United Way is a humanitarian organization whose efforts go beyond temporary adjustments, to create lasting change in communities around the world. The organization encourages innovative solutions designed to bring people and organizations together to improve the lives of others. With an emphasis on the foundational values of education, income and health, United Way creates opportunities for all by advancing the common good.
On a mission to encourage improvement in the lives of the community, the United Way of Douglas County’s 2015 fundraising campaign raised $1.5 million to help 33 of their neighborhood partnering organizations. Hundreds of people within the community rallied to raise the money, which is imperative to United Way’s success in improving lives through education, health, and financial security.
Also vital to the success of the organization, and those who partner with it is the team of volunteers who support the annual campaign. United Way volunteers donate their time and efforts to ask people in the community for support and contributions.
West Middle School assistant principal, Kathy Branson, and her husband, Douglas County District Attorney, Charles Branson, were the 2015 campaign co-chairs. Together, they advised the board to, “make it fun.” Kathy Branson believes that there isn’t anybody who finds joy in asking for money. People share in joy, though, when they’re able to learn about what money can do for the neighbors in the community.
The Douglas County chapter of United Way has set a goal to recruit 6,000 volunteers for the 2016 campaign. Totals currently sit at 5,500. Branson is encouraging the team to, “keep pushing,” for 6,000 because they need every single one of those 6,000 volunteers.
United Way is hard at work in communities across the globe. Their platform is that when one succeeds, we all succeed, and when one fails, we all fail. In 40 countries worldwide, the organization has 1,800 local outreach campaigns and 2,900,000 volunteers. Coming together to create lasting change allows United Way to measure success by the number of lives that are transformed. Intentional development programs bring people together to teach and promote success among people of all ages.