DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR UNITED WAY!
ANOTHER UNITED WAY CLOSES
For the third time this year, I am sharing news of another United Way closing. The headline reads “United Way of Spokane County shutting down after century of giving.”
United Way of Spokane County’s board president was quoted in the article saying, “‘United Way of Spokane County will be concluding its operations following a thoughtful evaluation by our board of directors,’ she said as part of the statement. ‘This decision reflects the combined impact of ongoing economic challenges, affecting campaigns, donor giving and grant support, alongside an unexpected leadership transition.’”
In the article, United Way of Spokane County’s director of resource development discussed the challenges their United Way has faced in recent years. She said there has been a shift in the giving environment as things changed after the COVID-19 pandemic. She explained that some donors started giving directly to organizations, rather than using United Way as a pass-through agency and recent grant cuts also hurt.
United Way of Spokane County raised $1.3 million in the past year. Ten years ago, they raised over $5 million.
THE FUTURE OF UNITED WAY CANNOT LOOK LIKE THE PAST!
In my last blog post about a United Way closing, I suggested that most United Ways are doing what they have always done. Their future is a continuation of the past because they are unable to see what a different future might look like for their United Way.
The question that must be answered is “Why will your United Way exist moving forward?”
The answer is NOT “To serve as a pass-through fundraiser for local nonprofits.”
If donors and the community valued what United Way did, they would support United Way just like they support Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, American Red Cross, Humane Society, etc. It is certainly challenging to raise money, but it is impossible to raise money if people don’t value or want to support what you do.
WHAT YOU MUST DO
Your board and staff need to have a conversation about the future of your United Way. You need to discuss why your United Way will exist moving forward. We call this conversation our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat.
During this half-day retreat, we will explain the three types of United Ways, how their business models work, the strengths and weaknesses of each type, and show you examples of each type of United Way. We’ll 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.
DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR UNITED WAY
United Ways have so much to give to their local communities. I firmly believe that every community needs a United Way. They just need United Way in a different way than it’s always been.
If you would like to learn more about how our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat can help your board and staff determine why your United Way exists, you can download our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat outline to learn more.
If you have questions, or want to know how other United Ways have changed their future by participating in our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat, grab some time on our calendar <<<insert link: https://focusedperspectives.as.me/ConversationAboutYourUnitedWay and we’ll talk.