MARION COUNTY, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—For the third consecutive year, United Way of North Central Ohio (UWNCO) has achieved its annual Community Campaign goal ahead of the June 30 deadline. This marks the earliest the organization has reached 100% of its goal since the onset of the pandemic.
“This year, we’ve not only reached the higher goal set by our board of directors, but we’ve exceeded it,” said Amber Wertman, UWNCO CEO. The funds raised during the Community Campaign enable UWNCO to award grants to nonprofit Community Impact projects and collaborations in Crawford, Marion, Morrow, and Wyandot counties for the upcoming fiscal cycle.
In the 2023-2024 cycle, donations to the 2022-2023 UWNCO Community Campaign funded over 45 programs aimed at fostering successful children, healthy families, and self-sufficient residents.
The organization is now fully staffed, with development directors working in each of the counties under the UWNCO umbrella. “That visibility and outreach has made an impact with our donors, especially in the second half of the campaign year,” Wertman added.
UWNCO Development Directors Angie Voll (Marion & Morrow) and Carmon Walter (Crawford & Wyandot) have been distributing Impact Awards to exceptional donors and supporters. “The awards are just a small token of our appreciation for our donors, our partners, and the supportive communities we serve,” Voll said. A list of the 2024 Impact Award recipients can be found on the UWNCO website.
The overwhelming success of April’s Spring Purse Bingo event, a flagship fundraiser for UWNCO, also contributed to the early completion of the campaign, netting a profit of over $20,000.
The 2023-2024 Community Campaign will remain open for donations through June 30. The recent expansion of UWNCO’s region to include Morrow County has increased funding opportunities, particularly with existing nonprofit partners who provide programming across the region. UWNCO also plans to establish a new fund dedicated to providing support for communities following local emergencies and natural disasters.
“We’ve been discussing creating a crisis fund for some time,” Wertman said. “The generosity of our campaign donors this year has given us the capital to establish a community response fund, and I look forward to announcing that soon.”
United Way of North Central Ohio serves Crawford, Marion, Morrow, and Wyandot counties. The charitable funding organization has a platinum rating on Candid and is committed to transparency in all their work. For more information, please visit unitedwaynco.org or call 740-383-3108.