United Way Of Mahaska County Beyond Campaign Season
Bank Iowa was one of several area businesses that had 100% of their employees donate to United Way of Mahaska County’s Annual Campaign. (submitted photo)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The United Way of Mahaska County serves the residents in the area, through support and collaboration with various agencies, helping to impact the lives of those in need.
Campaign is the time of the year where the United Way raises funds to be designated to those programs the following year.
Their donations, as well as all the gifts from community members and organizations, make it all possible for United Way of Mahaska County to continue to run its many programs, as well as support nonprofits in the community. In 2014, UWMC gave $220,000 to 11 nonprofits serving Mahaska County. Donations also make possible programs like Iowa Reading Corps, Day of Caring, Operation Backpack, Annual Winter Coat Drive and VITA Tax program, which provides tax services to our low income population.
The access that United Way has in the communities to raise funds helps those smaller nonprofits who may be short staffed or understaffed and don’t have the capabilities to fund raise to the level needed to continue. “We can do that on their behalf,” says Langdon.
United Way of Mahaska County Director Amy Langdon talked about the organization’s goal of $400,000 for this year. Langdon is still optimistic that the goal will be reached. “It’s campaign time. It’s a big time of the year for us to be receiving all of those community dollars so that we can keep doing what we are doing,” explained Langdon.
Attaining that goal for UWMC became tougher when one of the communities largest employers and a supporter of the United Way in Mahaska County prepares to close it doors. “It’s a little bit difficult when that kind of stuff happens,” says Langdon.
Participation by residents during campaign has the United Way working to show their thanks to those that give. Yard signs show the group’s gratitude for the financial sacrifices made by individuals and families. Another benefit to the signs is increased awareness for the United Way program and its efforts.
“Someone came up with the idea of yard signs, and I think it was a good one,” said Langdon of the newly implemented signs. “Any time we got a donation over $150 dollars, we went and put a yard sign up.”
As old-man winter arrived, the frozen ground made installing those yard signs impossible.
“It was cool to see neighborhoods… that were packed with signs,” said Langdon.
In January, the board for United Way will sit down and decide how those funds raised will be dispersed. “It’s a new process every year,” explained Langdon.
Most of the organizations that benefit from the fundraising United Way does are the same from year to year. Every year though, fresh eyes look at the programs and decide where those dollars are most effective to the community.
The United Way is also transitioning beyond just the people that “collect your money and the people who give out your money,” says Langdon. Fundraising will continue to be an important role for the United Way, “we don’t want to be measuring in dollars as much as measuring in impact,” says Langdon. “If there is things we could be doing that can be helping facilitate new programs, helping coordinate things, we really want to be seen as kind of the collaboration piece,” added Langdon.
Those collaboration efforts have been highlighted in a year that has seen a new fixed bus route start. That and the summer lunch program are examples of programs the orginization helped to facilitate. “We’re not the sponsor of it [summer lunch program],… it’s about bringing people in the room and listening to people when they say there is a growing need”, said Langdon of the coordination efforts put in place.
“We can see the impact that’s having,” said Langdon. “It’s not necessarily shown in Campaign numbers but that’s still a huge new program that is starting because of what we’ve been able to help facilitate.”
“The bus is another great example of that,” said Langdon. The need for transportation solutions has been discussed for years in the Oskaloosa area. “We wanted to help facilitate that,” said Langdon. “Again it’s not a United Way bus, but we kind of brought the people together who could make that happen.”
The United Way did help in raising the funds for the bus, to the tune of $25,000 and wrote a community grant. The United Way also helped to get in place the Iowa DOT match.
“I feel like we could really be the ‘starting people’ for a lot of people,” says Langdon. “It’s just helping them make a connection.”
For more information on United Way of Mahaska County’s campaign, you can go online at UnitedWayMahaska.org or call 641.673.6043.
