Amanda Bibbins

ENGL 3134-R50

November 11, 2010

Module 4, Assignment 4

Assignment 6: Case Development Assignment Part II

United Way of Northwest Georgia

United Way of Northwest Georgia

Amanda Bibbins

November 10, 2009

PADM 4226 (R53 F09C)

 The Whitfield Community Chest, formerly The

Empty Stocking Fund and now the United Way of

Northwest Georgia, began in 1946 after a bet between

Mrs. M.E. Judd and Mr. Lamar Westcott. According to

Mrs. Lamar Westcott:

At first the Community Fund was known as The

Empty Stocking Fund and only a few hundred

dollars was contributed. Sometime, probably, in

the mid forties she bet my husband that he

couldn’t raise $4,000.00 - an unheard of sum. The town had a population of

3,000 people. For the first time, he organized the raising of the funds very much

like it is today with businesses soliciting its employees, the doctors, the other

doctors, etc. They raised the $4,000.00, he won the bet. (qtd.,guidestar.org)

A charter of incorporation was signed on August 25, 1952 and in 1974 the

Whitfield Community Chest became the United Way of Whitfield County. In 1982, the

organization expanded into neighboring Murray County and became the United Way of

Northwest Georgia. As part of the United Way of America, the organization was

established to raise funds that would be distributed among various local agencies that

worked to identify and resolve “pressing community issues, as well as making measurable

changes in the communities through partnerships with schools, government agencies,

businesses, organized labor, financial institutions, community development corporations…

and others.” (wikipedia.org)

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 In 1952 the agency, governed by an executive committee consisting of a president,

vice president, secretary, and treasurer and a board of eleven members, set a goal of raising

“$55,000 for the support of eight agencies”.(About Us, ourunitedway.org) Many years

after the formation of the UWNGA, the organization “boasts a campaign goal of over $4.0

million allocated to 21 partner agencies”( About Us, ourunitedway.org) and provides

solutions to the communities of Northwest Georgia with the help of thousands of

volunteers. The organization focuses on community needs based on priorities and

connecting individuals with local agencies equipped to help in specific areas of need. As

stated by president, Amanda Burt, the organization has “evolved from simply fundraising

to meeting the needs of the community.” (Amanda Burt, 2009)

The offices of the United Way of Northwest Georgia are housed in a two story

building located at 816 S. Thornton Ave. in downtown Dalton, GA. Based on the location

and appearance of the building, one would assume that at some point in

time the structure served as a home, although this was not confirmed.

The first floor consists of the lobby and reception area, conference room,

2-1-1 referral center, offices of Volunteer Center staff Andrea Dobbins

and Kyle Coffey, and the office of Murray County Programs &

Information Resources staff member Michelle Smith. The second floor

houses the offices of other staff members such as President, Amanda Burt, Community

Solutions Manager, Margaret Zeisig, and Campaign Director, John Relaford. Cubicles are

also set up on the second floor where seasonal account executives work.

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Seasonal account executives are brought in to assist during the annual campaign, which

runs from September through year end.

The mission of the UWNGA is “to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of

our communities in Northwest Georgia.”( About Us, ourunitedway.org) This mission is put

into motion through the hard work and dedication of a staff that works with partner

agencies and volunteers to organize numerous community outreach programs and

coordinate community events. The three main focus areas of the United Way are

education, income, and health which it believes to be the “building blocks for a good life”.

(United Way brochure)

Some of the many programs organized by the agency include:

• Christmas and holiday assistance for the needy

• Make A Difference Day (funded in 2009 by Mohawk Industries with a

donation of $5000 which was dispersed among 7

partner agencies to make improvements or meet

community needs with the help of volunteers)

• Hands on Georgia Week (the Governor’s call to service to improve

communities, locally funded and organized by the UWNGA)

• Young Leaders Society of Northwest Georgia ( an organization of leaders

40 and under who focus on what happens in the community and who invest

time, talents and money to make the communities of Northwest Georgia a

place people want to live, work and raise families.)

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 • 2-1-1 referral line (individuals in need of

assistance can dial 211 from any landline

phone and receive referrals to agencies

equipped to meet their needs)

The 2-1-1 referral line is particularly interesting in that it is designed to make

getting assistance easy. Although the line is accessible in many areas, Amanda Burt states

that “hopefully one day the number will be available nationwide, just as 4-1-1 is for

directory assistance, so that no matter where someone travels, they can have access to

help.” (Amanda Burt, 2009)

Many people think of the United Way as a simple operation of fundraising. Taking

the time to delve into the inner workings of the agency reveals the hard work and

commitment it takes on a day-to-day basis to help individuals and better the community as

a whole. The UWNGA is governed by a Board of Directors which is made up of 32

individuals that serve on one or more of the following committees:

• Executive Committee (9 members)

• Personnel Committee (5 members)

• Finance Committee (8 members)

• Campaign Committee (5 members)

• Marketing Committee (2 members)

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• Fund Distribution (7 members)

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 • Volunteer Center (7 members)

The members represent the community as they work or are associated with local industry

giants, banks, and school systems.

During an interview with Chairman of the Board, Chester Chaffin, the question of

why he wanted to be on the board was asked. “I’ve really not had the desire to be ‘on the

board’. My primary objective is to serve the community and have a positive impact on

issues that are important. Being on the board is the best way I can currently make a

contribution.” (Chester Chaffin, 2009) Mr. Chaffin has been involved with the United

Way and other organizations for the past 20+ years as a volunteer and over the years has

been on the UWNGA board for approximately 10 years, although not consecutively.

In 2009, either the full board or the Executive

Committee, which consists of committee chairs, met at least

every other month. “During the late summer through the end of

the year, we meet monthly.” (Amanda Burt, 2009) Text states

that “the quality of the board’s performance is a direct result of the executive director’s

ability to steer and promote productive interaction among board members.” (Ott, 2001) As

President of the UWNGA, Amanda Burt states part of her position is to play an active role

in the “recruiting and training of new board members”. (Amanda Burt, 2009)

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The UWNGA falls under the type of governance that Ott says “builds on ideas of

partnership and collegiality between the executive director and board of directors.” (Ott,

2001)

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 As a result of the partnership between Mrs. Burt and the board, the UWNGA has a

very structured and defined strategic plan and marketing plan. Strategic planning should be

at the forefront of any organization. According to Ott, “strategic planning is a necessity of

nonprofit organizations today.”(Ott, 2001) The current strategic plan was put into place in

2004 and was intended to carry the organization through 2010. No written revisions have

been made to the plan but Mrs. Burt states the agency will begin the revision process in

January 2010. Based on programs such as Make a Difference Day, the Volunteer Center

and the Young Leaders Society of Northwest Georgia, the UWNGA has followed the

plan’s path of “Integrity, Leadership, Volunteerism, Partnerships, and Commitments are

the dynamics with which United Way will address community concerns”. (Community

Outlook, ourunitedway.org)

Coupled with the strategic plan is a marketing plan. An effective marketing plan

guides an organization in deciding “what to do in any given

marketing situation.” (Ott, 2001) The United Way of Northwest

Georgia’s marketing plan was penned in 2009 and is proposed to

carry through to 2011. As their strategic plan lays out what they

want to do or be, their marketing plan sets the path of how they will get there.

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In keeping with their mission, the United Way of Northwest Georgia is “mobilizing

the caring power” (About Us, ourunitedway.org) and helping the communities of Northwest

Georgia with the aid of thousands of volunteers. The purpose of the United Way Volunteer

Center is “bringing volunteers and organizations together to

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make a better community and enrich volunteers' lives.” (Volunteer, ourunitedway.org)

There are numerous resources available through the United Way that make

volunteering easy. The 2-1-1 referral line can be used to connect with an agency for

volunteer opportunities and the UWNGA website offers an entire section dedicated to

volunteering with user friendly means of creating a volunteer profile. By creating a

volunteer profile individuals can “connect with over 100 local opportunities, log hours, and

earn for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.” (Volunteer Center brochure) The

United Way also offers corporate volunteer programs which make it easy for companies to

give back to the communities and provide

opportunities for their employees to be a part of

community issues that are important to them.

The Presidential Volunteer Service Award is

issued by the President’s Council on Service and

Civic Participation on behalf of the President of the United States to encourage the

American spirit of giving and improving communities through volunteer service. During

National Volunteer Week, which takes place in April of each year, the United Way of

Northwest Georgia honors local volunteers with various awards, including the Presidential

Volunteer Service

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Award, to recognize their volunteer efforts.

In an interview with volunteer, Carmen Cavanaugh, she stated her reasons for

volunteering as “something she found enjoyable and rewarding, a chance to give back to

the community and a chance to get others involved.” (Carmen Cavanaugh, 2009)

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Ms. Cavanaugh is in charge of planning a quarterly volunteer project for her co-workers

and also volunteers in the Adopt-A-Class Volunteer Reader program which allows her to

interact with children at a local elementary school where she goes once a week to read to a

class for approximately 20 minutes. Ms. Cavanaugh is also on the board of the local

chapter of Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Funds to accomplish the organizations mission are generated through various

sources such as the annual campaign, grant funding, and corporate funding. The UWNGA

works with local businesses to conduct workplace campaigns. “Many donors give through

payroll deductions, which you could say, is United Way’s bread and butter.” (Amanda

Burt, 2009) The organization also works with “direct mail campaigns to select other

donors and potential donors to solicit new gifts.” (Amanda Burt, 2009) A network of

volunteers who agree to solicit corporate gifts, personal CEO gifts, and agreements to

conduct workplace campaigns are also utilized to aid funding efforts.

The current campaign goal listed on the organizations website

is $2.95 million of which 70% has been obtained. (About Us,

ourunitedway.org) The organization does have an endowment of

$130,000 however they do not draw income from it at this time.

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With the current economic situation America is facing, it comes as no surprise that

the number one challenge facing the UWNGA is decreased funds availability and increased

needs. The North Georgia community has been on of the hardest hit by the failed

economy. With the current local unemployment rate at nearly 12%, many

individuals, and companies for that matter, simply do not have the extra money to give.

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The current marketing plan states, “our local employee base has suffered from increased

gas prices, plant closings, lay-offs, increased health care costs, manufacturing

consolidation, and other factors which have reduced discretionary income.” (Marketing

Plan, ourunitedway.org)

Both agency President and Chairman of the Board acknowledged the declining of

the “Baby Boomer” generation as another challenge facing the organization. “Finding the

next generation of leadership is also one of our biggest challenges.” (Chester Chaffin,

2009)

Other challenges addressed by Mrs. Burt and volunteer, Carmen Cavanaugh are

volunteerism and public awareness. Just as the organization cannot accomplish its mission

without its staff, neither can they be successful without volunteers. Both feel it is

extremely important for the public to be better educated about the programs funded by the

United Way which work toward bettering the communities and

individuals of Northwest Georgia.

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Nonprofits are essential to society. They are “value-

generating and value-maintaining society structures”. (Grobman, 2007) The United Way

of Northwest Georgia is constantly looking for ways to expand into the community to help

the people of Northwest Georgia and to position itself “to have value beyond that of

a fund-raising organization. United Way is in the business of improving lives.”

(Marketing Plan, ourunitedway.org)

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 United Way of Northwest Georgia

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Reference:

Amanda Burt, President, United Way of Northwest Georiga, November 4 & 10, 2009.

Carmen Cavanaugh, Volunteer, United Way of Northwest Georgia, November 3, 2009.

Chester Chaffin, Chairman of the Board, United Way of Northwest Georgia, November 5,
2009.

http://www2.guidestar.org/ReportNonProfit.aspx?ein=58-
905881&Mode=NonGx&lid=641256&dl=True

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http://www.ourunitedway.org/About_Us.php

http://www.ourunitedway.org/index.php?pr=Community_Outlook

http://www.ourunitedway.org/index.php?pr=Volunteer

http://www.ourunitedway.org/media/Marketing_Plan_2009.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Way_of_America

Grobman, G.M. (2007). An Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector. Harrisburg, PA: White
Hat Communications.

Ott, J. S. (2001). Understanding Nonprofit Organizations. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

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