While it’s true that the United Way credo does a great job of explaining what the United Way system as a whole does for communities throughout the world, it does not offer local context. So, how do you expand on the credo to contextualize your United Way’s work?

Recently, I saw an interesting editorial from a United Way CEO about how their United Way is changing the way it addresses social issues in their community. What caught my attention in the editorial was not what the United Way is going to do to address the pressing local needs it has identified but how they are going to measure their success.

Why does your United Way hold workplace campaigns? At first, this will seem like an easy question to answer. But, I would ask you to think about it at a deeper level – beyond raising money or because United Ways have always held workplace campaigns.

One of the questions we have consistently asked is: “If you did not give to United Way this past year, have you ever given to United Way?” We have found that the percentage of people who did not give to United Way this year but have given to United Way previously has increased over time.

In less than two weeks, we will be holding our next webinar: “When the Basics No Longer Work, What’s Next?” If you are struggling with workplace campaigns, how to explain what United Way does, and/or are tired of partner agencies feeling entitled to funding, then this webinar is for you.

One of the most common refrains I hear from United Ways is that the times are changing. Society is changing, technology is changing, the economy is changing, and even competition for charitable giving is changing.