Celebrating our Centennial Anniversary

By |2021-05-27T09:38:32-07:00October 20th, 2020|Categories: Centennial|

United Way of San Diego County Raises Over 110,000 at Virtual Centennial Celebration




Event proceeds to support and continue the nonprofit’s mission to bring together community partners, transform lives, and eliminate disparities.

Written by: Claudia Chow, Digital Marketing Manager, UWSD

San Diego, Calif. – Oct. 20, 2020 – On Thursday, Oct. 8, United Way of San Diego County hosted its Virtual Centennial Celebration and fundraiser commemorating its Diamond Anniversary. The nonprofit raised its glass to honor its past and celebrate the present, as well as redefine and reimagine the future of our local community. More than 225 attendees gathered virtually to celebrate the organization’s outstanding work and raise more than $110,000 to support the nonprofit’s mission.

The event co-chairs included the following:

  • Constance M. Carroll, D., chancellor, San Diego Community College District
  • Jerry Sanders, president and CEO, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • Mark Stuart, CFRE, president and CEO, The San Diego Foundation

Event co-chairs and the Mulvaney Family recognized four prominent community leaders in the education, business, and philanthropy sectors in San Diego. Honorees included:

  • Solar Turbines, Lifetime Achievement Award
  • SDG&E, Philanthropic Partner of the Year Award
  • Hunter Family, James F. Mulvaney Award
  • Sylvia McGrade, Principal, Adams Elementary School (ret.) Community Partner Award

 

Celebrating 100 years of community service

The organization’s Virtual Centennial Celebration also focused on its current and future work—including its leadership in the Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition and the Count Me 2020 Coalition, which aims to ensure every San Diegan is counted in the 2020 U.S. Census; the San Diego Worker Assistance Initiative to help provide flexible resources to individuals and families impacted by layoffs and reduced working hours due to the pandemic; and its partnership with the Advancing San Diego initiative to build a pipeline of local talent through internships for community college students with local businesses.

United Way of San Diego County also addressed the racial justice movement throughout the event, reminding attendees that only by being united can the community achieve equality and racial justice, especially when it comes to the urgency of addressing educational gaps between White and Asian, and Black and Brown students in our schools.

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a silent auction and delight in entertainment from Fernando DaRosa, Mariachi Torres, NuEra, and Whitney Shay. A presentation of United Way of San Diego County’s past, present, and future community leaders was also showcased and prominent San Diegans came together from the comfort of their homes to wish the organization a ‘Happy Centennial Celebration.’

Event sponsors included San Diego Gas and Electric as the Diamond Sponsor, Solar Turbines as the Platinum Sponsor, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and US Bank as the Gold Sponsors, and Dudley & Finch and The San Diego Foundation as Silver Sponsors for the event.

Leading the San Diego community into the future

“It has been a whirlwind of a year for our community and the world, and to be able to still celebrate our sponsors, donors, volunteers, and staff was an unforgettable way to give thanks to all who support our mission year round,” says United Way of San Diego County President and CEO Nancy L. Sasaki. “Whether you’re a longtime supporter or someone who just started your involvement with our organization, your support has transformed the lives of many children, young adults, and families throughout our region. We look forward to continuing our work for many years to come with the help and support of our community guiding us through.”

The celebration isn’t over! United Way of San Diego County has kicked off its 100 Days of Giving to raise $100,000. The campaign will end on December 31, 2020. For those interested in supporting the nonprofit’s next 100 years, visit uwsd.org/give-100 for more information on how to donate, volunteer, and get involved.

Centennial Celebrating the 2000s

By |2021-05-27T09:42:55-07:00September 21st, 2020|Categories: Centennial|

Centennial Celebrating the 2000s




Written by: Claudia Chow, Digital Marketing Manager, UWSD

As we celebrate our Centennial year, we continue to highlight the role United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) has played in our region throughout our history. This month, we want to focus on the 2000s, a decade when United Way entered a period of significant change.

The organization adapted to a shifting philanthropic landscape by amending its approach to funding programs. Innovative new partnerships were created to better meet the needs of donors and recipients alike. In moving to its new Community Impact model in 2006, UWSD decided it could have the greatest impact in the community by focusing on three of the major building blocks for a better life: education, income, and health. The strategy was simple: invest donor dollars strategically in just a few, but critical, areas where measurable improvements in lives could be achieved.

United Way chose three of the most challenging issues facing our community at the time:

Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect, Promoting Financial Stability and Independence, and Homeless Outreach and Prevention. To stimulate this unique new way to build communities, UWSD joined with the United Way of America (now United Way Worldwide) and other chapters around the country in a new marketing effort called “Live United”, encouraging people to “give, advocate, and volunteer”.

United Way promised, over the next decade and on the way to its Centennial Celebration, it would continue to assess the needs in our community and, where appropriate, address more or other issues where the organization believes it can advance the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all.

Join us for our Virtual Centennial Celebration on October 8th, where we’ll honor our past, highlight the present, and look forward to redefining and reimagining the future of our local community. Enjoy drinks, music, inspiration, good company, and opportunities to win prizes and bid on auction items. Join business and community leaders as we virtually come together to celebrate the 100-year legacy United Way has across the San Diego region. You can help support San Diego’s future—and the bright futures we want for all our children, young adults, and families.

United Way of San Diego County Celebrates 100 Years of Impact in 2020

By |2021-05-28T16:04:36-07:00August 28th, 2020|Categories: Centennial, Press Release|

United Way of San Diego County Celebrates 100 Years of Impact in 2020




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:        

Suzy Garcia / Ann Marie Price

Scatena Daniels

/

EDITOR: To download images, click here

Photos and assets courtesy United Way of San Diego County

Organization to Host Virtual Centennial Celebration on October 8 to Honor its Past, Celebrate the Present, and Reimagine the Future

SAN DIEGO (Aug. 28, 2020) — United Way of San Diego County, a nonprofit bringing community and business partners together to help San Diego’s children, young adults, and families have a brighter future, turns 100 years old this year. Acknowledging the ever-changing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization will celebrate its Diamond Anniversary with a Virtual Centennial Celebration and fundraiser on Oct. 8 to honor its past, celebrate the present, and redefine and reimagine the future of our local community.

“For a century, United Way of San Diego County has dedicated itself to solving inequities and injustice, and helping underserved communities throughout the San Diego area,” says Tony R. Russell, board chair, United Way of San Diego County. “Today, with our partners countywide, we continue to help San Diegans rebuild their lives amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensure all children, young adults, and families have equal opportunities to succeed in the years to come, regardless of zip code or income.”

Honoring Our Past

Since 1920, when E.B. Gould Jr. first convened the Community Chest, and throughout decades of transformations, United Way has focused on the changing needs of the community it serves, assessing the most critical issues and establishing partnerships and strategies to solve them.

In addition to bringing nonprofit, education, government, and corporate partners together to put impactful solutions into action, United Way of San Diego County was instrumental in paving the way for some of San Diego’s leading nonprofit organizations, including The San Diego Foundation; Volunteer San Diego; LEAD San Diego; 2-1-1 San Diego; and the Regional Task Force on the Homeless San Diego.

Celebrating the Present, Looking to the Future

The organization’s virtual celebration will also focus on its current and future work—including its leadership in the Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition and the Count Me 2020 Coalition, which aims to ensure every San Diegan is counted in the 2020 U.S. Census; its partnership with HandsOn San Diego to establish the San Diego COVID-19 Volunteer Hub to help San Diegans as we face this unprecedented crisis; the San Diego Worker Assistance Initiative to help provide flexible resources to individuals and families impacted by layoffs and reduced working hours due to the pandemic; and its partnership with the Advancing San Diego initiative to build a pipeline of local talent through internships for community college students with local businesses.

To represent the organization’s three areas of focus, the event’s co-chairs are major leaders in education, business and philanthropy in San Diego. The Virtual Centennial Celebrations’ event co-chairs:

  • Constance M. Carroll,D., chancellor, San Diego Community College District (92108)
  • Jerry Sanders, president and CEO, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce (92101)
  • Mark Stuart, CFRE, president and CEO, The San Diego Foundation (92106)

Attendees will enjoy a presentation of United Way of San Diego County’s past, present and future as community leaders and prominent San Diegans come together to wish the organization a ‘Happy Centennial Celebration.’ In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction and delight in entertainment from Fernando DaRosa, Mariachi Torres, Culture Shock, and Whitney Shay, who won Artist of the Year and Best Blues Album at the 2019 San Diego Music Awards. The event co-chairs will also present awards to three local community leaders in the education, business, and philanthropy sectors.

Event sponsors include San Diego Gas and Electric as the Diamond Sponsor, Solar Turbines as the Platinum Sponsor, and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority as the Gold Sponsor for the event.

“We are grateful for these and all of our other partners that have supported our work in the San Diego community—the place we’ve called home since 1920—and look forward to celebrating our impact in 2020 and beyond. We encourage all San Diegans to attend our virtual Centennial Celebration to commemorate this milestone with us because we could not have reached a century of service without them,” says United Way of San Diego County President and CEO Nancy L. Sasaki.

If you are interested in sponsoring United Way of San Diego County’s Virtual Centennial Celebration, please contact Jim Woods, vice president of corporate relations, at or 858-636-4145.

EVENT INFORMATION

United Way of San Diego County’s Virtual Centennial Celebration

Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020

5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Ticket levels: $50, $100, and group tickets available for $1,000

To learn more and purchase tickets for the Centennial Celebration visit

uwsd.org/tickets

ABOUT UNITED WAY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

For 100 years, United Way of San Diego County has aligned with partners to address inequities in the region and help underserved communities. United Way’s specialty lies in identifying sustainable, long-term goals and achieving them through leveraging data and partners’ expertise to better understand root causes and putting impactful solutions into action.

United Way’s work, in partnership with others, uses shared goals, innovation and proven practices to transform the lives of children, young adults and families in the San Diego region. United Way focuses on educational milestones, such as kindergarten readiness, third-grade literacy, high school preparation, and college and career pathways. Learn more and get involved by visiting www.uwsd.org, Facebook, Twitter, or by calling (858) 492-2000.

Centennial Celebrating the 1990s

By |2021-05-27T09:42:47-07:00August 27th, 2020|Categories: Centennial|

Centennial Celebrating the 1990s




Written by: Claudia Chow, Digital Marketing Manager, UWSD

As United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) celebrates their Centennial year, they are looking back through our history to see the way it has shaped the organization they are today. This month, they are looking at the 1990s- a decade when the perception many people have of United Way changed significantly.

At the beginning of the 1990s, United Way was deeply committed to a business model that had served it well for decades. The tens of millions collected each year by the United Way/CHAD Campaign were allocated to nonprofit agencies and charitable organizations certified by United Way. The agencies used the donations to fund more than 200 different health and human services, dramatically improving the lives of thousands who previously had nowhere else to turn.

Donor choice widened in the mid-1990s when the campaign was restructured to allow contributors to support environmental and educational agencies—or any tax-exempt organization of their choice, such as schools and churches.

United Way’s relationship with local companies and their employees through workplace giving campaigns became even stronger. The campaign began to raise upwards of $25 million a year. An effort to attract contributions from high-wealth individuals began to pay off with several major donations.

The organization continued to build partnerships, including the launch of The Children’s Initiative, bringing together business and community to help address the problems facing our young people. United Way also helped form the Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition to help low-income residents qualify for millions of dollars in federal tax credits.

Save the date and join community and corporate partners for our Virtual Centennial Celebration on Thursday, October 8th, 2020! Learn more about UWSD’s Centennial and visit uwsd.org/centennial.

Centennial Celebrating the 1980s

By |2021-05-27T09:41:54-07:00July 27th, 2020|Categories: Centennial, Giving|

Centennial Celebrating the 1980s




Written by: Alli Temnick, Senior Development Executive, UWSD

As we celebrate our Centennial year, we continue to highlight the role United Way of San Diego County has played in our region throughout our history. This month, we want to focus on the 1980s, a decade when San Diego grew in size, economy, and national prominence.

Prior to the 1980s, the President of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce had referred to the city as “a stool with one leg—the military.” That changed rapidly throughout the decade as the economy grew and diversified. New industries resulted in 300,000 new jobs, and these new jobs attracted new workers, leading to a significant increase in the population. The city officially reached 1.1 million residents in the 80s, making it the sixth largest city in the country at the time.

As a result of the increasing population and budget cuts from the federal government, homelessness became more visible in San Diego at the time. United Way of San Diego County responded by launching the Regional Task Force for the Homeless, in partnership with both the city and the county. The Regional Task Force for the Homeless has grown and is still in operation today. In fact, they are tenants of United Way of San Diego County’s building in Kearny Mesa, which was purchased in the 1980s as well.

Generous donors and the help of a financial consortium made the purchase of the Kearny Mesa building possible. The building is still the primary workplace for UWSD employees, and it is a great example of the way UWSD supports our community by partnering with other nonprofit organizations. Additional office space is rented out to other nonprofit organizations at below-market rates. As of this year, our current tenants include the Autism Society San Diego, Susan G. Komen San Diego, Regional Task Force for the Homeless, San Diego Psychological Association, Dreams for Change, Lupus Foundation of San Diego, HandsOn San Diego, and Wave Academy.

As you can see, United Way of San Diego County has adapted to the changing needs of our community over the years and we will continue to do so. This year has brought a number of changes, and we will continue to draw from the example of our history and find ways to adapt so that we can serve and strengthen our community’s most pressing needs.

Save the date for Thursday, October 8th, 2020 and join us for our Virtual Centennial Celebration! Learn more about UWSD’s Centennial and visit uwsd.org/centennial.

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