Post from Community: Community comes together to raise $60 million with United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
December 10, 2020
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United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County celebrated a successful conclusion to their 2020 fundraising campaign raising $60,109,477.
“What an amazing community we live in,” said Amy Lindner, President & CEO of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. “We are seeing first-hand how truly generous people are. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made a gift to our 2020 campaign. We’ve all seen the challenges people are facing during the pandemic. We called our community, and so many answered that call. The generosity we witnessed this year was phenomenal.”
The total includes funds raised through United Way’s COVID-19 Urgent Needs Fund, which responded immediately to urgent needs of local nonprofits by providing financial support and critical supplies.
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The totals were announced Wednesday evening, December 9, 2020, during a virtual campaign closing celebration, sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.
“The people in our community continue to impress me with their generosity,” said Linda Benfield, managing partner of the Milwaukee office of Foley & Lardner LLP and the United Way Board Chair. “This generosity makes it possible for United Way to affect the lives of so many in all of our neighborhoods.”
The 2020 community campaign was chaired by Kelly Grebe, community leader; Austin Ramirez, Husco; Dr. John Raymond, Medical College of Wisconsin; and Jud Snyder, BMO Harris Bank. More than 150 community members made up the campaign cabinet, representing sectors including nonprofit, healthcare, financial services, and education.
“I would like to thank our incredibly generous community,” said Kelly Grebe. “Your philanthropy continued, you did not disappoint. Even with all the challenges 2020 brought, you stepped up to ensure we had a very successful United Way campaign.”
“This community stepped up with incredible generosity despite having plenty of reasons to just hunker down and care for itself,” said Austin Ramirez. “We are so lucky to live in a community that’s full of selfless leaders and engaged companies. Thank you to each and every one of you that worked to make this campaign a success.”
“This year, urgent needs became critical and, in some cases, even desperate, and United Way rose to the challenge,” said Dr. John Raymond. “I’ve been privileged to witness the compassion and generosity of so many in our community. Being a co-chair this year was a humbling and uplifting experience for me and one of the most meaningful of my career.”
“We’ve seen so many campaigns outperform this year, and I’ve been touched to see so many give at a higher level at a time of such urgent need,” said Jud Snyder. “The outcome of our 2020 campaign magnifies the profound pride I have in our Milwaukee community.”
Each year, from August through December, United Way holds an annual fundraising campaign. Nearly 1,500 companies and organizations and 50,000 donors contribute to the campaign, allowing United Way to invest in local programs and initiatives. These investments support the health, education, and financial stability of hundreds of thousands of people in the community.
Funds are also directed toward strategies to end family homelessness, reduce barriers to employment, bridge the digital divide, and meet urgent needs like COVID-19 relief and cold weather relief.
Investments are made in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties.
United Way Campaign Largest Corporate Supporters