Here are three more things great United Ways are doing:
USE A SIMPLE CALL TO ACTION
Great United Ways have a simple call to action. United Way Whatcom County (Bellingham, WA) uses this call to action: “By donating to United Way, you are helping ALICE households close the gap and move from struggle to stability.”
The formula for a call to action is simple: Engagement + Community Change, for example: “When you donate [engagement] to United Way, you help end homelessness [community change].” Great United Ways like United Way Whatcom County have a really simple call to action that engages their donors and volunteers to change lives in their community.
INVEST IN THEMSELVES
Great United Ways invest in themselves in order to provide greater impact and empower their communities. A great story of how United Way Metropolitan Dallas (Dallas, TX) invested in themselves and their community can be found in their tribute to Jennifer Samson, their 25-year president and CEO. Recognizing how people were engaged in philanthropy was changing, over Sampson’s tenure they invested in creating Project Graduation, Digital Bridges, Doorways to Health, West Dallas DRIVE, Pathways to Work, Reading Day, Stock the School, STEM Fest, Social Innovation Accelerator, Community Vulnerability Compass, Data Capacity Building Initiative, and established a Unite Forever endowment to ensure the long-term continuation of programs like these.
Great United Ways invest in their people and create programs that address the challenges facing their communities. United Way Metropolitan Dallas invested in finding the most effective ways to improve lives.
HAVE A FUTURE FOCUS
Great United Ways are focused on what will be accomplished, rather than what was accomplished last year. At Trident United Way (North Charleston, SC), donors can help uplift 15,000 families out of poverty by 2035 through their “Give A Way” to help local families build lasting financial stability. They let donors know their contribution will “help more families access a trusted Family Coach who listens, helps build a plan around the goals they set, connects them with resources, and stays alongside them as they reach lasting financial stability.”
Great United Ways realize that donors are motivated by how their contribution will help change lives. By shifting the focus from what donors supported last year, Trident United Way attracts new donors by describing what will happen because of their donation – or what will not happen if they don’t donate.
GOT GREAT?
If your United Way wants to continue being great, take some time for a board and staff conversation to develop a clear focus for your United Way with our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat. Together, we will look at the three common focuses United Ways have, their advantages and disadvantages, and most importantly, determining the right focus for your United Way (FYI: Since 2008, 52 United Ways have participated in our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat, and 43 United Ways ended up changing their focus.)
THERE ARE MORE
Clearly these are not the only things great United Ways do and the examples I have shared are from just a few of the great United Ways. This is the second blog post about what great United Ways do. Be sure to check out the first blog post, Great United Ways Do This (July 2026) here.