UWMC Board Chair Note
Looking forward to 2018
2017 was a transitional year for United Way Manitowoc County. We welcomed a new executive director, funded 20 programs through Local Community Impact Grants, and brought Dan Pallotta’s Bolder Board Training as a resource for nonprofit capacity building.
UWMC did not set a financial goal for the 2017 campaign. We did, however, set a goal of reaching 3,000 donors. As of February, we are barely at 1,000. In a county of 30,000 people, that says something: the community is demanding better of us. We need to change how we do business. We will be using the money raised this year as a new base line for moving forward with new strategies and board governance. This is what 2018 is all about.
We will have an agenda more focused on advocacy, volunteerism, and issue-based fundraising. We need to strengthen our accountability and response to human and social needs in Manitowoc County. You will see us position our efforts around issues, not agencies or programs. United Way focuses on health, education, and financial stability because those are the building blocks of a good quality life and the pathway to opportunity.
Collectively, United Ways across the globe aspire to reduce high school dropout numbers, increase the number of people leading healthy lives, and increase financial stability for low-income families. Locally, we see ourselves as a critical broker in effecting community change with an issues-based vision that requires organizations to work together and address Manitowoc County’s needs.
Lack of funding, turnover in leadership, contentious issues between boards and staff, and other problems are chronic nationally in many nonprofit organizations as they learn new ways to adapt to increasing needs. We have not been immune to this locally, so maintaining the optimism to be partners in change will be a constant challenge for all nonprofits in Manitowoc County.
Progress means we adapt to our situation. We strive to be successful regardless of our circumstances. Too often, the public only hears negative stories occurring within nonprofits. Lack of information, and even misinformation, distances us from potential donor-investors. We need to do a better job of letting the public know the ways in which we have an impact on local issues and how donors can become confident investors in United Way Manitowoc County. We look forward to working with you all in 2018 as we move forward with this Agenda for Change.
Sincerely,
Sheila Schetter
UWMC Board Chair
