As United Way of the Cape Fear Area prepares to kick off its fall campaign Wednesday, officials point to ways they have changed their campaign approach and funding strategies to address changing realities in the nonprofit world.
 
For one thing, the campaign now consists of all kinds of events, all year long, said Emily Watkins, director of corporate development.
 
“As the campaign has grown from its [traditional] October-November pocket, so has our ability to market year round, working with our partners,” she said. “We’ve also gotten incredibly sophisticated in our ability to track donations and track what the money goes to. We do follow-up visits throughout the year to say ‘Thank you; this is the impact we have made.’”
 
Watkins explained that, because of the relatively small size of Wilmington’s corporate community, and the fact that local companies that run United Way campaigns are already “thoroughly and totally involved,” new growth must come from broadening the organization’s reach.
 
And that takes substantial volunteer help.
 
“We asked trustees and volunteers to help us connect with more companies and individuals  and had 10 percent participation growth this year,” Leanne Strawn, United Way’s vice president of marketing and communications, said about the 2013 campaign.
 
During the recession and subsequent sluggish economic growth, United Way has seen the danger in relying on too few sources of donations. For example, the two women said, one local company that used to represent 20 percent of local United Way contributions has downsized, creating a donation shortfall.
 
“We can’t continue to rely on champion companies so heavily,” Watkins said. “Our message is: ‘It takes all of us to live United.’ We can’t continue to take care of everyone with only a few people. We need to educate across the board on what we do and the importance of it. We are changing lives. We need a platform and strong advocates in the community.”
 
United Way used to look pretty homogeneous across the country when it came to company campaigns. Now, Watkins said, she and her colleagues can tailor a company’s campaign.
 
“When I meet with a company for the first time, our relationship is anything we want it to be," she said. "Every campaign is customized; there’s no cookie cutter approach.”
 
Expectations for United Way grant recipients have changed as well. For one thing, grants are made in three-year cycles, so recipients have more time to plan, execute and measure results. They also have time to use the grant to attract funding from other sources, such as foundations and the federal government.
 
“Last year the [money] we awarded in grants helped recipients leverage more than $4 million from outside,” Watkins said.
 
Because demand for funding is always greater than the available resources, and in recent years some funding sources have dried up, United Way and its donor community are placing increasing emphasis on reducing duplication of services among organizations, wise stewardship of resources, greater reach and collaboration among recipients.
 
“Our programs encourage more collaboration than not,” Watkins said, adding that at first, many nonprofits were skeptical about the need to work with other organizations. “They’re more sophisticated now, and they have seen the results of collaboration.”
 
With more demand for limited dollars, United Way also has to be scrupulous in its application review. Strawn said large group of volunteers, who are experts in their fields, look at applications for grants, examine the financials of applicant organizations and make site visits to see how community donations can be best used to maximize results.
 
“It’s an investment process,” Watkins added. “We don’t make these decisions. It’s a tough job for our volunteer committees. Once the grants are made, these programs report quarterly so we know donor dollars are where they need to be.
 
“We at United Way don’t feel we’re entitled to people’s money. We really are here for the community impact. Once people understand the impact their donations make, they are going to want to be part of this effort. This is a generous community but we need to get more people involved.”
 
The United Way of the Cape Fear Area’s 2014 campaign kicks off Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Airlie Gardens.