Moving Beyond the Usual

Are you connected to a cause? In our last REACH newsletter we talked about corporate social responsibility and the environment. This blog continues the conversation...

Polar Bears. The Environment. Oceans.

When you see or hear these words, you probably get a visual in your mind... maybe of a mother polar bear with her cubs surrounded by a sea of ice... or a lush green rain forest untouched by humans... maybe it’s hump back whales swimming effortlessly through clear blue water.

You may also think of the companies that are associated with these causes (Coca Cola, TD, RBC). The organizations that have combined their brands and sense of corporate social responsibility to raise awareness – both of the causes they support and their businesses. In addition to awareness, new dollars are raised to help address these needs.

You’ve probably seen the posters, donation boxes and advertisements for the many causes being supported by companies, large companies in particular. Some work through existing charities, and others have set up their own foundations. Individuals and companies are now becoming associated with the causes they support, and vice versa.

So, what does this mean for United Way KW?   

It means that we have to work with corporate and individual donors differently. In addition to fundraising for our community through the annual campaign, we have different conversations – conversations that include a discussion of a company’s corporate social responsibility philosophy, their business goals, and legacy wishes. Knowing these things helps us to bring awareness of community needs to corporate and individual donors in a personal, directed and more meaningful way, and allows them to find new ways to work with us and advance their own goals.

So, what does this mean for our community?

In addition to new awareness and new perspective, it brings new dollars to our community. Through United Way KW, these dollars will be used to give possibilities to people living in poverty; to build healthy and strong neighbourhoods; and to help kids be all that they can be.

This community has always rallied to support our annual fall fundraising campaign. We at United Way KW are working hard right now, as are many volunteers and supporters, to raise the funds needed in our community. The campaign fundraiser year-after-year, helps to make our community strong, vibrant and supportive for all. We believe that by raising awareness and working with others to focus financial investments in alignment with corporate social philosophies and individual giving based on values and hopes for the future, we bring about positive change to the areas in our community that need our attention the most. Together we will create a stronger and more vibrant community. Change Starts Here!

Sincerely,

Cathy Snyder

CFO/CAO, United Way KW

Guest Blogger - Joanna Lohrenz, Manulife Financial

Manulife's Signature Cause of Volunteerism 
  

Whether it’s making a financial investment during our annual United Way campaign or investing time by volunteering at a community project, our employees bring a lot of commitment and enthusiasm to everything they do in their communities.  During my 13 years at Manulife, I have seen high levels of philanthropic and charitable giving from all corners of the company.   

Since 1947, Manulife has been supporting the United Way across Canada. A lot of this support comes from our annual two-week campaign held in September. During these two weeks, employees, advisors and retirees are encouraged to make a donation to United Way or to a charity of their choice. Their donations have twice the impact because Manulife matches every donation to United Way, dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000 per person, and up to $1,000 per person for any registered charity of their choice.

Importantly, the impact of these donations is felt right across Canada – not just here in K-W. Each year, thousands of Manulife employees, advisors and retirees - from Halifax to Vancouver - make a donation during the campaign.

The success of this campaign would not be possible without our employee volunteers. These dedicated individuals do everything from organizing events and securing prizes to encouraging others to get involved. It is important to note that they make this commitment on top of their day-to-day work roles. Many put in extra time during the evenings and weekends to make sure the campaign runs smoothly. Their dedication is a true reflection of Manulife’s signature cause of volunteerism.

All donations, regardless of the amount, are important because not only will they improve lives today, they also help build a better future for Canadians. I can’t tell you how  incredibly proud I am to work alongside people who are so committed to building strong, and vibrant communities and for a company that celebrates and promotes the importance of volunteerism – a cause near and dear to my heart.
 

Joanna Lohrenz

VP, Manulife Investments & Chair, 2012 Manulife United Way Campaign

Day of Caring 2012

Day of Caring – Photos Are Up! 

What an incredible day!  I think we can all agree that Day of Caring was filled with excitement, energy and experiences that will last a long time.  Its experiences like the ones we shared on September 19^th that reminds us why our community is amazing.  Together, we made change in KW.  A special thanks to everyone involved that helped to make this event a huge a success.

You can see more photos at Facebook and Flickr.

If you have photos from the event we would love for you to share them with us on Facebook.

A few photo’s from the day:

Youth4Change 

If you’ve heard of 29 Leaps, then you’ve heard of Madi MacIntyre. We are pleased to welcome her to the team as our Youth Champion.  Madi comes to us on the heels of her successful campaign - 29 leaps. We are thrilled to have her working with KW’s youth to help make a difference in our community. Madi will be giving updates through video blogs, twitter and facebook @Youth4ChangeKW.  Make sure you follow Madi on her journey.

Check out Madi’s latest video discussing her goals for United Way KW and the youth in our community! 

Jennifer Allan - 2012 Campaign Champion

We’ve got ourselves a Champion...

A champion of change.

 

Every team needs a captain to help empower its players to rise above and go for the gold. In the recent London Olympic Games, we saw Canada’s own Christine Sinclair lead the women’s soccer team to victory!  United Way KW may not be an Olympic team but each campaign needs a captain who will help drive the campaign to goal.  We call this role the Campaign and Leadership Champion.

Meet Jennifer Allan our Campaign and Leadership Champion this year.  An avid supporter of United Way KW and a 17-year employee of Economical Insurance, Jennifer was named Vice President, HR Programs and Corporate Communications in mid 2011. 

As the captain of our campaign team, Jennifer fills a very public role.  Jennifer is going to help us ramp up the energy and enthusiasm in the community by acting as the voice and face of the campaign. Much like Christine Sinclair did for her team during the games.

Our staff is pleased to have someone with Jennifer’s experience and passion leading the way beside us.

“I had the privilege of leading Economical's leader donor campaign for the past two years. I know how critical leader donations are. I'm so excited to share my enthusiasm for United Way KW and the impact it makes in our community.” - Jennifer Allan.

Thank you to Jennifer for volunteering to help us raise needed funds for this community.  Let’s go for the gold!

DO YOU CARE?

 

It's that time of year again when we put caring into action with our annual event - Day of Caring. 

What is Day of Caring? It's about making a difference with more than just dollars... it's about donating time through volunteerism.    From painting murals to cleaning up local walking trails, Day of Caring leaves a lasting impression on everyone involved.   Just ask Lisa Drew, 570 News Anchor, about her experience from last year’s Day of Caring.

How do you get involved?

United Way KW matches volunteers from organizations with various local projects.  Fill out an application today to be a volunteer or submit a project you'd like completed.

Don’t have a team? Don’t worry! Do an act of caring on your own. Volunteer to do something, anything at all, to help others in our community and celebrate Day of Caring. 

AND don't forget to join us at the Kitchener Market for our public event.

Day of Caring Itinerary:

9AM-5PM: Projects occur

12:00PM-1:30PM: Light lunch and public event at Kitchener Market with a guest performance by Slam Dunk Entertainment.

REGISTER NOW for the Day Caring Celebration and a $10 lunch voucher. While supplies last.

Follow us on twitter @UnitedWayKW #DayofCaringKW

Special thanks to our Day of Caring sponsors:

Kitchener Market

Scotiabank

Denison Print

Hope to see you there!

EVEN CHANGE NEEDS TO CHANGE

The recent government decision to cancel production of the one cent coin offers a perfect analogy for the challenges United Way KW has experienced in terms of raising money in traditional ways. Long story short, even change needs to change.

Jokes and puns about the penny abound, and many folks have taken a stance on the matter.

I’m not interested in arguing both sides of the coin (sorry, couldn’t resist). It costs more to make pennies than the coins are worth, so cancelling production was a solid decision that time had come.

When cost exceeds benefit, or when existing conditions are no longer advantageous, change needs to happen.

This is precisely the situation that United Way KW has faced in recent years. Placing all emphasis on fall workplace campaigns limited our ability to reach certain members of the community and grow our revenue to meet rising needs.

Diversification is critical not only for success, but sometimes even survival, as we’re increasingly witnessing in the not-for-profit and social services sectors. We all need to look for ways to be resilient in an ever-changing environment. 

For this reason, we’re branching out with additional revenue sources like sponsorships, business and funding partnerships, grants, special events, direct mail campaigns and social media campaigns. Such efforts will help ensure that United Way KW continues to thrive - and hence our community too.

  

Nancy Bird

Vice President, Resource Mobilization

United Way KW