Month three of United Way’s seven-month fundraising campaign is rolling along terrifically! With the hard work of 40 Board of Trustees members, 14 Campaign Cabinet members, 14 Resource Development staff members, and our entire 50-person staff, we are extremely optimistic that we will reach this year’s $14.6 million fundraising goal.
While $14.6 million is an incredibly aggressive goal, it is not nearly enough money to truly meet all of the health and human service needs of individuals within our seven-parish area. We hope to exceed this year’s goal and build on the momentum that has been growing around the impact we are creating in the areas of Education, Health and Economic Opportunity. So far this year, more companies are engaging their employees in ways we have never seen before. Whether it is offering new incentives for giving, creating volunteer opportunities, or educating them about our public policy successes, individuals understand more fully the importance of United Way and the importance of joining our movement.
Although only a handful of our corporate campaigns have wrapped up so far, I would like to highlight some of the exciting support our companies have provided since we kicked-off the campaign:
- Latter & Blum, Inc., l
ed by United Way’s 2015 Campaign Chair Rick Haase, created a customized online giving portal so that all realtors and staff could encourage friends, clients and colleagues to support United Way through an online donation. - The Jefferson Parish School System kicked off their 2015 campaign among all 50+ schools, hosting a breakfast on both the East Bank and West Bank of the Parish where school campaign coordinators were thanked for their participation and given tools to make this year’s campaign even more successful. More than 25 schools were honored for being “Big Apple Fundraisers”.
- Pan American Life Insurance Group hosted “United Way Day” for their 400+ employees, allowing all participants the opportunity to have open conversations with more than 15 United Way staff members and be educated about the work we are doing in the areas of
Education, Health, Economic Opportunity, Volunteerism, Advocacy, Women’s Leadership and Youth Engagement. - Valero Meraux Refinery held its annual “Jambalaya Cook-Off” for all 250+ employees, with teams competing for best recipe and employees paying to sample the delicious dishes, all in an effort to raise money for United Way of Southeast Louisiana.
- Southeastern University’s Student United Way hosted its first ever fundraising walk in October that increased engagement among the student population in the university’s campaign efforts.
- The Hyatt Regency New Orleans held its first ever United Way campaign among its 700+ employees, which was kicked off with a Fall Festival, where United Way staff were able to tell all associates and contract workers about the incredible resources available to them, their family members and friends through United Way and our nonprofit partners.
- Jones Walker doubled their annual fundraising goal among its partners, attorneys and staff, encouraging all team members to utilize United Way’s payroll deduction process to make significant investments in issues they truly care about.
- The Combined Federal Campaign, for which United Way serves as the PCFO for all philanthropic giving among federal employees within our region, saw a drastic increase in online donations at the very beginning of its campaign kick-off, due to the leadership of staff and CFC “loaned executives” who volunteer their time to manage each organization’s campaign.
Netchex in St. Tammany Parish agreed to host its first United Way campaign among its 100+ employees, and gave United Way staff the opportunity to educate their leadership team and answer questions about the impact being created in the region.- The Reily Companies, LLC worked with United Way to create a variety of customized volunteer projects for all 400+ employees across our seven-parish area during the entire month of October.
- Mississippi River Bank CEO Mike Bush agreed to serve as Campaign Chair in Plaquemines Parish, recruiting more business throughout Plaquemines to run United Way campaigns.
- Canal Barge Company, Inc. was the first campaign this year to run and report, hosting a tailgate pot-luck party and several events throughout the campaign to get employees excited about giving, resulting in a major increase over last year’s totals.
So many companies and individual donors have stepped up to the plate to make Southeast Louisiana a better place to live, work and raise families. We are thrilled to report that with the support of companies like those mentioned above, and many more of the 400+ more companies that currently support United Way, we have already raised more than $3 million of our campaign total.
If your company does not currently support United Way, please consider running a campaign. Our seasoned Resurce Development team members will be sure to make it an easy, fun, impactful experience for you and your co-workers. If you are an individual who would like to learn more about giving, volunteering or advocating, please reach out to us as well. Join our movement!