Interview with John Dickson, CEO of Frontier Bank and 2007 Campaign Chair
As Campaign Chair,
John Dickson will
oversee an annual
campaign that raises
over $10 million, with
a special focus on
money raised for the
Local Community Fund
that supports health and human services in Snohomish County.
So why is your goal
$7.4 million?
We’re setting a goal of
$7.4 million for the Local
Community Fund, which is the part of the total campaign that United Way of Snohomish County has available to invest locally. The Local Community Fund is the portion of the total campaign that is not directed to specific charities by donors.
This is a community that steps up when there’s a need. Our $7.4 million goal is ambitious—about 10% more than we raised last year for the Local Community Fund. We can’t make it without you. This year, I’m not only asking you to step up, I’m asking you to “One Up.” Consider giving one percent or one hour’s paycheck to your community. If you are already giving to the Local Community Fund, thank you, and please consider increasing your donation by one dollar per paycheck.
What does the Local Community Fund support?
The Local Community Fund provides grants to over 93 nonprofit
programs serving more than 300,000 participants throughout our county. These are essential programs that are providing services that people
count on every day.
There’s also a whole body of work that United Way is doing to tackle the underlying causes of problems like hunger and homelessness. This strategic focus on the overall needs of the community has the greatest potential to make a lasting impact on our community. It has generated initiatives that we also fund, like the 2-1-1 information line, United Way’s Success By 6® early childhood development work, The Parent Place,
Born Learning, the Volunteer Center, and the Financial Stability
Partnership involving the free income tax preparation site and Individual Development Accounts.
Every investment United Way of Snohomish County makes in our community comes from the Local Community Fund.
What about other contributions? Don’t those support the community?
All donations go to charitable organizations and we fully honor the donor’s choice. But many donors contribute to charities outside our county or even our state. Others choose to designate to causes other than health and human services (such as environmental causes and the arts).
United Way’s primary mission is people in Snohomish County. Giving to the Local Community Fund allows United Way to increase support for local nonprofit programs. Currently, United Way is only able to fund about 50 percent of grant requests.
Of course, whether you give and where is your choice. Most donors, when they see how their contribution is invested and the results, choose the Local Community Fund. It speaks to a simple yet profound truth: together, we can accomplish more than we can alone.
How is the Local Community Fund invested?
Three Vision Councils comprised of volunteers and professional staff work year ‘round studying needs, monitoring investments financially and measuring program results. When I heard United Way volunteers talk about funding grants this year, the long hours they put in and the tough decisions they faced, I gained a new respect for how hard United Way works at investing my money where it will do the most good for the most people. That’s just one example of how United Way volunteers and professional staff do the homework and measure results. To me, United Way demonstrates just how caring and how powerful our community is when we all work together, whether as committed volunteers, supportive partners or generous donors.
$7.4 million?
We’re setting a goal of
$7.4 million for the Local
Community Fund, which is the part of the total campaign that United Way of Snohomish County has available to invest locally. The Local Community Fund is the portion of the total campaign that is not directed to specific charities by donors.
This is a community that steps up when there’s a need. Our $7.4 million goal is ambitious—about 10% more than we raised last year for the Local Community Fund. We can’t make it without you. This year, I’m not only asking you to step up, I’m asking you to “One Up.” Consider giving one percent or one hour’s paycheck to your community. If you are already giving to the Local Community Fund, thank you, and please consider increasing your donation by one dollar per paycheck.
What does the Local Community Fund support?
The Local Community Fund provides grants to over 93 nonprofit
programs serving more than 300,000 participants throughout our county. These are essential programs that are providing services that people
count on every day.
There’s also a whole body of work that United Way is doing to tackle the underlying causes of problems like hunger and homelessness. This strategic focus on the overall needs of the community has the greatest potential to make a lasting impact on our community. It has generated initiatives that we also fund, like the 2-1-1 information line, United Way’s Success By 6® early childhood development work, The Parent Place,
Born Learning, the Volunteer Center, and the Financial Stability
Partnership involving the free income tax preparation site and Individual Development Accounts.
Every investment United Way of Snohomish County makes in our community comes from the Local Community Fund.
What about other contributions? Don’t those support the community?
All donations go to charitable organizations and we fully honor the donor’s choice. But many donors contribute to charities outside our county or even our state. Others choose to designate to causes other than health and human services (such as environmental causes and the arts).
United Way’s primary mission is people in Snohomish County. Giving to the Local Community Fund allows United Way to increase support for local nonprofit programs. Currently, United Way is only able to fund about 50 percent of grant requests.
Of course, whether you give and where is your choice. Most donors, when they see how their contribution is invested and the results, choose the Local Community Fund. It speaks to a simple yet profound truth: together, we can accomplish more than we can alone.
How is the Local Community Fund invested?
Three Vision Councils comprised of volunteers and professional staff work year ‘round studying needs, monitoring investments financially and measuring program results. When I heard United Way volunteers talk about funding grants this year, the long hours they put in and the tough decisions they faced, I gained a new respect for how hard United Way works at investing my money where it will do the most good for the most people. That’s just one example of how United Way volunteers and professional staff do the homework and measure results. To me, United Way demonstrates just how caring and how powerful our community is when we all work together, whether as committed volunteers, supportive partners or generous donors.