Case Study: United Way of Central Iowa achieves 26% increase in high school graduation rate with Clear Impact, LLC

How United Way of Central Iowa used ends-to-means thinking and Clear Impact Scorecard to help students succeed at all grade levels

United Way of Central Iowa faced a crisis in 2008 when the Des Moines Independent Community School District’s 4‑year high school graduation rate fell to 65.10%. To meet its Goals for 2020 and cut dropouts, United Way of Central Iowa engaged Clear Impact, LLC and adopted the Clear Impact Scorecard alongside Results‑Based Accountability (“ends‑to‑means” thinking) to better align community programs and measure outcomes.

Clear Impact, LLC implemented the Clear Impact Scorecard to centralize data entry, track 67 education performance measures, and support results‑driven program changes (including cradle‑to‑career investments and academic support labs). As a result, Des Moines’ 4‑year graduation rate rose from 65.10% to 81.68% — a 26% increase — while reporting time fell, grantee accountability improved, and UWCI gained a data platform for quarterly updates and informed funding decisions.

United Way of Central Iowa

Teresa Taylor-Wolf

Data and Research Director