When I became Executive Director of the Hutchinson Area United Way in November 2006, I had friends who I’d grown up with in town express they were unsure as to United Way’s function, or even local existence. Those statements are not meant to disparage any of the civic-minded people who have volunteered their precious time serving on the organization’s board, or helping with the annual fall campaign dating back to 1962. It’s simply a reality, that despite a lot of people’s best efforts over five decades, a percentage of the region’s population knows little about United Way’s work. That’s not to say their lives have not been affected by our organization, they may just not realize it.

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For some time United Ways across the country have fought the perception that they are an organization that, “Surfaces to ask for money in the fall then goes underground for the rest of the year.” We took an introspective look in the mirror, and realized that statement hit uncomfortably close to home. Until recently, we did not have a single special event or program that people in the region recognized as a United Way initiative. That fact, coupled with the reality that we face an enormous informational learning curve with many county residents, gave us pause for concern.

Soon after merging with the Glencoe Area United Fund in the summer of 2008, our board of directors began to look into what other United Ways were doing in regards to changing the way their communities viewed them. In talking to other UW boards and staffs, we realized that we needed to tweak our business model to retain our corporate partners and attract a new generation of donors. When most people think of the United Way, their sole vision is that of the workplace campaign. That is still the core of what we do and the foundation of any success we might have. However, we feel the need to try to create long-lasting community change by addressing underlying causes of the most significant local issues. (more…)

United Way of McLeod County Board President Jennifer Grimsley announced today that the regional non-profit has partnered with GiveMN.org to promote on-line philanthropy in the area. GiveMN allows contributors access to every charitable non-profit in Minnesota, while giving those organizations equal access to on-line contributors. 

Minnesotans lead the nation in charitable giving – individuals in this state gave more than $4 billion to charity last year. The United Way of McLeod County, together with GiveMN.org – a first-of-its-kind giving web site for nonprofits in Minnesota – is working to change the way Minnesotans experience giving and help create a stronger nonprofit community in the state.  (more…)