Now More Than Ever, A Simple Action Can Help Save Lives
By Whitt Butler and Tracy Dowe, Board Chair and Vice Chair, United Way of Summit & Medina
The world is changing and we’re changing with it. As community needs grow and the landscape of donor support shifts, we, like many nonprofits across the country, are navigating a challenging fundraising environment. But we’re stepping into these challenges with clarity, courage, and a commitment to adapt.
To remain not just relevant, but resilient, United Way of Summit & Medina is making bold, necessary changes. We’re proactively realigning resources, diversifying revenue, evaluating programs for long-term sustainability, and sharpening our focus on what drives the greatest impact. These choices aren’t always easy, but they’re grounded in a simple truth: we are in, with, and for our community.
In response to this year’s campaign finishing below expectations, we are also taking difficult but essential steps to protect the financial health and core mission of our organization. This includes internal adjustments and reduced funding to our core partner organizations. These decisions are hard, but they’re necessary to ensure we can continue to serve our community with strength and integrity.
Now is a time of realignment and with it comes opportunity. We’re rethinking how we work, strengthening key partnerships, and investing where we know it matters most. And despite the challenges, progress is happening. Families are gaining financial stability through our Financial Empowerment Centers, in partnership with the City of Akron. More students are receiving the support they need to succeed, thanks to our Family Resource Centers and our partnership with Akron Public Schools. And every day, our 211 helpline connects thousands of neighbors to critical services like housing, food, healthcare, and more.
This progress is not only possible because United Way has remained flexible, responsive, and focused on outcomes, but most of all because of people like you. Your support isn’t just appreciated, it’s essential. It allows us to act quickly in a crisis and invest strategically in long-term change. It helps us build a community where every child can succeed, every family can thrive, and every person has the chance to live a healthy, stable life.
There’s no doubt about it- federal funding uncertainty and changing workforce/corporate support for critical services to communities are changing. Many non-profits in our community need support right now. We have an opportunity to stand tall for our community and help maintain these services during times of disruption. In moments like these, when the need is high and the path forward requires all of us, philanthropy becomes a way of investing, caring, and being part of positive change. We’re asking our community to stand with us, to give if you can, and give locally, to advocate for those in need, and to volunteer your time and talents. It’s a simple way to make an immediate and meaningful impact in our community.
For us, we are proud to serve on the board of United Way of Summit & Medina and we see the impact of their work every day. We know that with your support, and in partnership with government, businesses, individuals, and other non-profits, we can keep building a community that doesn’t just get by, but gets better, together.
Now more than ever, let’s show what it means to be in, with, and for our community.