Economy puts pinch on United Way cash

United Ways across the region are reporting better-than-expected returns from their 2002 fund-raising campaigns, even though some fell short of their goals.

In Larimer County, 2002 marked the first collaborative campaign for the United Way of Fort Collins and the United Way of Loveland, Berthoud and Estes Park. This year’s combined effort — a trial run before a planned merger for the 2003 campaign — failed to reach the $5.5 million goal. Still, the groups brought in 1 percent more than in 2001, raising $4.14 million.

“We had an extremely lofty goal that made some assumptions about where the economy was going to go,´ said marketing director Stephanie Giard. “It didn’t go there.”

Giard said the $5.5 million goal was an ambitious target, 28 percent higher than the previous year. “I think having such a high goal helped us to do as well as we did,” she said. “A lot of people are very concerned about themselves this year and yet they still chose to give.”

Weld County United Way also just missed its stated goal of $2.85 million, raising $2.72 million — about 5 percent short.

“We came a lot closer than we thought we would,´ said executive director Jeannine Truswell. “We really got a wonderful response towards the end.” In December it was looking like the campaign would fall short by 10 percent.

“In light of the economy and the drought, with Weld County being so agribusiness-intense, we feel very fortunate,” she said.

“Hewlett-Packard leaving the Greeley area definitely has an impact on the community,” she said. “It’s not just the jobs we lose, but we also lose the contributions to the community that those firms make. How do you make that up? You can’t do it with a lot of small companies.”

In southern Wyoming, United Ways in Laramie and Albany counties surpassed their goals.

Laramie County, which serves Cheyenne and surrounding areas, raised $50,000 more than last year, said marketing director Ashley Landen, besting its goal by more than $3,000. “A few years back the board of directors set a target goal of $1 million by 2004,” Landen said. To reach that, the group raises its goal by 10 percent each year.

Albany County, which serves Laramie and surrounding areas, set a conservative goal of 1 percent more than last year, said executive director Susan Fuller. The group raised $5,000 more than the $318,000 goal. “We were very conservative given the economic climate, Fuller said.

Foothills United Way, serving Boulder and Broomfield counties, didn’t set a monetary goal going into the campaign, said Barbara Pingrey, executive director. “This year we saw gifts come in in many different ways,” Pingrey said. “Where people and corporations couldn’t give cash donations, they gave gifts of services and products.”

Despite the tough economic climate, the group raised $3.7 million. “We had people who were giving last year using the services this year,” Pingrey said.

All the United Ways expect to distribute the funds to charitable organizations in their communities by mid-2003.

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