Though the Capital Area United Way’s 2019 workplace giving campaign continues through the first few weeks of the new year, CAUW CEO George Bell is optimistic that when the final numbers are tallied the agency will see a reversal of what has been a years-long decline in contributions.
“We just shared with our board that we are cautiously optimistic that we will achieve our goal—which is to improve over last year, to turn the tide and stabilize,” Bell says.
In 2018, the CAUW workplace giving campaign, which is where the bulk of the revenues the agency redistributes to dozens of local nonprofit organizations comes from, raised $6.2 million.
That’s a far cry from the $9 million or so the CAUW’s campaigns raised in 2013 and 2014. But workplace giving patterns have changed, as younger workers want greater say over where their charitable dollars are going.
Changes to federal tax law have also made charitable giving less attractive because it’s harder to claim deductions.
As a result, the CAUW has overhauled its funding model in recent years, making more strategic investments in fewer agencies that provide services in the areas of health, education, income stability and basic needs, and awarding smaller grants for specific projects and programs to other needy nonprofits.
In 2018, the agency invested nearly $5 million in the community. Some $2.7 million went to partner agencies in its four focus areas, while $300,000 was awarded to other nonprofits for specific projects.
Additionally, CAUW invested $1.1 million in programs and initiatives designed to help nonprofit organizations and another $807,000 in designated gifts.
Bell says he believes 2019 will prove to be more successful than 2018 for a couple of reasons. The agency has done a better job “executing its strategy and making sure we are doing the best job possible to make sure our messaging is on point.”
CAUW also hired a full-time resource development officer, a position that previously was tasked with also doing marketing and communications for the agency.
“That has really given us a much more focused effort on executing and delivering,” he says.
Final numbers for the 2019 workplace giving campaign should be released in March.
