How do we make our United Way relevant again?

In conferences, board retreats, webinars, and emails, this is a question we hear from local United Way leadership again and again. This question is never leadership wondering whether there is value in a local United Way’s presence. Instead, this question is a concise way for leadership to ask: Where do we go from here? How do we ensure we’re here to continue investing in our community 100 years from now?

Of course, while local leadership may not question that United Way has a place in their community, there are certainly other organizations that do.

• “United Way’s historical time has kind of come and gone…”
  Crain’s Business Chicago, Does the world still need United Way?

• “But it’s obvious that an increasing number of donors are asking a perfectly reasonable question now: Who needs a charitable middleman when causes and data galore are at our fingertips?”
  New York Times, United Way Searches for Its Place in a World of One-Click Giving

• “In the era of direct appeals and the ability to give online, why do we need a “middleman” to intercede on our behalf?”
  Minnesota Public Radio, Do we still need the United Way?

While this is just a brief sample of articles questioning the relevance of United Way, many more can be found with a simple Google search. The truth is, for those who work outside of the United Way network, it is often difficult to see the value United Way has to offer.

Gary and I agree with local United Way leadership that United Ways absolutely have a place in their communities. At the same time, we agree with many of the concerns raised in articles that question the value of United Way and the role it currently plays in most communities. In short, we believe strongly in the value of United Ways and that United Ways need to evolve to ensure they will still be around in 100 years.

While it is easy to focus on the singular challenge of relevance, the reality is that the challenge of relevance does not exists in isolation. A local United Way’s struggle to remain relevant constrains its ability to fundraise, which in turn presents limitations in how it can invest in and change the community. The challenge of relevance is just one facet of a larger system of obstacles that all United Ways need to overcome. So, with the interconnected nature of relevance, resource development, and community impact challenges, where do you start?

One place to start your journey to relevance is our upcoming webinar, How to Restore Relevance to Your United Way, on February 11 at 2 p.m. ET. We designed this free, 60-minute webinar to introduce you to how other United Ways are successfully tackling the challenge of relevance by first looking at their impact priorities.

We are excited to share this webinar with you! We know that addressing the challenge of relevance is critical to ensuring your United Way’s continued ability to impact your community, and we’re excited to help jump start your journey.

To learn more about our upcoming webinar or to register for free, click here. If you can’t make the live session, register anyway and we will send you a recording of the webinar.