United Way soars past fundraising goal, nets $17M

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Winnipeg Free Press, Friday January 18, 2008
Reproduced with permission.
Photo: Boris Minkevich/Winnipeg Free Press

THE United Way of Winnipeg blew past its fundraising goal again this year, topping out at more than $17 million in donations, half a million more than they'd hoped for.

"I am incredibly proud, and it doesn't surprise me," said campaign chairwoman Heather Grant-Jury, who was on hand to unveil the grand total Thursday. "I don't even think it's sunk in yet."

Fundraising for the 2007 campaign began back in September, and roughly 50,000 Winnipeggers donated time and money toward the effort, according to the United Way.

The original goal for the campaign was $16.4 million, said Grant-Jury, but organizers surpassed that amount just before Christmas.

"It's been so hard to keep this quiet," she said, adding the $17-million total could rise over the course of the month as more donations are received. By comparison, the 2006 campaign netted roughly $15.5 million.
There were plenty of cheers when the grand total was announced, said New Directions program manager Liz Wolff, who wanted to convey "enormous gratitude to the generosity of folks of our community."

"It was a very happy moment," said Wolff. New Directions, a longtime United Way recipient, offers an array of services like youth training, job placements and help for victims of sexual assault and their families.

"Raising $17 million means a major infusion of cash," she said.

All of the money raised will be returned to the community in the form of grants, said Wolff. She said the United Way funding is hugely valuable for organizations like New Directions, which deals regularly with families and youth, some of whom are criminally or gang-involved.

"They're our children, our community's children, and we can't lose site of the humanity, the souls of these children," she said.

This year's campaign also benefited from a successful challenge put forward by 10 longtime supporters of the United Way.

The 10 leadership donors -- all of whom donate $1,200 or more per year -- challenged the United Way to find 500 new donors who'd give the same amount, and said if the goal was met, they'd contribute an extra $250,000 donation.

"We just announced today that we did meet the challenge," said media relations manager Kate Taylor, who said the extra funding helped push United Way past the initial target.

All funds raised go toward programming focused on poverty reduction, creating safer neighbourhoods, and providing youth with positive alternatives to drugs and crime, said Taylor.