New Approach to the Corry Area United Fund Appeal
The historical mission of the United Fund has been to:
promote cooperation & service adequate to the needs of the community among social service agencies,
assist in the organization of new social service agencies when necessary
conduct an effective planning and execution of the social work program of the community.
receive cash subscriptions, notes, promises to pay, gifts & bequests, and to collect same; and to distribute funds held by it amongst the agencies organized and existing for social, philanthropic, correctional, or protective purposes.
For the better part of the past 20 years, the agency has been raising money and then distributing it, relatively equally to 10 member agencies. The other components of the mission have not been addressed in a substantive way.
As a result of the board conducting a community survey and stakeholder interviews, was determined that there is a continued need to raise money locally that would stay in Corry and be utilized to make a meaningful difference in the local area, but that the current approach and business model of the United Fund needs to change.
New Proposed Mission: (approved April 2023)
The mission of the Corry Area United Fund is to act as the coordinating hub for the nonprofit sector within the Corry Area. We:
Promote communication, cooperation and collaboration among nonprofits to reduce duplication;
Help new nonprofits get established when needed;
Facilitate investment to address priority community needs; and
Evaluate the impact of those investments.
New Operating Model:
Solicit funding requests early each year so that annual campaign goals can be set to meet the highest priority community needs as identified by the selected agencies
Develop a fundraising goal and “case for support” each year to raise funds for the highest priority community needs. Funding these priorities will drive the campaign communications.
Continue to engage employers to conduct “employee payroll deduction” campaigns and encourage companies to match employee contributions.
Cultivate corporations that serve the Area to contribute “match overall campaign contributions” as an incentive for individual contributions.
Cultivate relationships with key local merchants to facilitate individual contributions from patrons through:
Rounding up purchases to the next dollar
Percentage of gas pump sales
Asking customers to add $1, 2 and $5 to purchases to support the campaign
The United Fund of the Corry Area, Inc is currently undergoing a Strategic planning process to see if a new way to doing business would help the Corry community. The United Fund is struggling to regain momentum after the past 2 years of declining donations. Strategic Solutions is going to help us get back on track with fundraising for the member agencies of the Corry area.
Part of the Strategic Planning process is a Community Survey, which is below. It only takes about 5 minutes of your time to do and everyone that takes the survey will be entered in a drawing for 1 of 3 gift cards.
Please do your part in helping to determine our future.