Local United Way Tops $5-Million Fund-Raising Goal

Despite homeland terrorism and an uncertain economy, United Way of Ventura County topped its $5-million pledge goal during the agency’s annual fund-raising campaign, officials said Wednesday.

With its achievement, the agency did what many United Way organizations across the country could not do in the wake of a flurry of donations to Sept. 11 funds, a local official said.

“I find this significant because we set a conservative goal and surpassed it at a time when fund-raising by nonprofits locally and nationally has been extremely difficult,” said David M. Smith, president of the county’s United Way.

The $5 million was considerably more modest than last year’s goal, which started at $5.7 million, then was revised down to $5.3 million. The charity ultimately collected $4.9 million.

Since Sept. 27, when the campaign began, Smith said agency workers spent hundreds of hours soliciting pledges from more than 600 companies and 4,000 individuals.

Thousand Oaks-based WellPoint Health Networks and its employees have promised nearly $600,000 in contributions, the highest amount offered. Ventura County employees raised nearly $225,000.

Smith announced a final tally of $5.2 million at an awards dinner Wednesday at an Oxnard hotel. Other area United Way agencies, such as one in Riverside County, finished below their goals despite aggressive campaigning, Smith said.

“We worked very hard at it by talking to local organizations and community leaders and really tried to promote the message that local agencies need support,” Smith said.

Now that the pledges have been made, a volunteer committee from the agency will review funding applications from 51 member agencies that are seeking money for specific projects.

Member agencies include nonprofit organizations offering physical and mental health treatment, legal services, and programs for youths and the elderly.

Some of the member agencies that have submitted applications this year are Boys & Girls Clubs, Interface Children Family Services and FoodShare.

The amount of money that will go to each member agency should be decided by early next month, Smith said. Volunteers also are tallying and organizing donations that were made specifically to member and nonmember groups.

This season’s successful campaign was welcome news to agency officials, who said some past years had been a struggle for fund-raisers. For example, three years ago the agency suffered a shortfall in donations, which forced it to cut by more than 30% the amounts given to its members, Smith said.

“We are pleased with our final result after falling short of our goal last year,” said Tina Dahlenburg, this year’s campaign chairwoman. “We knew that reaching our target was going to be a challenge, but we were prepared.”