September 12, 2011 | Read Time: 1 minute
The sputtering economy made fund raising difficult for local United Ways across the country last year, with contributions of $3.86-billion virtually unchanged from 2009’s total of $3.84-billion.
When inflation is taken into account, though, that 0.4-percent growth is technically a drop of 1.2 percent. Still, it an improvement over the previous year, when donations dropped 5 percent, and United Way officials say it’s a strong showing given the shaky job and stock market.
“We’re still in a difficult economy that could even be more difficult,” says Sal Fabens, United Way Worldwide spokeswoman. “Despite being in a recession, to have some growth is hopeful to me.”
United Way’s traditional sources of donations continue to struggle: Contributions solicited through on-the-job drives grew just 0.2 percent. In addition, corporate giving was down 1.4 percent.
But the organization has been helped by its efforts to diversify its fund-raising approach. United Way says efforts to raise money from particular types of donors, such as well-to-do women, and campaigns to seek out large or planned gifts helped make up for sluggish giving in 2010 among less-affluent people.
United Way reports:
- Fund raising from affinity groups grew at 11.9 percent, raising more than $200-million in 2010. Donations collected by the United Way Women’s Leadership Council grew by 110 percent.
- Contributions to endowments and planned gifts increased by 12.7 percent, with bequests rising 27.3 percent.
- Donations of $10,000 or more from individuals, which accounted for more than one-third of total giving, rose by 1.5 percent.
“It’s great to see some hopeful signs rather than having gone down again,” Ms. Fabens says. “We’ll continue to plug away.”
