Due to the need for physical distancing, the annual United Way of Dane County’s Community Campaign won’t have its usual kickoff at the Duck Pond in Warner Park, but it still hopes to raise at least $17.8 million in donations the way many business colleagues are communicating these days — through internet videos and community webinars.
Throw in fundraising challenges and socially distant volunteer opportunities, and you have the full gamut of ways the United Way is reaching out to meet community needs. In the age of COVID-19 and racial unrest, those needs are more extensive than ever.
The UWDC organized an Aug. 18 webinar to explain how it intends to reach its campaign funding goals while the COVID-19 pandemic lingers on. Needless to say, online donations are always welcome, but as UWDC President and CEO Renee Moe and 2020 Campaign Chairman Paul Kundert explained, the community’s needs are surging because of the pandemic.
Kundert, president and CEO of UW Credit Union, described elements of the digital transformation required for this year’s campaign. “A strong United Way campaign is needed now more than ever, but the campaign will look different this year than ever before because we’re innovating,” he explained. “If your organization runs a United Way Campaign, it will very likely be a completely virtual campaign this year, including easier ways to make your gift electronically.”
So, instead of a well-attended kickoff with the Madison Mallards, UWDC will rely on loaned executives who are building their skills to be effective at both virtual kickoffs and smaller team meetings. They may have a chance in their own organization to participate in a new special event, or an educational opportunity such as an online simulation meant to navigate difficult choices with limited financial means.
There also will be a variety of video sharing stories from partner agencies, a virtual trivia competition hosted by a campaign team, and the launch of a new donor network called Lead United, whose members are committed to leading the community and achieving professional growth.
“We know our campaign will face some tough challenges this year,” Kundert states. “There is economic uncertainty and it could make some donors concerned about making a forward-looking pledge. We know, too, that the heart of the United Way is investing in long-term work that addresses root causes of poverty and creates real change in our community. The cries for justice and equity are loud and clear, and the work of driving systemic change is a long game.”
Mindful of competition from other fundraising channels, Kundert acknowledged there are competing opportunities for donations, including Go Fund Me-type appeals that offer instant giving gratification. However, he adds that they don’t scale up to address root causes or make lasting change, so UWDC has to make the case for long-term support.
“Even though we face challenges, we remain optimistic for this year’s campaign because the need is compelling, the hurt in our community is easy to see, and the disparate impact of it has been unmasked,” he states. “As we saw with the response to fundraising for COVID-19 recovery, the only way problems get solved is when people come together, and that’s exactly what the United Way was built for.”
In the age of COVID-19, it was also built for special fundraising challenges. In the Power of Many Challenge, gifts made through the United Way’s website will be matched dollar per dollar up to a total of $20,000 by UW Credit Union. It’s an opportunity to turn a $5 gift into a $10 gift, or a $100 gift into a $200 gift. To double your gift-giving pleasure, go to the United Way of Dane County’s website and look for the give button.
“This is an uncertain time, but there is one thing we know and that’s that our neighbors need us,” Kundert states. “We’re never going to forget this time that we’re living through, and I’m confident that our community will rise to the challenge. I’m confident that you will rise to the challenge.”
Kundert also urged people viewing the webinar to check out the remote and socially distanced volunteer opportunities available through the United Way. “I believe in virtuous cycles,” he explains. “When we help a child succeed in school, then our schools are better for everyone. When we help someone get a family-supporting job, then we have more buyers and savers in our community and even more family-supporting jobs are created. Every time and in every way that we invest to make this a better community for everyone, we also make it better for ourselves.
“We’re all bound together in this community. When we help others, we’re helping ourselves.”
Emergency needs
Renee Moe began the webinar by noting that when UWDC began to plan its annual Community Campaign, it had no idea that it would be doing this work in the middle of a pandemic and an economic downturn. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, she notes the organization launched the Dane County COVID-19 Emergency and Recovery Fund with the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County and Selfless Ambition. In short order, more than 1,000 donors and corporate partners raised over $2 million to provide financial relief to over 90 nonprofits for individuals and families affected by COVID-19.
The business community also pitched in, as volunteers from Epic were matched with Meals on Wheels programs, TASC (Total Administrative Service Corp.) donated face masks to social service providers such as Porchlight, and the city of Madison shared a need for face shields for child care providers and United Way matched them with Midwest Prototyping as part of the Badger Shield project, which donated 500 face shields. In addition, Hydrite Chemical Co. and State Line Distillery provided hand sanitizer to nonprofits, local organizations, and individuals, and UWDC increased its capacity for the 211 Helpline because the need was so great.
“Our call volume increased 400% during Phase 1 of the pandemic,” Moe says.
From the calls coming in, UWDC quickly learned that the greatest needs in Dane County continue to be eviction and homelessness prevention, food and meals for older adults and children, flexible funds — which are dollars that can respond to other crises that individuals, families, and nonprofits experience — and access to child care and mental health services. “All of this really hits home when you hear the stories of our neighbors who have been affected,” Moe says.
Case in point: Moe cited the real-life example of “Morgan,” a 21-year-old single mother of a six-month-old baby. Morgan became homeless when she fled domestic violence and was laid off from her job at the same time, a casualty of COVID-19. “She had no choice but to sleep in her car with no income or other child support, and we’re seeing this from many families across our community,” Moe explains. “There has been an increase in folks sleeping in cars and other places that are not meant for human habitation.”
UWDC helped Morgan apply for unemployment — it would take a few weeks for payments to start — and it was able to coordinate, through a network of nonprofits, assistance through the Dane County COVID-19 Emergency and Recovery Fund. “She was able to get support for stable housing and was connected to find new employment and child care to keep her income flowing,” Moe says. “Your support makes this possible in these unprecedented times, and that’s the work that it takes to not only get through this crisis, but to really address the root causes of those changes as we go forward.
“This is just one story, and the needs in our community continue to grow as we see the disproportionate impact on people of color and those in poverty amplified by the coronavirus pandemic.”
During the Community Campaign, United Way will have monthly webinars that will be focused on education, income, health, and community well-being.
“Giving is what is most needed,” Moe states. “We want to expand capacity and ensure that nonprofits are as strong as they can be — now and in 2021 — because we know that so many of these resources are going to be challenged with nonprofits having a harder time getting people together to increase their annual funds.”
There are other ways to roll up your sleeves and get involved, including volunteering, and people can find volunteer opportunities at volunteeryourtime.org. Each month, the United Way will announce a special, small group, in-person opportunity that is physically distant, that has masking requirements, and has in place other sanitation and safety protocols.
Caring act
Through the CARES Act, people can contribute to Dane County’s greatest needs and have their donation be deducted up to $300 for an individual or $600 for a married, filing jointly gift on your 2020 federal tax return. “This is our community’s campaign,” Moe notes. “Please, please participate. We know that every action makes a difference and we can join together to create more change in our community.”
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