United Way will announce 2012 campaign results in annual meeting Thursday

It’s been a challenging year, and the United Way of Anderson County is scaling back its annual meeting this year and reducing expenses.

The campaign results from 2012 will be announced at an annual meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, a UWAC member agency. The meeting is open to the public with advance reservation. It will include a brief networking and continental breakfast, followed by the annual business meeting and campaign recognition.

“On the eve of announcing significant funding reductions to partner agencies and programs, we felt it important to send a message to our agency partners and public that we are in this together,” UWAC Board President Greta Ownby said. “We hope that by hosting the event at an agency we can bring more awareness to the essential services offered in Anderson County—services that need our financial support.”

The press release said there have been significant declines in campaign pledges, sponsorships, and collections, and UWAC is preparing for another challenging year.

Still, there has been a bright spot.

“Though it was a challenging campaign, we saw more than a 32 percent average increase in contributions from more than a dozen companies,” said 2012 UWAC Campaign Chair Tom Hilton of Y-12 Federal Credit Union.

UWAC has postponed its annual golf tournament until the fall, hoping that corporate sponsorships will be more readily available, the release said. Staff members and volunteers are focusing on a grand “Kick-off Gala” to begin the fundraising season on a “positive and enthusiastic note.” The gala has always been in late August. But this year, the theme will be “Christmas in July,” and the gala will be held on July 13 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge.

Besides changing its annual events, the UWAC staff and board said they have made “every effort to reduce expenses and are moving forward into the next campaign with a new message.”

“We are turning the focus on our partner agencies and shedding more light on the positive outcomes of their programs and services” said UWAC Executive Director Rick Morrow. “As this economic depression continues, we see a greater need for services and assistance. We have more people faced with choosing between buying groceries or paying for utilities. It triggers a chain reaction that directly affects the health of our community.”

The release said employment and financial stress can create the need for multiple jobs, relationship stress, less family time, children who are not able to get academic help at home, and some who go to school hungry.

“The effects of these strains will be evident long after the economy begins to recover,” the release said. “Early intervention is a key factor in improving the long-term health of a community. UWAC funds programming through partner agencies that helps alleviate these stresses on families and individuals and focuses on providing basic needs, supporting youth development, and supporting seniors.”

Kicking off the campaign in July will give the campaign an earlier start, the release said. With that earlier start, UWAC is hoping to build new relationships, introduce campaigns to companies that have never run one, and offer them as much support and information in those campaigns as they can.

The release said some companies turn their UWAC fundraising drives into enjoyable activities, and United Way has a team of team of loaned executives that can work with company campaign coordinators and support them in their efforts. Contact the UWAC for more information.

The release said agency partners will be asked to “do more with less” this year, and several might have to close, or limit or discontinue services, without UWAC funding.

“UWAC needs this community to rally around these agencies and their programs,” the release said. “They are committed to promoting program information and successes and bringing deeper awareness to the public when it comes to the challenges and solutions in this community. They are confident that when companies, employees, retirees, and individuals in this community know more, they will give more.”

The 2011 campaign raised $1,374,862, which supplied stable funding to 34 agencies and touched more than 51,000 lives.

For more information or to RSVP for the annual meeting, send an e-mail to [email protected] or call (865) 483-8431.