Welcome Your New Community Members

Are your community members aware of your United Way? What about new community members who have just moved to the area?

I recently moved from Michigan to Virginia and am trying to get familiar with the area. I have gone into town, searched some Web sites, and asked the locals about what there is to do in the area. While I have actively searched for information on my own, I have not received any information from local businesses or organizations. While I am familiar with United Ways and know how to search for my local United Way online, many people may not know there is a local United Way in the community.

United Way of East Central Iowa (Cedar Rapids, IA) has the right idea by welcoming new homeowners to the area. They partnered with KCRG to send out postcards to a group of new homeowners each month. They also created a welcome page on their Web site, allowing new homeowners to learn more about their United Way and to sign-up for their newsletter.

This is a great example of a creative way to spread awareness of your United Way and to connect with your community members. If your United Way welcomed every new face to the area, think of the level of awareness and the increase in support you could achieve. Spread awareness of your United Way - make your United Way known to both new and long-time residents in your community.