Giving a definition is easy enough: Human services community-based organizations, or CBOs, are 501(c)(3) organizations that work in collaboration with government and philanthropic funders to build the human services ecosystem that ensures the health and well-being of all Americans. Most people know more familiar terms, like “nonprofit” or “charity,” or the work that CBOs do: providing for public safety and disaster preparedness; mental and behavioral health services; early childhood education and special education programs; family and community development; and job training and employment services. In short, CBOs support the health and well-being of children, families, and seniors enabling them to achieve their fullest potential.

However, when people think about “charity,” or about the work of human services organizations, does it bring to mind negative associations? Do they find themselves thinking about “handouts” for the poor, or imagine that nonprofits don’t operate as effectively as “real” businesses do? Perhaps, when people think about organizations that provide human services, they don’t think of them as being in the business of creating civil society and producing social change at all.

CBOs are a foundation of national well-being. As illustrated in the groundbreaking 2018 report, “A National Imperative: Strengthening Human Services in America,” they play an irreplaceable role in improving health outcomes and reducing health care costs, in ensuring that children are safe in supporting neighborhoods, that they can succeed in school, in helping older adults maintain a high quality of life, in helping people with disabilities live their lives fully, in building quality, affordable housing, and in providing crucial mental health and substance abuse services.

However, framing is powerful. Many in the human services field are embracing a new lexicon for CBOs and the sector. Public misperceptions about CBOs—as the report concludes—not only “contribute to a lack of trust between government agencies, philanthropic funders, human services CBOs, and the American public” but:

These perceptions stand in the way of CBOs’ ability to innovate and to invest in new capabilities and infrastructure.

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The mention of OneAmerica® in central Indiana may likely spark thoughts about the company’s witty signboard, prominent position in Indianapolis’ downtown skyline, or its title sponsorship of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. While these are important aspects of the OneAmerica corporate identity, they don’t begin to tell the full story of the company’s commitment to the customers and communities it serves.

As the head of Retirement Services at OneAmerica, I often speak on the importance of working toward a secure financial future and leveraging education as a key to empowerment. Today, I’d like to go a step further and share how these concepts, which are so vital to our team in Retirement Services, are also foundational to OneAmerica and its commitment to our city and neighbors in central Indiana – and why, especially during these challenging times, that commitment is more important than ever.

For more than 140 years, the companies of OneAmerica have operated from the perspective that our business is more than our bottom line. We’re committed to the Americans we serve and the Hoosiers we live and work with, and we believe it’s our privilege and responsibility to better the community we call home. From the top down, our leaders and associates are committed to giving back, and we view these community contributions to be as important as the impact we have on the retirement and financial services industry.

In the retirement realm, we understand that education and access to robust tools and resources can enable individuals to take ownership of their financial futures. The same concept applies in our community, where education and opportunity can open doors and help an individual find a promising path that once seemed out of reach.

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