EMAIL-A-DAY MESSAGES

Your gift will be amplified by the gifts of your coworkers and friends – together, we can make the city where we call home an even better place to be.

Day 2: Donate to a Top-Rated Charity

AUDIENCE:         Donors
SUBJECT LINE:   When you give to United Way, you’re giving to one of the best non-profits in the U.S.A.!

For an incredible 18 consecutive years, United Way of Central Iowa has earned four out of four stars from Charity Navigator, the largest independent evaluator of charities and nonprofits.

This puts them in the elite top 1% of all nonprofit organizations nationwide.

[COMPANY NAME] is proud to support United Way of Central Iowa because of their best-in-class fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. Check it out: all of the organization’s financial information is available online.

In addition, GuideStar, the world's largest source of information on nonprofit organizations, has also given United Way of Central Iowa The Platinum Seal of Transparency – only given to those who have achieved the highest level of transparency.

What does this mean for you? Significantly more of your money is invested back into our community than the percentage for an average nonprofit. If you donate to  United Way of Central Iowa, you can trust your contribution will be invested in the programs that are proving to drive results in the 5 Elements of a Thriving Community (Essential Needs, Early Childhood Success, Education Success, Economic Opportunity, and Health & Well-Being) right here in our neighborhoods.

We don’t take your generosity for granted. We appreciate every dollar you give back to our community – and with United Way – we know it will go further.

Thank you for considering making a pledge during this year’s campaign.

Day 3: The UNITED for EQUITY Fund

AUDIENCE:         Donors
SUBJECT LINE:   We are all UNITED for EQUITY

United Way of Central Iowa has been tackling central Iowa's toughest challenges for a century. They were built for this. And so is their UNITED for EQUITY Fund.

The UNITED for EQUITY Fund is an opportunity for you to invest in addressing systemic equity issues and supporting the emerging and rapidly changing needs of health and human services organizations, schools, job training programs, and – ultimately – the individuals and families they serve.

You can make a donation to UNITED for EQUITY through our United Way campaign. With no minimum donation and no administration fee, feel confident that every dollar you give is going back into our community and supporting the causes you care about most.

Your donation will support and strengthen organizations making equitable change – including organizations that are led by people of color and serve people of color – while advancing the work of United Way in all 5 Elements of a Thriving Community.

Want to learn more? Visit United for Equity. Make your pledge today!

Day 4: Education 

AUDIENCE:       Donors
SUBJECT LINE:   Everyone deserves an education

Too many young people in central Iowa do not graduate from high school. Research shows those without a diploma stand to earn $700,000+ less over their working lifetime. When you add the burden of increased social costs attributed to dropping out, every student who doesn’t graduate high school faces a million-dollar problem — and a lesser long-term quality of life for the student. 

The one moment of walking across the stage to accept a high school diploma is more than 12 years in the making. Young children who enter kindergarten unprepared can become third graders who cannot read proficiently. Third graders who cannot read are unable to keep up in the classroom in later grades, making it four times more likely that they will not graduate.

United Way of Central Iowa is fostering Education Success for every central Iowan. Here are some of the ways we know they are making a difference:

• 10.2% increase in the 5-year graduation rate from 2008 - 2019 (from 83.4% in 2008 to 93.6% in 2019), which means 6,300 more students have graduated than would have if the graduation rate had stayed at the 2008 level.
  
  
• More than 200,000 children’s books have been collected over the past seven years through Stuff the Bus and other United Way book drives, and distributed for free to childcare centers, schools, nonprofit programs, and others serving families in low-income households.
  
  
• More than 35,0000 free vision screenings and more than 4,000 students received two free pairs of glasses through United Way's Vision to Learn program since its inception in 2017. With glasses these students can see the front of the classroom and better experience their learning environment.

Read how United Way’s Book Buddies, a program connecting volunteers with early learners to increase literacy skills, created an unlikely friendship through reading.

Want to have an impact on our kids' education? Make your pledge today!

Day 5: Health & Well-Being

AUDIENCE:        Donors
SUBJECT LINE:   Everyone deserves good health and well-being

Health & Well-Being means more than eating well, exercising, or regularly seeing a doctor. It also means having strong, positive relationships, safe neighborhoods, financial wellness, and feeling a sense of purpose. 

United Way of Central Iowa is working to give all central Iowans equitable, affordable, and reliable opportunities to make healthy choices through specific investments in physical, mental, and community well-being – as well as launching several innovative solutions and initiatives that are still underway – like:

5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count, helping kids, parents, schools, health providers and workplaces set healthy habits

CAMHI4Kids, a coalition supporting the mental health of children and families

Oral Health Iowa, a coalition focused on oral health as an important factor of our overall health

Powered by Purpose, helping individuals and organizations discover and connect their purpose to their work and well-being

Read the key indicators and the strategies currently in place to improve them within this focus area at United to Thrive: Health & Well-Being.

Do you want to foster good health and well-being in central Iowa? Make your pledge today!

Day 6: Economic Opportunity

AUDIENCE:        Donors
SUBJECT LINE:   Everyone deserves a sufficient income with opportunities to build wealth

According to United Way, one out of every three families in central Iowa can barely cover basic daily expenses. And low wages force many families to go without – or to go into debt. Central Iowa families need enough income to cover costs of food, housing, health care, transportation, childcare, and clothing – or face painful financial choices.

The organization believes the clearest paths to economic self-sufficiency are education and training. Job training and readiness programs remain critical to advancing workers who don't have the training or wages they need. United Way and its community partners work to strengthen central Iowans' education and skills training to prepare them for the better-paying jobs in the local economy.

Read how United Way’s Central Iowa Returning Citizens Achieve (CIRCA) program allowed Jeff to “fly right” after serving time – and continue to increase his skills and income.

CIRCA is just one of the programs helping United Way of Central Iowa make important wins in economic opportunities for all in our community. Want to join the fight for income? Make your pledge today!

Day 7: Essential Needs

AUDIENCE:         Donors
SUBJECT LINE:   Everyone deserves more than their essential needs

Without access to essential needs – things like nutritious and affordable food; safe, affordable housing; clean clothes; and accessible transportation – life is merely about survival.

United Way of Central Iowa works to help every central Iowan get their essential needs covered so they can start creating the environment they want to improve their lives. Here are some of wins United Way of Central Iowa has helped achieve:

• United Way of Central Iowa’s OpportUNITY program, working to eliminate poverty, worked hard to administer and boost awareness of its Summer Meal Meet-ups program, offering free breakfast and lunch to anyone in Polk, Dallas, or Warren county who is 18 or younger.
  
  
• The organization brought together key partners across the community to conduct a comprehensive study of the transportation challenges faced by central Iowans in lower income brackets. Of all respondents, 96% reported transportation as a barrier to them achieving financial stability. The survey results are now guiding strategies to tackle transportation issues and help central Iowans get where they need to be to work and thrive.
  
  
• In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iowa Department of Public Health enlisted United Way of Central Iowa’s 211 referral service to act as the statewide hotline for the COVID-19 pandemic. They upscaled staff and technology to take on the enormous task and enlisted healthcare professionals to answer medical related questions to take pressure off our healthcare system phone lines. 211's call volume tripled, and United Way of Central Iowa was ready and able to provide Iowans the support and knowledge they needed during that stressful time.

Read how one central Iowan asked for help to start his journey out of poverty and homelessness for himself and his kids.

Want to learn more about United Way’s work in essential needs? Visit Essential Needs.

Want to make an impact on essential needs? Make your pledge today.

Day 8: Volunteer – Get Connected

AUDIENCE:        Donors
SUBJECT LINE:   Get Connected to volunteer opportunities through United Way

The time you give can make a huge impact in our community. Whether you have one hour, one day, or one week – you want to mentor children or help at a food pantry – United Way of Central Iowa has a resource to help you find hundreds of options for you to volunteer with nonprofit organizations across central Iowa.

Through the organization’s Central Iowa Volunteer Hub, you can get connected with an organization to spend your volunteer time doing something you’re passionate about – from home, your office, or in-person with the organization.

United Way's 5 Elements of a Thriving Community are so interconnected that when you volunteer and create a positive impact in one element, you positively impact them all! 

[COMPANY NAME] has also organized virtual group activities for you to choose.

[COMPANY VOLUNTEER OFFERINGS DURING CAMPAIGN]

[IF APPLICABLE, COMPANY VTO POLICY REMINDER]

Raise your hand. Make a difference.

Day 9:  Advocate – What We’ve Done, How to Get Involved

AUDIENCE:         All staff
SUBJECT LINE:   United Way changes the system so people can change their lives

Each year, United Way of Central Iowa works with legislators, communities, programs, and leaders across the state to establish mission-driven public policy goals and priorities to achieve systemic changes. Together, they take on challenges no single individual or organization could solve alone.

One of those challenges was eliminating the Childcare “Cliff Effect.” In the 2022 legislative session, United Way of Central Iowa achieved a big win by leading the efforts to increase access to quality and affordable child care by expanding the income eligibility of the Child Care Assistance (CCA) program to 0 – 225 percent of the federal poverty level, including a tiered co-pay schedule.

The organization continues to advocate for the stabilization of the childcare provider market through CCA program and reimbursement rates.

Want to tackle challenges our community faces at their roots? Find out how you can join United Way in their advocacy efforts. You can also consider sharing your voice and representing your community by joining a United Way board or committee. Search LeadershipLink for opportunities. 

Want to help the organization’s efforts to make lasting change right here in our community? Make a pledge today!

Day 10: What does it mean to be a LEADer with United Way?

AUDIENCE:         All staff
SUBJECT LINE:   What does it mean to be a LEADer with United Way?

This year, when you are making your pledge to improving our community with a donation to United Way of Central Iowa, we invite you to consider joining a United Way leadership affinity group. Doing so allows you to direct your donation to the work you care about most, and to join with other like-minded donors for special events, volunteer opportunities, and more.

United Way of Central Iowa’s leadership affinity groups include:

• Education Leadership Initiative (ELI): ELI supports Education Success, particularly middle school students as they make the challenging transition to high school. ELI strives to have these students graduate with a plan for their future by investing in quality after-school programs, supportive services, and career mentoring opportunities. In donating $1,000+, members can attend events to learn about the impact of their gift, network with fellow community leaders, and volunteer.
  
  
• LEAD United: Members team up to make central Iowa better for everyone in all 5 Elements of a Thriving Community. Donors who give $1,000+ through our United Way campaign will automatically be members of LEAD United, and you’ll receive exclusive opportunities to learn about current issues and the impact of your dollars through tours and webinars, as well as participate in volunteer events.
  
  
• LINC: LINC’s young professional members connect through volunteerism and giving back to our community to support Essential Needs, such as food and housing. Donate $250+ through our campaign, and you’ll receive exclusive opportunities to attend volunteer, social, and professional development events.
  
  
• Tocqueville Society: Tocqueville Society represents the highest level of philanthropic giving from individuals and families with a donation of $10,000+. These caring philanthropists make an outstanding commitment to transforming our community. Members enjoy exclusive networking and volunteer opportunities.
  
  
• United LEAGUE: United LEAGUE stands for Leadership, Equity, Advocacy, Giving, Unity, and Excellence. This new affinity group from United Way invites anyone who is passionate about addressing equity barriers and closing disparity gaps that exist for African Americans in our community to join. With two giving level options, an investment in United LEAGUE supports initiatives and programs focused on Economic Opportunity.
  
  
• Women United: Women United empowers women to lead the charge for central Iowa’s youngest children by investing in quality early care and learning. In donating $1,000+, members can volunteer to build children’s reading skills, advocate for policies that improve Early Childhood Success, and attend events to connect with other members.