Cincinnati Fundraising Comes Through With $61.7 Million

United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s (UWGC) 2013 campaign exceeded the 2012 campaign, with the most new dollars since 2007. The 2013 campaign raised more than $61.7 million, some $650,000 more than last year, an increase 1 percent. UWGC reported it was the most new dollars since 2007 and the second-highest new dollar total in 10 years.

“We envisioned and committed to achieve a bold stretch goal for this year as the first step to reach United Way’s bold vision of $75 million by 2020,” said campaign co-chairman Michael D. Connelly, president and CEO of Catholic Health Partners.

Strategies to reach this year’s goal included the availability of a Catholic Health Partners grant to match new and increased donations and a Tocqueville Challenge Match made possible by The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. It matched all new and increased gifts of $10,000 or more with the incremental increase being matched.

Cincinnati’s Tocqueville Society and Women’s Leadership Council, which include donors of $10,000 or more, included 103 and 31 new members, respectively. United Way Emerging Leaders, donors 40 and young who give $1,000 or more, has 303 new members, and the new Hispanic Leadership Society, launched last year has 60 members. The Herbert R. Brown Society, which recognizes African American leaders who contribute $1,000 or more annually, gained 56 new members. More than 73 companies are making new corporate gifts and there are 25 new employee campaigns.

Greater Cincinnati reported the eighth-highest total in private support for 2012 among more than 400 affiliates reporting at last $1 million, according to United Way Worldwide. UWGC reported private support of $63.88 million last year, down about 3 percent from the 2011 total of $65.9 million.

The totals reported to Alexandria, Va., headquarters include more than just campaign figures and could include major gifts and other individual or corporate gifts. The total announced by Cincinnati was strictly for its local fundraising campaign, which ran from Aug. 28 to Oct. 30.