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United Way raises 95 percent of goal
Layoffs at Reynolds, Wachovia affected giving, but some Forsyth companies increased donations
Journal Photo by Lauren Carroll
Korey Barringer, 10, a student at Downtown Elementary School, sent $90 in birthday money to United Way.
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Published: January 30, 2009
United Way of Forsyth County managed, in spite of tough economic times, to raise 95 percent of its goal during its annual fundraising campaign, the agency said yesterday.
United Way said it raised $17.5 million in the 2008 campaign. Its goal was $18.4 million.
Despite missing its target, United Way will be able to keep its financial commitments to its partner agencies through the end of the fiscal year on June 30 by dipping into some small reserve funds, said John Conrad, a spokesman for the agency.
The total represents a drop from 2007, when United Way raised a record $18.3 million. That total was 5 percent more than the 2006 tally of $17.4 million.
Planning for the 2008 campaign began last spring, when the economy was showing signs for caution, although there were no indicators of the depth of the recession that has taken hold, Conrad said. "Nobody expected this. The people who had set goals earlier and tried to be responsible about it didn't anticipate it," he said.
Compared with United Way campaigns in some other North Carolina cities, the results were not so bad, he said.
The Triangle, for example, raised $17 million out of a goal of $19 million, he said, which means that it missed its goal by more than 10 percent.
The United Way campaign, which is often viewed as a barometer of economic health, did not contain all grim news, Conrad said.
Layoffs at some of the city's larger companies, such as Reynolds American Inc. and Wachovia Corp., were reflected the giving by those companies, Conrad said.
But other companies posted increases in their United Way contributions.
BB&T, for example, raised more than $1 million for the first time in its history, Conrad said. Wake Forest University's contributions were up 14 percent, which is the third straight year for the university to have double-digit increases. At B/E Aerospace Inc., giving was up 20 percent.
One of the more charming individual stories to come out of this year's campaign was a letter that Korey Barringer, 10, sent to United Way in November, Conrad said. The letter contained $90.
Barringer is a student at the Downtown Elementary School.
"I decided to ask for donations for my birthday," Korey wrote. "I would like to donate this $90.00 to United Way for people in need."
Steve Wiggs, the chief marketing officer for BB&T, and the chairman of the 2008 fundraising campaign, said that more than 400 businesses and 40,000 people gave to United Way.
Wiggs said that the campaign's focus on raising the high-school graduation rate resonated with many donors.
"We've got a very generous community that cares about what our agencies do," he said. "They care about these breakthrough initiatives. I think we've got a great message, but it will be a challenging year."
■ Mary Giunca can be reached at 727-4089 or at mgiunca@wsjournal.com.
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