Resources to help you tell your UMC & UMCF story in your own voice

To open and download the pdf version of the Authentic Ambassador Toolbox, click here.

How To Use This Toolbox 

This toolbox is designed to support – not script—your conversations about UMC and the UMC Foundation when you’re networking or introducing our mission to a new audience. You do not need to use everything in this toolkit. Treat it like a menu and select the elements that are applicable to the situation, feel natural to you, and reflect your own connection to the mission.

As you choose elements to incorporate into your own UMC/UMCF story, remember these basics:

  • Start with your why
  • Use our shared language as anchors
  • Choose one impact example
  • End with an invitation

Our Shared Language – Common Anchor Points

These are core facts about UMC and UMCF we should all be aligned on.

 WHO We Are

UMC = United Methodist Communities

UMCF = United Methodist Communities Foundation

Appendix Resource #1: Mission, Vision, Values

WHAT We Do
  • Senior living
    • Independent living, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation, respite, long-term care, hospice
  • Senior affordable housing
  • HomeWorks homecare services
  • Community-driven programs
  • BEAM consulting services

 

WHERE We Serve

Full-service locations

  • Bristol Glen (Newton, NJ)
  • Collingswood Manor (Collingswood, NJ)
  • Pitman Manor (Pitman, NJ)
  • The Shores (Ocean City, NJ)


Senior Housing locations

  • Bishop Taylor Manor (East Orange, NJ)
  • Covenant Place (Plainfield, NJ)
  • PineRidge of Montclair (Montclair, NJ)
  • The Wesleyan (Red Bank, NJ)
  • Wesley by the Bay (Ocean City, NJ)

HomeWorks

  • Can serve any county in NJ
  • Companions and Certified Home Health Aides

 

HOW We Fulfill Our Mission

Everyday language, no jargon or acronyms

UMC serves older adults by offering a full continuum of senior living and care  from independent living to assisted living, memory care, affordable housing, hospice, and in-home services. Rooted in a faith-based tradition and open to people of all backgrounds, UMC focuses on compassionately serving in community so that all are free to choose abundant life. We grow our impact through creativity, innovation, and gracious hospitality, and we meet seniors where they are and respond to what they truly need.

The UMC Foundation (UMCF) strengthens and expands that work by building meaningful partnerships and securing critical resources. Through the generosity of individual donors, business partners, government funders, philanthropic foundations, churches, and community supporters, the Foundation helps fund resident assistance, housing, innovative healthcare, and community-driven programs – ensuring that quality care and connection remain accessible, sustainable, and responsive for both today’s seniors and those we’ll serve in the future.

Together, UMC and UMCF bring people together – residents, families, teammates, board members, and community partners – to grow our impact and help older adults live their most abundant lives.

 

Words We Use

Key words & phrases

  • Abundant life
  • Connection
  • Community
  • Choice
  • Compassion
  • Dignity
  • Purpose
  • Innovation
  • Hospitality

Appendix Resource #2: “This, not that” Words We Use document in appendix

 

Impact Examples

Choose one or two and make them 1-2 sentence mini examples to spark conversation.

Sharing a personal experience you’ve had will always be the most authentic and natural way to communicate UMC/UMCF’s impact. But if you’re looking for another option or way to expand…

Retell a…

  • Resident experience
  • Family’s peace of mind
  • Teammate’s growth
  • Community partnerships
  • Donor’s impact
  • Special event

 

Appendix Resource #3: Impact Story Reference Materials

 

And the most important part of crafting YOUR ambassador story…Your WHY!

Communicate your “Why” as a board member, donor, and supporter by sharing one of the following:

  • “I serve on the board because…”
  • “I connected with the mission of UMC/UMCF because…”
  • “What surprised me most about UMC was…”
  • “Working with the UMC/UMCF board opened my eyes to…”
  • “One thing I’m proud of…”

 

Important Note!

The core of your “Why” will likely always stay the same, but you can tailor what details you share and which prompt you use based on the audience you find yourself in front of.

Looking for a point of connection and leading with something your audience can relate to is always a good idea!

 

 

Ways to Invite Others into the Mission

End with a “call to action” that encourages someone to take the next step in learning about UMC/UMCF.

  • Tour a community
  • Attend an event
  • Watch Mark’s TEDx
  • Visit the website
  • Connect with a teammate
  • Follow on social

 

Important Note!

You’ll notice that we did NOT include “Ask for a donation” in the suggestions.

 We never want to kick off a new relationship by asking for a donation. Let your audience get to know UMC/UMCF and have a chance to buy-in and get excited about our mission.

Once they’ve expressed interest and have taken some next steps to learn more, then it’s the appropriate time to consider involving a member of the UMCF team to begin donor cultivation.

 

Cheat Sheet

If you ever get stuck or have a very limited amount of time to convey UMC/UMCF’s mission, stick to the basics with these templates:

 

UMC Board of Directors

“I serve on the UMC Board of Directors because [personal reason]. UMC is [one‑sentence mission in plain words]. Recently, [specific impact example or program story] showed me how [what changed for seniors/families]. If you ever want to learn more or get involved, I’d be happy to connect you with [name/next step].”

 
UMCF Board of Trustees

“I’m a UMC Foundation Trustee because [personal reason]. The Foundation [one‑sentence mission: sustains/grows UMC’s impact through philanthropy]. A recent gift funded [specific program/item], which [clear outcome]. If you’d like to hear how gifts and volunteering make a difference [invite to a conversation/event/website].”

 

Appendix

  1. Mission & Purpose, Vision, Values, Etc.

UMC
  • Mission: Compassionately serving in community so that all are free to choose abundant life
  • Vision: Growing through creativity, innovation, and gracious hospitality
  • Values:
    • Compassion – demonstrating love in our daily interactions
    • Respect – seeing and valuing sacred worth
    • Stewardship – faithfully managing the resources entrusted to us
    • Service – finding joy in caring
UMCF
  • Mission: The UMC Foundation (UMCF) advances sustainable community living and compassionate care for seniors by raising critical funds for United Methodist Communities (UMC).
  • Purpose: The role of UMCF is to create and maintain strong partnerships and secure critical funding to support residents with limited financial means, and fund UMC’s housing, innovative healthcare, and community-driven programs and projects that help older adults live their most abundant lives. Together with our community of individual donors, business partners, local churches and groups, and other friends of our mission, we are advancing UMC’s excellence in senior care and sustainable senior living.

  1. Words We Use – an excerpt from our “This, Not That” Guide

 

Instead of…

We say…

Because…

Activities

Community Life

Activities feels one-dimensional, while talking about life is holistic.

Admission

Move-in

Admission is medically oriented. People are making a lifestyle choice to move in to our communities.

Alzheimer’s unit

Tapestries neighborhood

We have branded our memory support services as Tapestries, and unit is medically oriented.

Associates, employees

Teammates

We are a team, so we have teammates!

Care type

Style of living, service line

Care type puts the emphasis on care we provide, rather than the more holistic view of residents living their lives in our communities.

Dietary

Dining Services

Dietary is an institutional term.

Discharge

Move-out

Discharge is medically oriented. Residents move out of our communities.

Facility

Community, campus, site

Facility is medically oriented and historically has many negative connotations.

Patient

Resident, client, person

Patient is medically oriented.

Person-centered care

Person-directed or resident-directed living

“Centered care” focused on just one element of a resident’s life, while “directed living” is more empowering and holistic.

Unit

Apartment, home, neighborhood

Unit is institutional and medically oriented. People live in apartments, homes, and neighborhoods.

 

 

  1. Impact Story Reference Materials

If you don’t have your own personal impact story, feel free to share a recent impact story that resonates with you!

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