Nonprofit seeks $1.3 million in 2024 campaign, awards $200,000 in grants
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Superstitious sorts might worry about an organization that celebrates its victory before the race is run, but that’s exactly how the United Way Serving Howard and Tipton Counties plays the game. The nonprofit kicked off its 2024 fundraising campaign by handing out $200,000 in grants and unveiling its new goal: $1.3 million.
Not a single person in attendance at the kickoff party Sept. 19 seemed a bit worried about that ambitious goal. The United Way is back. It’s leading the way, and it is making a difference.
“We're here to help all people in their time of need, and we're here to empower them and equip them to live victorious lives,” said United Way CEO Dana Neer. “No one wants to be dependent on United Way for years and years and years, some because of long-standing conditions or circumstances. But we're here to help.”
Neer ran through the many services provided directly by United Way, from Buddy Bags, which provides weekend meals for nearly 300 schoolchildren in Howard and Tipton counties every week, to Imagination Library, which provides books every month to nearly 3,000 children in the area, thanks to a partnership with Country music star Dolly Parton.
Whether it is the more than 100 veterans served by the organization, the hundreds of people who took advantage of United Way’s free income tax preparation, the thousands helped through United Way’s Information and Referral service, the multiple Days of Caring that bring volunteers together to help local community projects and nonprofits, or the United Way’s national disaster response program, which musters in the face of tornadoes, floods, and other crises, Neer explained how the organization leads the community.
Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore, who joined the United Way board of directors last year, has watched with pride as the organization re-established itself.
“Everything that has been going on these past two years as we continue to breathe life back into the United Way here in Kokomo and Tipton has just been amazing,” said Moore. “United Way is back and is as strong as ever.”
Tipton mayor Kegan Schmicker also understands the importance of supporting United Way. After all, his own family benefits from its services.
“It's very important for me as a mayor of a city to learn about all the impact United Way has,” said Schmicker. “My daughter is one of the children receiving a monthly book from Imagination Library. Reading to my daughter before bedtime is one of my most cherished activities of the day.”
During the event, the United Way awarded nearly $200,000 in grants to 11 local nonprofit agencies. Recipients included Bona Vista, the Boys and Girls Club of Tipton County, Bridges Outreach, CASA of Howard County, the Family Service Association of Howard County, Food Finders Food Bank, the Howard County Food Access Alliance, the Kokomo Family YMCA, Scouting America Sagamore Council, Sharpsville United Methodist Church, and Turning Point – A System of Care.
These grants, an unprecedented second round of awards given in a calendar year by United Way, had the crowd buzzing. And then Jeff Young, the 2024 campaign chairman was introduced.
Young is a true United Way veteran. He formerly served on the United Way board of directors and briefly as its interim CEO. And he was campaign chair in 2016. He knows perhaps as well as anyone how a fundraising campaign finds success.
“The campaign associates are the secret sauce,” said Young. “They are going to be the ones carrying the torch for United Way. It's one thing for the staff and the board to go out and talk about what they do. But when you get other members of the community to take their time and go knock on doors and go tell people what the United Way is about, that's a big deal.
“Our job here is just to connect to people, educate them on what we do, and thank them for their time. If we do those three things, the money will come. We don't need to ask. We need to explain. We need to tell people that there are 1,065 children receiving books from Imagination Library. We need to tell people that there's 288 children taking food home every Friday in Howard and Tipton County. We need to talk about the 13 agencies that just received $200,000 in grants.
“None of us can do any of those things alone. We can only do this together; the power and the synergy of us working together and creating a pool of dollars that we can make a difference in the community is what it’s all it's about. I can't wait to do this this year. I'm thrilled to be back.”
To donate to United Way or for additional information, visit www.howardandtiptonunitedway.org or call 765-457-4357.