussion with United Way of Greater Houston. Topics include uplifting program needs, ICJ Data practices, exploring regional assets & collaboration efforts, and qualitative feedback on ways to enhance the ICJ approach at the community, agency, and client levels.

Cohort Objectives

• Support Network Collaboration: Foster smaller, topic-specific convenings to encourage focused conversations and solutions.
• Innovate New Solutions: Agency staff play a key role in identifying and paving the way for fresh, actionable solutions.
• Deepen Insight: Expand our collective understanding of the ICJ approach and its impact.

Why Partner Voice Matters in Our Work – Hear From Agency Staff

“The ICJ Advisory Group has been a significant contributor to enriching our alignment with the ICJ approach at UWGH and provided an opportunity to lift up "boots on the ground" challenges. After being selected to join the cohort, we decided to have three different staff levels participate in the session, which ensured all levels were on the same page to bridge external and internal disconnects. Additionally, this has felt truly like a safe place for partner staff to share suggestions, thoughts, and propose solutions for the benefit of the funded partner network. My staff and I have left the sessions feeling more empowered not only in our work but also supporting the development of the cross-functional nature of the programs and data teams.” - Laura Peña, Goodwill Houston

“The ICJ Advisory group was very engaging as this process was new to everyone. It was helpful to hear from other agencies and how they utilize the ICJ tool. I recall in one of our first meetings, basic needs dominated the conversation because we all have similar challenges with clients. As we attempted to shift to financial stability, the challenges/barriers guided us back to basic needs and the data reflected the high number of referrals in that area.” - Rommell Williams, Houston Area Urban League

“Participating in the ICJ Advisory Group has allowed Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council to build a stronger connection to the Integrated Client Journey approach and sparked new ideas for how we can deepen our impact and engagement with our members. Three team members from across different departments and roles at our council joined the cohort, bringing a range of perspectives to the conversation and contributing meaningfully to the work. The cohort sessions were not only informative and practical but also offered a collaborative and supportive space to learn from peers. We often left sessions feeling energized and inspired, with valuable insights to bring back and share with our teams. We’re hopeful that our feedback helped inform United Way’s ICJ efforts, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an impactful experience” - Julie Deeter, Dimonique Lott and Susan Thraen, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council

We invite select stakeholders to actively engage in these sessions to help us shape and refine the Integrated Client Journey. Together, we can create meaningful change and improve the systems that support our communities. If you have any questions or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at communitybuilder@unitedwayhouston.org.

For Communities