United Way nears $300K in early giving for 2021 Unity Campaign
Feb. 27—The United Way of Frederick County's 2021 Unity Campaign may be just around the corner, but it's already off to a strong start.
Early giving for the campaign, which has more than 30 local partners, is nearing $300,000. The campaign officially kicks off March 10 and will focus on funding for programs that directly support the health, education, and financial stability of ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) households that have been adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
"The early giving is really important," said Ken Oldham, president and CEO of United Way of Frederick County. "We know from our experience with the Unity Campaign, and other campaigns, that the earlier the start tends to be, that the larger the numbers get, and we're excited to see people responding."
The goal of the campaign this year is to have more than 1,000 contributors.
"In a time like this, we would really like to see as many people chip in as possible," Oldham said.
United Way officials in September announced that the Unity Campaign would be moved to March, but Oldham said the decision was made before COVID-19.
"Normally, the fall time frame is busy with other activities, particularly when it comes to National Recovery Month," he told the News-Post. "For a number of reasons, we were looking at the spring, and there is not as much going on in the spring. So, we thought it was going to be a good change. Not to mention, many of the nonprofits we work with need cash flow going into summer. So, there was more opportunity in the spring, with less competition."
United Way of Frederick County adopted the Unity Campaign in 2017, and in 2019, the campaign raised more than $590,000. This year's effort runs through March 21.
When United Way released the ALICE report in 2020 — using data from 2018 — 37 percent of Frederick County households were struggling to afford the basic cost of living. And that was before the pandemic.
"What the early data is showing, and we hope to have more to show here in the next couple months about this, is that the need amongst our ALICE households has increased substantially," Oldham said, adding that ALICE families have been the most severely affected by the health and economic consequences of the pandemic.
ALICE families are not only more likely to catch the virus but also to experience negative employment outcomes, including being laid off, furloughed or having their hours reduced during the pandemic, he said.
As an organizer, Oldham said the run-up to the campaign is both nerve-racking and exciting.
"Ultimately, where we're really looking forward is the outpouring of support from our community to support our ALICE households," he said.
The time between campaigns hasn't gone to waste.
"What we've been able to use the time for is a lot more planning around the campaign, a lot more coordination of the organizations, getting our policies and planning in a better place from what they were pre-pandemic," he said.
They've also been able to use the time to fundraise, but challenges remain.
"In a situation like this, we never know what to expect," he said. "So we anticipate that our community is going to step up and make more contributions than ever before, but we don't really know that. The world has changed a good bit."
On the other hand, opportunities have arisen, including using electronic media more than ever, something Oldham believes will help the campaign reach more people.
"We have the opportunity to help more people achieve some conclusion to this pandemic and hopefully emerge stronger," he said.
Follow Hannah Himes on Twitter: @hannah_himes
