Clarksville, TN, September 9, 2009 – Everyday another family loses their home, a child goes hungry, or another one of our neighbors loses their job. There are 32 different non-profit agencies partnering together to help those in need throughout Montgomery, Houston and Stewart Counties and the Fort Campbell Area. Assisting others is not their only thing in common. They are also a part of the United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region’s family.The purpose of United Way and its partner agencies is to work together to advance the common good in your community by partnering with community leaders and experts to determine the most critical issues and address the underlying causes of those issues. Partnered together, they are also able to provide more resources for a community member who needs assistance for multiple reasons. Together, the United Way and the agencies are able to accomplish more than a single group can on its own. They work together to create brighter futures and opportunities for all by focusing on the building blocks of a good life: health, education and income. Everyone succeeds when children and youth achieve their potential through education, when families become financially stable and independent and when people are in good health.
The United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region does much more than distribute donations to the partner agencies. They provide unique, proactive solutions for all community members such as 2-1-1, Women’s Leadership Council, financial stability classes and free income tax assistance.
Supporting the United Way is important to your community because they focus on community solutions. They are the catalyst for community change providing a neutral table allowing diverse groups to partner together, collaborate and share knowledge for a better community. They create community involvement by making sure your gifts stay local to solve local problems and meet local needs. With over a hundred experienced and knowledgeable volunteers, each partner agency and program is carefully examined before and after each dollar is spent. After the evaluation by those volunteers, agencies and programs that are found most effective and vital receive funding.
The advantage of giving through United Way rather than giving directly to individual agencies is one donation supports 32 agencies and their programs, and helps more people in more ways than any single organization. It also provides one united campaign to reduce costs to the agencies, so more people, time and resources are available to do the real work of the agency. Administrative, fundraising and processing costs are very low, with only 12 percent overhead, which is much lower than the average 40 percent reported by the Better Business Bureau and the National Charities Information Bureau. United Way volunteers also ensure that gifts go to well-run agencies, insuring support is distributed where it is most needed and providing the community with a well balanced network of human services.
United Way agencies are held accountable to all United Way donors. Every United Way agency meets high standards to assure quality and efficiency. Each agency is recognized by the IRS as a non-profit organization, is governed by a volunteer board of directors, provides for human care needs, is audited regularly by an independent CPA firm, submits quarterly reports, presents and defends their entire budget to a panel of community volunteers every year, operates at a reasonable cost, and United Way distributions and audited financial statements are public information.
There are many options for supporting the United Way. The most efficient is through a workplace campaign. Through this, all materials are provided as well as an easy to follow guideline. Any size business or organization, small or large, can conduct a campaign. A workplace campaign gives more community members the opportunity to be a part of the change. Simply distribute the materials and return the pledges to the United Way. Many businesses and organizations use the United Way campaign as a team-building experience for their employees by offering volunteer opportunities, creating friendly competition between different departments and more. Other ways to support the United Way include individual giving, such as major gifts, mail and internet contributions, as well as corporate giving, grants and sponsorships, and through planned giving.
To begin a workplace campaign or to discuss planned giving options, please call the United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region at (931) 647-4291. To make an individual or corporate contribution, simply mail it to United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region, 1300 Madison Street, Clarksville, TN 37040.
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