United Way of Palm Beach County raises $14.1 million
By Palm Beach Business.com
BOYNTON BEACH — The United Way of Palm Beach County announced at its annual meeting and campaign awards breakfast that it surpassed its goal of $13.8 million and raised more than $14.1 million through its 2009-2010 campaign. The dollars raised will help fund 65 programs that will provide services to more than 50,000 residents in need in Palm Beach County.
“United Way of Palm Beach County is very grateful for the generous support we have received from residents and the business community for our fund-raising campaign. Our local agencies depend on United Way. They do not want to turn anyone away from services and United Way does not want that to happen either. Based upon the results of this campaign, neither do our donors,” United Way CEO Charles W. Anderson said.
The dollars announced today represent a combination of funds received from grants, workplace campaigns and individual donations, including leadership gifts from United Way of Palm Beach County’s Leadership Circle and Tocqueville Society members. The funds will be used to support local human service programs through June 2011.
Anderson atributes the success of his organization’s fund-raising campaign to a three-prong strategy United Way focused upon for its 2009-2010 campaign.
The first strategy was to reach out to those who have given in the past and invite them to participate again. This included not only reaching out to individual donors through a direct mail campaign, but also by visiting the leadership at local companies, small businesses and organizations, to re-confirm their support of United Way. Anderson and United Way’s 2009-2010 Campaign Chair Donn Colee made 80 such visits and presentations.
“The positive response United Way of Palm Beach County received from business leaders trickled down to their employees. Top leadership offered their employees a chance to help others in the community by donating to United Way. In turn, employees responded generously, as indicated by our campaign total,” Colee said.
The second strategy involved identifying organizations and companies that do not donate or conduct a workplace campaign. Currently, there are 400 companies and organizations that support United Way. The goal is to increase that number.
“As a result of us reaching out to those who are not familiar with United Way’s work in the community, we had 24 new organizations conduct their first workplace campaigns. We have many more on our list we need to reach, and we’ll continue doing so year-round,” said Larry Miller, vice president of resource development, United Way of Palm Beach County.
The third strategy involved concentrating on major gift donors, especially those who are, or have the potential to be, members of United Way’s Tocqueville Society. (Tocqueville Society members annually donate $10,000 or more). During this campaign, Tocqueville membership increased by 25 members, and total gifts increased by more than 20 percent.
At the breakfast, United Way recognized its key volunteers, top performing workplace campaigns and Top 10 Campaigns — those companies and organizations that raise the most funds. Those companies are:
- Publix Super Markets Inc. and Publix Charities
- NextEra Energy Inc., formerly FPL Group, with union partner International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union #1191.
- Palm Beach County, with union partners Communication Workers of America Local #3181; Amalgamated Transit Union Local #1577; and International Association of Firefighters Local #2928.
- The School District of Palm Beach County, with union partners CTA-PBC, SEIU/FPSU
- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, with union partner International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local #971.
- NCCI Holdings Inc.
- Zachry Industrial Inc.
- AT&T, with union partner Communication Workers of America Local #3112.
- Wachovia (now part of Wells Fargo).
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch
United Way of Palm Beach County targets the community’s most pressing needs and focuses resources, agency partnerships and the energy of volunteers to create measurable results that have the greatest impact. To invest, volunteer, or for more information, call United Way of Palm Beach County at (561) 375-6600 or visit www.unitedwaypbc.org
