Is your United Way lost? According to Merriam-Webster, there are no less than nine meanings for the word lost. When I think about United Way being lost, I am not thinking about the meanings “no longer possessed” or “not won.” For this blog post, I would ask you to consider whether or not your United Way is “unable to find the way” and if your United Way is “not appreciated or understood.”

Unfortunately, I do not know of a rapid in-office test you can take to determine if your United Way is lost in 15 minutes or less. Determining if your United Way is lost, requires a more complex test than you will be able to conduct yourself. In fact, you will need to talk with three groups of people to test whether or not your United Way is lost.

DONORS

Test Question for Donors: What does United Way do?

The ability to answer this question is almost more important than the answer itself. Our research with local United Way donors has found that on average one-third of donors cannot explain what United Way does. It seems implausible to think that someone who donates to United Way would be unable to explain what United Way does, but it happens far more often than you would think.

For the two-thirds of donors who think they know what United Way does, there is typically an incredible diversity of responses. Think of the parable about the blind men and an elephant, where each blind man feels a different part of the elephant, and each arrives at a different interpretation of what they are touching. United Way does many things according to donors, including some which are not quite the interpretation you were hoping for.

Ask a couple of your donors what your United Way does and see how they answer the question. If your donors do not know what your United Way does, then your United Way is lost.

Since this is a test, it is only fitting that we talk about the answer to the question “What does United Way do?” United Way staff and board members are often offended when donors say United Way is a “fundraiser” because they know United Way is so much more than a fundraiser. But you can hardly blame donors for thinking this, because United Ways have never been shy when it comes to talking about their processes. United Ways use a lot of processes for all sorts of things such as workplace campaigns, allocations, volunteering, outcomes evaluation, community impact, collective impact, and grants. Surrounded by all of these processes, many United Ways have fallen into the trap of talking about their processes – or “how the sausage is made.”

In our resource center we have a free video “The Simplest Way to Explain What Your United Way Does.” In this video, we share a simple formula for effective United Way communication that will transform your work.

COMMUNITY

Test Question for Community Members: When you think of United Way, what do you think of?

Let me be clear, plenty of people have heard of United Way and there is no question United Way has great name awareness. The problem is that most people do not have any perception of United Way. Our research has found that on average over half of all community members (anyone who lives in your community that does not donate to your United Way) don’t think of anything when it comes to United Way. If that isn’t bad enough, community members often think of things that bear no resemblance to United Way, such as an airline or insurance company.

Ask a couple of community members what they think of when they think of United Way and see how they answer the question. If your community does not think of anything, or they think of the wrong things, when they think of your United Way, then your United Way is lost.

How should your community members answer the question “When you think of United Way, what do you think of?” I would suggest that community members should think of your United Way as local, they should think of your United Way addressing a critical issue in your community, and that your United Way unites the community to address that issue.

Your community members need to know that your United Way is local. Each local United Way addresses local issues and does so in a manner appropriate for their local community. People should associate your United Way with a local issue you address. If your United Way has adopted community impact and you have selected a limited number of critical issues to address, then your United Way should be known for those issues. There is one word that applies to every United Way – united. United Ways convene volunteers, donors, partner agencies, governments, etc. to address the needs of the community. Uniting everyone is how United Way makes an impact. If this all sounds very familiar, check out my last blog post “Words Everyone Should Know.” 

BOARD

Test Question for Board Members: What is the purpose of United Way?

Of all the people who should be able to answer this question, you would think board members would be able to explain the purpose of United Way. But, alas, this is often not the case.

At your next board meeting, hand out a small index card to all of your board members. As your board members arrive for the board meeting, ask them to write the answer to the question “What is the purpose of United Way?” on the index card. I recommend a small index card because you don’t want your board members writing an essay to answer the question and a small index card forces them to think about their response.

Then, ask everyone to share what they wrote on their index card during the meeting. Chances are you will find that your board members are unable to articulate a common purpose of their own United Way. If your board members do not share a common purpose for your United Way, then your United Way is lost.

How should your board members answer the question “What is the purpose of United Way?” I don’t have the answer for you – your board bears the sole responsibility for determining the purpose of your United Way. According to policy governance guru John Carver, “The most important work of any governing board is to create and re-create the reason for organizational existence.” But, most United Way board meetings I have attended are spent listening to updates and reviewing reports, and not discussing the reason for organizational existence.

The most important board meeting you will have this year is our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat. During this retreat, your board and staff will examine the challenges your United Way is facing and decide if change is needed to solve them, and have an honest and open conversation about the direction your United Way will need to take to be successful in the future. This retreat will allow your board to determine the direction of your organization – you will no longer be lost.

Talking about our New Directions Board and Staff Retreat, a now retired executive director said “I appreciate the conversation that you have been able to start within our organization. This is not a conversation that could have been initiated or directed by staff, so your insightful and skilled methods for getting the board engaged in the discussion have been much appreciated. I wish you could have talked to our board and staff three years ago.”

IS YOUR UNITED WAY LOST?

How did your donors, community members, and board answer the test questions? After working with over 140 United Ways since 1989, I can tell you this is a tough test to pass.

The good news is that issue focused United Ways are passing this test everyday. Issue Focused United Ways choose an issue, like poverty, homelessness, graduation rate, or kindergarten readiness, and they lead and convene the community to make a measurable change on that issue. When a United Way is issue focused, donors know exactly what their contribution accomplishes because an issue focused United Way only addresses one issue and measures success by their bold goal, such as lifting 3,000 families to financial stability by 2030, or by 2025, all Skagit children entering kindergarten are ready to learn. Everyone – board, staff, donors, community, partner agencies, and workplace campaigns – knows what issue focused United Ways do and why they should support United Way.

If your United Way feels lost, lets talk. We can help.