Addressing Symptoms Will Never Solve Your Problem
Symptom (noun): something that indicates the existence of something else – Merriam-Webster Dictionary
So Many Symptoms
An easy way to think about symptoms is when you have a cold. Your symptoms might include sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose, sore throat, cough, or fever. If you were experiencing these symptoms, you would likely think you caught a cold.
Similarly, there are a lot of symptoms plaguing United Ways.
Declining number of workplace campaigns – United Ways have experienced decreasing numbers of workplace campaigns for more than a decade.
Declining dollars raised from workplace campaigns – United Ways have experienced decreases in the amount of money raised from workplace campaigns for more than a decade.
Declining rate of participation in workplace campaigns – United Ways have experienced decreasing employee participation in workplace campaigns for more than a decade.
Declining number of donors – United Ways have experienced decreasing numbers of donors for more than a decade.
All of these symptoms are like the warning lights on the dashboard of your vehicle. If you had four or more warning lights glowing on your dashboard, you would certainly stop your vehicle and address the problem. You do not need to see more warning lights, the symptoms are already too great to ignore.
An Undeniable Problem
All of the symptoms listed above are just that – they are symptoms of a larger problem. With this many symptoms, there is no question that a larger problem exists for United Ways.
The problem: Donors no longer want or need what United Way does.
People no longer want, or need, an organization to vet local charities and allocate money to deserving charities. They can easily do that themselves, if they want to. Our research with local United Way donors is crystal clear on this point. Since 2011, we have been conducting research with United Way donors in communities large and small. We have asked thousands of United Way donors which they prefer to support – United Way raising money and allocating it to local partner agencies and programs, or United Way making a measurable impact on a significant local issue. Only 15% of donors want United Way to raise money for local partner agencies and programs.
The other 85% of local United Way donors want something else. They want United Way to measurably impact a significant social issue in their community.
Donors Want Their United Way to be Issue Focused
Issue focused United Ways choose an issue, like poverty, homelessness, the graduation rate, or kindergarten readiness, and they lead and convene the community to make a measurable change on that issue. Instead of a campaign goal, their success is measured by the number of families no longer living in poverty, people who now have a home, students who graduated from high school, or children that are ready for kindergarten. Rather than allocating funds a mile wide and an inch deep, they invest deeply in programs and services that address their issue. And they ask donors and funders to give to reduce poverty, end homelessness, increase the graduation rate, or have every child enter kindergarten ready to learn and not for a campaign goal.
The traditional United Way business model worked very well for decades. But, with the changing times, even some of the best business models become obsolete, such as Polaroid, Blockbuster Video, Sears, newspapers, etc.
The Issue Focus Model is built on the understanding that United Way donors want to impact a local issue and change lives.
Overcoming Challenges
When a United Way is issue focused, people know exactly what their contribution will accomplish because an issue focused United Way only addresses one issue with an inspiring goal for success. Issue Focused United Ways raise more money because they are able to attract additional resources like grants, sponsorship, and planned giving to address their issue. When a United Way is issue focused, they are able to unify their community, volunteers, donors, partner agencies, board, and staff around a shared vision to address a single issue. Issue Focused United Ways can easily explain what they do in just one sentence, and even in as few as two words – “Crush Poverty” or “Halt Hunger.”
Relevant, Sustainable, Impactful
Take a couple of minutes and learn more about how an issue focus will transform your United Way by watching our free United Way Survival Guide video. The solution to your biggest problem is adopting a new business model – the Issue Focus Model – and your United Way will once again be relevant, sustainable, and impactful.