We Are All United Way

We Are All United Way; We All Have a Stake

The world around us is changing quickly. No sooner do we get a new piece of technology — a phone, a computer, a TV — than we hear it is obsolete or no longer receiving updates. Nonprofit management processes and philanthropy are changing before our eyes. We have no choice but to change with it or get left behind. United Way has been keeping up with changing trends and continues to grow as an organization with our fundraising and with our direct services to the community. But we cannot rest on our laurels or past accomplishments we must keep moving forward to remain relevant in the coming ages. We need you to help us keep up with the changing world. You are United Way.

Consider these words from one of our governing documents:

“The United Way of Steele County is a collective enterprise of donors, volunteers, businesses and community organizations working together to create and support human services solutions that improve life for all of us. UWSC and its member agencies are partners in this effort and recognize that the overall needs of county residents transcend the interest of any one organization. However, the essential autonomy of each agency, its right to manage its own internal affairs and its responsibility to be concerned with a particular service program or programs must be maintained.”

This is the opening paragraph of our Partner Agency Contract an important UWSC document that doesn’t get publicly reviewed very often but carries great meaning about our purpose and our relationship with the community. The very first sentence tells us we are all United Way — a collective enterprise of donors, volunteers, businesses and community organizations — meaning we all have a stake in governing the community work and stewarding the shared resource that is our annual fundraising campaign.

“The UWSC system carries with it both rights and responsibilities for all parties concerned. The purpose of this [document] is to outline the special relationship that exists between UWSC and member agencies so that mutual understanding and agreement are assured.”

We solemnly sign this agreement every year so that we all understand the special shared relationship between the United Way, our agencies, and the community, and the responsibility this relationship carries.

“This partnership is based upon five primary objectives:

1. Assessing and prioritizing the needs of the total county;

2. Designing, supporting, maintaining and improving services to meet those needs;

3. Communicating these services to the public;

4. Raising voluntary contributions; and

5. Investing funds through an equitable and comprehensive volunteer review process.”

You can see our collective work in the community goes far beyond the act of fundraising and allocation of funds that what we are most known for. United Way and all its associates are called to see and reflect on the needs of the community, especially those in need, envision collective solutions and then raise the funds to make those solutions reality.

I’d like to ask you to consider how you can be more active with United Way in the future. There is room in our work for your hopes and dreams for the future of our community. Together, we can put into practice the great ideas you have for helping your neighbors. Together we can show our neighbors in pain, in crisis, in financial chaos that we see them and care about them. United Way of Steele County is a great organization to be involved with. How would you like to be involved with us? How can you help us remain relevant in our community and keep up with all the changes?