After raising more than $58 million among two community campaigns last year, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County will direct $51.2 million into four regional counties throughout the 2015-16 funding cycle.
The nonprofit organization previously existed as two separate organizations based in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, before officially merging into one operation in February.
While completing the merger, the organizations facilitated their community campaigns individually. Milwaukee’s campaign generated a record $54 million as Waukesha County collected $4.3 million.
Of campaign funds, close to $25 million will benefit United Way’s core focus areas in education, income and health. More than $23 million will support specific agencies through donor designations. United Way touches organizations in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington Counties.
The discrepancy between the fundraising total and the total the organization will allocate is attributed to uncollectable pledges and in-kind and sponsorship dollars in addition to fundraising, programmatic and administrative costs.
In line with facilitating campaigns separately, the organization plans to distribute funds separately in order to honor donor intent, according to Nicole Angresano, vice president of community impact for the organization.
Moving forward, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County will lead one campaign and will have one allocations process. Much of United Way’s funding focus centers on aiding root causes of community problems. All partners agencies the organization works with will evaluated with the same lens, Angresano said.
United Way earmarks funds for specific organizations through an annual review process that assesses factors such as financial health and programmatic impact. More than 220 programs led by more than 110 agencies
Among the key initiatives the organization backs are Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Healthy Birth Outcomes, Milwaukee Succeeds, and Continuum of Care.
“The measure of United Way is how we continue to invest dollars into collaborative community efforts that ultimately change the conditions for the better of all,” Mary Lou Young, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit, said in a statement. “Because of the generosity of so many, we are able to invest in quality programs that create needle-moving change.”
United Way of Milwaukee & Waukesha County is part of United Way Worldwide, which has a presence in more than 40 countries and territories.
