A New Year, A New Decade, A New Future for Your United Way

Happy New Year! It is clearly a new year, and while there is some debate if 2020 is the start of a new decade, I’ll wish you a Happy New Decade just to be safe.

What is not in dispute is this new decade will bring a new future for United Ways. Recently announced changes from United Way Worldwide, along with competitive, economic, political, technological, and social change all add up to a new future for United Ways.

We will be talking about four of the most impactful changes and trends that are challenging United Ways during our webinar next Tuesday, “The Four 2020 Trends You Cannot Ignore.” Join us for an honest and frank conversation about declining campaigns, fewer donors, aging donors, and the rise of digital giving that could put an end to your United Way unless you do things differently in the future. Lest you think this webinar is all gloom and doom, we will talk about what United Ways can and should do now to succeed and overcome these challenges.

And while these trends may be obvious and the solutions are not easy, the fundamental truth is this:

United Ways that do not change will not survive.

The most important thing you will do in 2020 is to decide how your United Way needs to change and start the process of adopting those necessary changes. Your United Way needs more than a New Year’s resolution: it needs clear direction and priorities for change. Take a look at United Ways that are succeeding today and you will see that they are all doing things differently than they were 10 years ago.

Over the past two years, we have been working with United Ways of all sizes throughout the United States to develop a unique retreat that helps United Ways better understand their challenges and plan for change. At our “Challenges and Opportunities Retreat,” we bring together your board and staff to talk about the challenges facing your United Way and solutions that address your challenges. This board retreat has changed the future of dozens of United Ways, and it can change the future of your United Way too.

The new future for United Ways will look different than the past. Seize control of your United Way’s future today by carefully examining your challenges and plan to make the changes necessary to overcome those challenges. Decide the future of your United Way now and plan the changes you need to make to be successful for the next decade.