Build Better
I recently read an interview with a politician who said “I’m trying to purge my vocabulary of anything with the prefix of re- in it, anything with the word “back” in it. I don’t think now is the time to be talking about Build Back Better. Just Build Better”
No Going Back
United Ways are creatures of habit. They tend to do what they have always done, because they have always done so. It seems to matter little if it is productive, effective, or efficient to keep doing what has always been done.
Once upon a time, workplace campaigns were plentiful and accounted for nearly every dollar raised by United Way. The times have changed, and United Ways that are growing their revenue are doing so by diversifying their resources beyond workplace campaigns. Does that mean United Ways should stop holding workplace campaigns? No. But United Ways relying on workplace campaigns as their primary source of revenue will continue to experience declining revenue.
If your United Way wants to do things like grow your revenue in the future, then you need to look at how to build better.
Build Better
How can your United Way build better? To answer this question, your United Way needs to look forward.
Every United Way should examine why they should exist moving forward. Carefully consider what your donors and community want and need from your United Way for the next ten years. United Ways that are relevant, sustainable, and impactful now are not doing what they did years ago. They have a new purpose or mission, and they have left the past behind.
Once your United Way has established your future purpose, then you can determine how best to achieve that purpose. For many United Ways, when you change your mission or purpose, how you do your work will change too. When you have clarity about where your United Way is headed, it becomes much easier to see what can and should be left behind.
Begin Building Better
If your United Way wants to build better, check out our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat.
During this half-day retreat, we explain the three types of United Ways, how their business models work, and why each type of United Way exists. During the retreat, we give your staff and board time to ask questions about each type of United Way, and more importantly, time to have a conversation about which type of United Way is right for your community.
This retreat will allow your United Way to select the right type of United Way for your community. We have found that two of the three types of United Ways provide opportunities to build better. Based on the experience of over 50 United Ways participating in this retreat, it is highly likely your United Way will choose to be one of the two types of United Ways that provides opportunities to build better.