Why I Was Never Involved With United Way

The first week of May marks my three-year anniversary of working at Perspectives and working with United Ways around the country. In my three years I have been blessed to work with so many amazing United Ways actively changing their communities for the better. I have been inspired by the dedication of United Ways and their staff and their tireless efforts to help those most in need. And I look forward to many more years working to help United Ways on their journey.

As I was sitting in my office the other day, thinking about anniversaries and how this job has changed me, I started to think back to my interview for this job and the days immediately following. I’ll admit it was a little intimidating and I felt very lost. Because there was one problem I had when I got hired here: I had no idea what a United Way was.

I knew it was a charity of sorts, I had gathered that much from my cursory Googling before my interview, but that was pretty much it. I didn’t know what they did, and I absolutely wasn’t passionate about working with them. It was just a job I was taking. In fact, until I walked in the door of this building, I would have sworn I had never interacted with a United Way once in my life.

So, imagine my surprise when, during my interview, Gary pulled out an old PowerPoint presentation I had done that was lurking out on the internet all about United Way and my experience job shadowing a Public Relations specialist at my local United Way for a day. In that moment it all came rushing back to me.

I was a freshman in high school in a mid-sized midwestern city and a family friend had worked for our local United Way. So, when it came time to job shadow someone for a college prep class I was taking I just happened to ask her. At the time I had no intention of going into public relations and no interest in United Way. It’s funny how the world works sometimes isn’t it?

I followed her and some other staff members around as they prepared for their Power of the Purse event planned for later that evening. I walked with her to the venue, helped them sort purses for the auction later, and listened to her talk about a particular program their United Way was running that she was passionate about. It was an interesting experience and I enjoyed my time there. But at the end of the day, I had no idea what that United Way actually did, what the money from the event I had helped prepare for would do, and the idea that, to be honest, I wasn’t needed there.

At that high school I was a part of our student council. And as part of the council, I needed to get volunteer hours. Even after visiting that United Way, I never volunteered with them. Why would I? I was busy loading food for the food pantry or raising money for a local children’s hospital. I knew what those places did and they made it abundantly clear that not only was I wanted, I could make meaningful change with them. That United Way I visited slowly faded to the back of my mind, to the point that I had forgotten the entire experience until I started working with Perspectives.

Of course, my opinion has changed. But the reason it has changed is because I was blessed with an opportunity to work closely with United Ways, to see the dedication and the work being done in communities around the country. Most potential donors in the younger generations don’t have that opportunity.

United Ways need to be better about reaching out to the younger generations, both Millennials and Gen Z, and creating meaningful connections. The reason I was never involved with United Way was because I didn’t know what they did, I wasn’t asked, and I didn’t feel there was a place for me. As a member of the younger generation, I can tell you there are plenty of people like me in your communities waiting to become your donors. But they won’t come to you. You have to go find them and convince them that you are the charity that is going to accomplish change in your community.

I believe in United Way. How could I not after three years of watching amazing work be done? But I also believe that many of you are not doing as much as you could to get younger donors in the door. You need the younger generations just as much as they need United Ways in their communities. You just need to convince them of that.

If you want to learn how to attract younger donors and convince them that you are the charity they need to give to, then join me for our 60-minute webinar The Next Generation Wants to Give, Get Them to Give to You on May 12th at 2 p.m. ET.