Posted on: Wednesday, January 29, 2003
United Way meets 2002 goal
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
A last-minute plea for donations combined with the incentive of matching gifts helped the Aloha United Way reach its $13.2 million fund-raising goal for 2002.
In December, Aloha United Way expected it would fall short of the goal by $480,000. Then the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation agreed to match donations up to $240,000 through Jan. 17. Several companies and individuals made additional gifts to the charity organization.
"It was an aggressive goal, considering Hawai'i's economic condition," said Irv Lauber, president of Aloha United Way. "Our volunteers worked very hard for this accomplishment."
This year's campaign co-chairwoman, Carol Ai May, said she was a little nervous about not meeting the goal. Last time AUW failed to reach its goal was in 1999, when $13.4 million was collected in a $13.8 million campaign.
"Not meeting the goal wasn't an option," May said. "We know how important the funds are in protecting our community, so we found a way to make it happen."
The money is used to support 64 agencies that depend on AUW to provide programs and services for needy and vulnerable members of the community. An estimated 75,000 individuals contribute to Aloha United Way each year.
The sluggish economy made fund-raising tough last year. Many companies scaled back staff and saw profits dwindle because of stock market losses, said co-chairman T. Michael May.
"The Hawai'i economy is still feeling the effects of Sept. 11," said T. Michael May. "At the same time, the unprecedented political spending in 2002 (an election year) competed with our fund-raising efforts. So the fact that we raised $13.2 million is a testament to how much people on O'ahu care about our community."
The 2002 campaign raised more money for AUW's CommunityCare Fund than in 2001. The fund strives to build a strong safety net for the community by dedicating resources in four areas: safety and health, lifelong learning, economic well-being and vibrant community.
"The number of people requesting assistance to meet even very basic needs like food and shelter remains extremely high," Lauber said. "We haven't seen much of a decline from the surge we experienced after Sept. 11, so being able to increase funding is crucial now."
Lauber predicts that health and human service needs will remain high throughout the year. Federal, state and county governments are projecting budget cuts, which are expected to affect money available for health and human service programs, he said, and people who aren't able to get help from government programs will rely more heavily on nonprofits.
AUW's top contributors in 2002, who each gave at least $250,000 through corporate and employee donations, include Alexander & Baldwin Inc., Atherton Family Foundation, Bank of Hawai'i Corp., state Department of Education, First Hawaiian Bank, The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Hawai'i Medical Service Association, HEI, the state Employees Retirement System, city employees, the University of Hawai'i System, and the state executive, legislative, judicial branches.
The 2003 goal will be determined after a new chairperson is named in April. The campaign will run from Sept. 2 through Oct. 17.
