2011 Campaign

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2011 Campaign Goal Set at $22,000,000

The 2011 United Way campaign is officially under way with a goal of $22,000,000. The figure was approved at the September 20 Board of Directors meeting. Instead of a traditional campaign kickoff event, United Way will have a "virtual kickoff" September 23 by emailing a video message to supporters on the United Way email list. The video will outline United Way's work in the areas of education, financial stability and health. The campaign will continue until February 15.

Campaign Chair Scott Spiker, President and CEO of First Command Financial Services, Inc., will be assisted by a Campaign Cabinet that will help guide the fund drive. Cabinet members besides Scott are:
• Immediate Past Campaign Chair Julie H. Wilson, Vice Pres.-Urban Development Chesapeake Energy
• Carol Caprio, Sales Enablement Executive IBM
• Magdalena de la Teja, Vice Pres. for Student Development Services Tarrant County College – Northeast Campus
• Cami Goff, Community Volunteer
• Bowie Hogg, Asst. Vice Pres. Health Advocate Inc.
• Sharon Leite, Exec. Vice Pres., Stores Pier 1 Imports
• James Powell, Senior Transportation Planner North Central Texas Council of Governments
• Heather Reynolds, Pres. and CEO Catholic Charities, Diocese of Fort Worth
• Chad Toppass, Data Analyst Pier 1 Imports

Workplaces Gear Up

United Way fund drives have geared up already at multiple companies, including large venues such as BNSF, Oncor and DFW Airport, whose contributions from many airport businesses make it virtually a campaign-within-a-campaign.

BNSF, one of only three companies to contribute $2 million or more last year, is among the organizations that connect employees to United Way’s work in a hands-on way by conducting United Way Day of Caring service projects as part of their campaigns. For example, the BNSF Consumer Products Marketing Group spruced up Children’s Place Creative Learning Center in the Meadowbrook area of Fort Worth by painting the child care center, rebuilding the handicapped accessible front porch, mulching the playground, and trimming trees, among other things.

Children’s Place is part of a school readiness program that United Way supports through the YWCA of Fort Worth & Tarrant County to upgrade child care center standards and help young children develop the skills needed to succeed in school.

Organized Labor Lends Support

Organized labor is also solidly behind the campaign. A United Way/Labor Summit held Sept. 13 at the headquarters of the Tarrant County Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO brought together leaders of both United Way and organized labor. Central Labor Council President T.C. Gillespie is a member of the United Way Board.

Echoing this year’s campaign theme, “United Way: A Great R.O.I.,” United Way staff outlined some of the ways donors are getting a great return on their investment in the areas of education, financial stability and health. Union leaders had an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

United Way employees dug deep into their own pockets to pledge during the in-house United Way campaign. Following the best practice of making fund-raising fun, they raised money through activities such as bailing senior level staff out of a virtual jail. The final tally for the United Way employees’ campaign was $64,272.