Charity Seeks To Reverse Declines United Way Hopes ‘Needs-Based’ Goal Spurs Renewed Donations

United Way of Spokane County will announce its biggest annual fund-raising goal today, despite four years of falling slightly short of what the charity hoped to collect.

Director Jose Pena wouldn’t reveal this year’s goal on Tuesday, but promised it will be a “big jump from last year.”

Since he took over the organization three years ago, Pena has worked to reshape the annual campaign, which usually raises about $5 million for three-dozen local charities.

Rather than simply increasing the goal 3 percent every year, the organization will announce a “needs-based goal” this year, Pena said.

Each of the 36 United Way-supported agencies reported the amount of money needed to continue services for one year. Those numbers were tallied and that figure will be this year’s goal.

“That way our goal is not some meaningless number, but is actually based on the needs of our member agencies,” he said.

Several Spokane County businesses have already run their United Way campaigns as part of the new Pacesetters Campaign.

Pena said he hopes that effort will serve to jump-start the regular campaign. So far, $349,000 has been pledged by employees at 14 businesses and several charities, said Betsy Jacobsen, United Way spokeswoman.

Accountants expect that once all the pledge cards are counted, the Pacesetter Campaign will bring in more than $500,000, she said. However, several companies have yet to collect all their pledge cards.

“The purpose of the Pacesetter Campaign was to generate enthusiasm early, and I think we have done that,” said Anne Marie Axworthy, a Washington Water Power Co. official and vice chair of the United Way campaign cabinet.

“But all the final paperwork isn’t in,” she said. “So I don’t think we will have a specific amount to announce at the kickoff.”

Even the kickoff itself will look different.

In years past, the occasion was a catered affair open only to ticketholders, most of them public relations specialists for the big corporations of Spokane.

This year’s event is being held in the Spokane Transit Authority Plaza downtown and is open to everyone. STA is providing special buses that will shuttle employees from several businesses throughout the county.

“We don’t want United Way to be perceived as a group of business people from downtown,” Pena said. “We are becoming a much more inclusive organization.”

Pena also expanded the core group of United Way leaders, including business people from Cheney, Deer Park and the Valley.

And he put United Way board members to work cultivating new accounts, particularly in small businesses.

“Every board member has a specific assignment,” he said. “No one is sitting around twiddling their thumbs.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: UNITED WAY KICKOFF The United Way kicks off its annual campaign today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the STA Plaza downtown. The event is free and open to the public. The campaign goal will be announced at noon.