Most United Way donors we have surveyed recall being thanked by their local United Way. However, not all donors report they have been thanked the way they want to be thanked.

While most of the focus this time of year is on getting students ready for the year ahead, it’s just as important for United Ways to make sure they have the tools and knowledge they need to tackle their greatest challenges in the coming months.

Your community doesn’t care how much money you raise. If you want to convince your community to support your United Way, you need to stop talking about your campaign goal and start telling donors what they really want to hear.

We’re not talking about how to word a harsh breakup; we’re talking about how you need to be marketing to your stakeholders. Stop making everything about you and start talking about how your stakeholders are changing the world.

On a quiet two-lane road meandering through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, somewhere between here and there, is a restaurant. The restaurant is rather plain looking, but it fits right in with the style of buildings in the Upper Peninsula, a style people might describe as . . .

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?