United Way kicks off its annual campaign
The United Way of Southeast Alaska began a $650,000 fund-raising drive today.
Marsha Riley, executive director of the agency, said she and campaign coordinator John Williams hope contributors will help them reach the goal, which is $100,000 more than the amount raised in last year's campaign, within the next eight weeks.
The agency announced the fund-raising goal at today's Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
United Way acts as an umbrella organization for 31 member agencies that serve throughout Southeast Alaska, Riley said. Instead of having each agency raise money, United Way organizes the fund-raising campaign and coordinates the distribution of funds. That way, community members can be assured their money will be put to good use, she said.
"Every one of these organizations has been checked out," Riley said. "Responsible citizens have reviewed applications and made sure that (the organizations) are using their funds well. By working within the United Way campaign, people have the assurance that their money is being well spent to ensure their needs."
This is the first time in 10 years the United Way in Juneau will have a campaign coordinator and a structured campaign plan.
"Usually, the campaign-coordinator position is considered to be a tremendous honor for a high-profile person in a city," Williams said. "But Juneau has lacked some organization in its private campaign drives. My goal this year is to build up the program, get it some recognition, and establish an infrastructure so that in coming years a higher-profile person can do this job without so much effort."
On a per-person basis, United Way contributions in Juneau are light, Williams said. "Anchorage, which is roughly 10 times the size of Juneau, raises $9.5 million a year, so we really should be closer to $1 million."
Contributions can be made through payroll deductions or direct donations. Donors can designate specific charities and nonprofit organizations to receive their money, or donations can go into a general fund and be distributed by a committee.
"Community volunteers on the allocation committee can determine the needs our community faces from year to year and decide where the money is most needed," Riley said. "For example, if underage drinking becomes a problem in the community, we can put the money to an organization that serves that cause. If a lumber mill or cannery closes, we'll help charities in that area."
Riley said after Sept. 11 last year a lot of people gave to national
organizations for disaster relief. That left fewer dollars for local activities, and caused a hardship for local organizations, she said.
United Way of Southeast Alaska has only one full-time employee and one quarter-time employee, Riley said.
"All of the agencies that we help have a direct impact on the lives of people in this community," Riley said. "United Way just takes care of the fund-raising so the agencies can do their job."
For more information, call the organization at 463-5530.
Christine Schmid can be reached at cschmid@juneauempire.com.