Campaign Update November 2
UNITED WAY PASSES MIDWAY MARK TOWARDS 2007 CAMPAIGN GOAL

Contact: Kelley Nave, APR, at 423-752-0322, 304-3579 or at kelleynave@uwchatt.org?
For Immediate Release Upon Receipt

UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN PASSES HALFWAY MARK

United Way of Greater Chattanooga has reached 56.27 percent of its $11.7 million target goal, raising $6,586,946 so far during the 2007 Community Campaign.

?The fundraising pace is back on track at this time,? says Campaign Chairman Mike Butler, ?but we ask that everyone remain diligent and continue to push forward so we?ll complete the campaign on target or even ahead of projections. I urge anyone who hasn?t yet had a chance to give to the United Way campaign this year to consider donating now.

Contributions can be made by calling United Way at 752-0300 or going online at uwchatt.org. To date, there have been 20 new employee campaigns and 17 new corporate or 'special? gifts made to United Way. Some companies run campaigns through December, so it's never too late to hold an employee campaign or make a donation.

Some highlights from the 2007 campaign include:

• Ashley Evans successfully increased giving at the AIM Center by 25 percent. "As AIM Center's employee campaign manager for over 5 years, I've never had 100 percent participation, although our overall giving has increased," she began. "I started preparing for our employee campaign last spring by purchasing fun prizes. At her staff meeting, she told everyone how the AIM Center uses United Way funds. Next, she set goals ? the first and most important being 100 percent participation. Her second goal was to increase contributions by 10 percent ($3,000). Staff who previously gave only token gifts stepped up with monthly gifts. Everyone increased their giving by 10 percent. AIM hit the $3,000 goal and passed it. Employees were personally thanked for their gifts and told about final total.
• David Brooks, employee campaign manager for the Chattanooga Fire Department, wanted to make a big difference. So he held employee meetings to include every city firefighter. For three consecutive days, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., he held six meetings. Each had more than 20 attendees. The Fire Dept. asked American Red Cross to speak because it works so closely with that agency. A total of 317 firefighters heard the United Way message. The result??In 2006, the Fire Department pledged $6,812 with 39 percent participation. In 2007, the Fire Department pledged $12,627.50 ? an 85 percent increase representing $5,815.50 new dollars.
• EPB reported their?campaign results and?employee giving is up almost 10 percent.Last year they?reached an all time high, so they reduced?this year's?goal fearing they couldn't do as well again. Not only did they "fly by" both the reduced goal?and last?year's total, but they?reached the "center ring" with a whopping $170,000.

United Way of Greater Chattanooga funds local services that create opportunities for people to care for themselves and each other, making our community the best at helping people achieve their potential. Thanks to an endowment fund that covers all administrative and fundraising expenses, all contributions (100 percent) go directly to services that help individuals and families in greater Chattanooga, north Georgia and northeast Alabama.??

Call the United Way at 423-752-0300 for more information.

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