Destination, Direction, or Both?
Does your United Way need to have a destination, a direction, or both? The answer may surprise you.
DESTINATION
One of my coworkers is going on vacation in a week and her destination is Destin, Florida. Driving to and from her destination might not feel like a vacation, but she will definitely know she is on vacation when she arrives in Destin. One definition of destination is “a place to which one is journeying.”
Every United Way is on a journey over time. Does your United Way have a destination for your journey? Will you be able to tell when you have arrived? From observation and experience, I would maintain that most United Ways do not have a destination. Their journey is more of an evolution rather than intentionally trying to reach a specific destination.
Take the destination test: If your United Way has a singular goal and a plan for how to achieve your goal, then you have a destination.
DIRECTION
When I ride my bike, I often tell my wife what direction I will be heading such as west or north, most often based on the weather or how windy it might be at the time. While I know what direction I am heading, 9 times out of 10, I do not have a particular destination in mind when I start riding. One definition of direction is “the line or course on which something is moving.”
Does your United Way have a direction for your journey? Do you know where you are headed, or does it change from day-to-day or even hour-to-hour? Once again, from observation and experience, I would maintain most United Ways do not have a destination and are more likely to be going in whatever direction the wind is blowing.
Take the direction test: If your United Way has a clear mission and vision, and your work is guided by your mission and vision, then you have direction.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
Every United Way should have a direction AND a destination.
You should choose your direction first. For issue focused United Ways, the direction of their United Way is their issue. For example, United Way of Marathon County (Wausau, WI) is focused on the issue of poverty/financial stability. Their impact, resource development, and marketing are all headed in the direction of poverty/financial stability. When your United Way has a singular direction, it is very clear what you are working toward addressing, and what you will say “no” to, because it is not going in your direction.
Your direction should also be specific enough that any donor would understand where you are going. Using categories such as “youth success” to describe what a United Way does makes it difficult for a donor to understand what that really means. If you were to ask three people, “What does youth success mean to you?” you would likely get three different answers. If United Ways are going to be relevant to donors, they need to have a clear understanding of the direction your United Way is going. Since issue focused United Ways have one direction that is a specific issue, issue focused United Ways are clearly understood by donors.
For issue focused United Ways their destination is their bold goal. At United Way of Marathon County, the bold goal is “Lifting 10,000 community members to financial stability by 2033.” Having a bold goal or destination like United Way of Marathon County’s, makes it clear to donors how their contribution will change lives.
Is a campaign goal a destination? Think about how a donor would look at your campaign goal. Would your donor say “Hey, I really want United Way to raise $3 million so I am going to make a contribution?” Our research with local United Way donors has found that about 15% of donors, on average, would be interested in your campaign goal as a destination for your United Way. That leaves about 85% of donors who would rather your destination be the number of lives changed for the issue you are working on.
If your United Way doesn’t have a direction or a destination yet, the easiest way to get started is our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat. During our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat, your board and staff will discuss the three types of United Ways, and discuss the direction for your United Way that best meets the needs of your community.