Starting a United Way campaign at your workplace
United Way of Eastern Maine raises funds each year to support five counties in Eastern Maine, helping strengthen our community and the people who live here. We raise and distribute charitable dollars to agencies that offer health and human services to improve the lives of everyone in our community. The majority of those funds are raised through workplace campaigns. If you'd like to introduce a workplace campaign to your company, contact Kate Beale at 207-941-2800 or kateb@unitedwayem.org.
Benefits of a United Way workplace campaign
- Increased employee morale. Companies that run annual employee campaigns document higher morale and teamwork. Employees learn about services provided by United Way and work together to plan and engage in fun activities to raise money as a company: barbeques, raffles, games, and special incentives for givers, like jeans day or parking in an executive parking space.
- A healthier region. Our region benefits from healthier residents - even those not employed in your business. Your business will prosper more in a healthier region. Other businesses will stay here and add employees. Businesses outside our area will invest here if we have a well-educated workforce, attractive and safe neighborhoods, a strong educational system, a renewed downtown and social services that address and reduce health and human service needs.
- Tax benefits
- Community and media recognition
Our community will also benefit from your campaign by:
- Local focus. Your United Way gift stays here to help our local community. Our United Way supports a system of 40 local health and human service agencies in a five-county service area. Your gift provides child care, youth programs, patient services and support, help for those living with disabilities, community problem solving, counseling, emergency assistance and disaster response.
- Wide impact. More than 50,000 people in our region are helped by these services each year.
- Quality agencies. Our United Way ensures that your money funds quality agencies to address the most important community needs. Volunteers from across the region review agency budgets, programs and outcomes to ensure that our dollars have the most impact. A local Board of Directors and Community Impact councils guide the organization and lead its governance.
- Additional resources. United Way connects people to services and assistance across the region through our information and referral line. This information is free and available to everyone. Call 2-1-1, it's free and confidential. You can also search our on-line community services directory at www.211maine.org.
Why United Way?
We know you have many options when deciding how to invest your time and financial resources. Why United Way?
- Efficient Organization. Our United Way works hard to keep fund-raising costs low - more than 85 cents of every dollar contributed goes directly to help people in our community. Less than 15 cents is spent for fund-raising and administrative costs. Compare this with the average 30 to 40 cents spent on overhead by most charities nationally.
- Safety net. You may never know when you, a family member or a coworker will need help from a health or human service agency. That's why we cast a wide net of agencies we help -- from large agencies such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and the YMCA, to small, locally based agencies such as Good Samaritan and The Game Loft of Belfast.
- Resources. We provide a staff liaison, half-day training, an online toolkit, printed materials and more. Our goal is to make your campaign successful, and we'll walk with you every step of the way.
How can I help?
- Run an employee campaign. We have a strong community thanks to the thousands of local companies that offer their employees the opportunity to give back through a workplace campaign. Please give your employees the chance to join in this community-wide effort.
- Give a corporate gift. Our community has one of the highest levels of United Way corporate giving. A Corporate gift illustrates your organization's commitment to the community through the United Way.
- Give a Leadership gift. Your personal commitment to improving the community through a United Way gift of $1,000 or more. Leadership givers are eligible for special recognition and incentives.
- Hold a special event. Many local companies hold special event fundraisers to for the United Way. Some ideas include bake sales, candy sales, cook-outs, change wars, garage sales and golf tournaments.
Ready to try a campaign?
To discuss a workplace campaign or another way to help, contact
Kate Beale
Vice Presdident of Resource Development and Annual Campaign
207.941.2800 x 204
Special thanks to all company campaigns, especially our cornerstone companies:
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