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TOUCHING PEOPLE: Lee Moss directing
United Way By John Callow / Staff Reporter of The Daily News Journal
"That message is simply this: most people think of United Way dollars going to help someone who couldn't do without the service or the dollars provided," he said. "But let me ask you. Most every family can afford for their son or daughter to be in Scouting. Many families can afford services like Hospice of Murfreesboro. But an agency like Hospice of Murfreesboro might not exist without United Way. In many cases, it's not just a matter helping those who can't afford services. It's also providing services that are desperately needed but might not exist without the United Way. "My belief is United Way is not only about touching people who financially need support," he said. "It's also about helping support agencies that touch all of us which couldn't exist without those dollars." The United Way campaign kicks off Sept. 11 and you're the chairman of the campaign. How much and by when? The goal is $2.3 million by year-end. It's our desire to close the campaign out by Dec. 31, count where we are and, hopefully, celebrate success. That's a bit of a change. There have been some years the campaign has been extended because not all the numbers are in. We're fortunate in that we got an earlier start this year. We put our cabinet together with the exception of one person about three months ago. Timing is everything, so with the cabinet put together and meeting with companies a little bit earlier, we think we will be successful. The biggest thing that will help this year's campaign is the economy. The last two years we had enough companies right-sizing - or down-sizing - and even though you didn't necessarily have as much of a reduction in force as you anticipated, the anticipation of your job being impacted strongly impacted someone giving to United Way. Right now, my sense is the economy has stabilized. It's remained much stronger in Middle Tennessee than in other parts of the state and the country. We'll be very disappointed if we don't significantly exceed the $2.3 million. How was that $2.3 million figure decided? Last year we were at about $2.25 million. We have not achieved it the last two years, more because of economic conditions than anything else. I believe in setting a goal that's achievable but one that makes you stretch. The $2.3 million tied nicely to 2003 and it's about 10 percent more than last year. We think we can do it. It would be something to be said to exceed your goal with your goal being substantially greater than the prior year. As you said, last year's campaign did not reach its goal. What makes you think you can hit it this year, especially with a 10 percent increase? The very first cabinet meeting we held, we looked at what happened last year strategically and we tried to determine where the most important areas would be to focus on in this campaign. If you're focused on these two or three areas and you do them better than you've ever done them in the past, which would give you your biggest impact? One of those is the De Toqueville Society, which is for donors capable of giving $10,000 or more a year. We'll have a strong focus on that group this year. We'll also have a strong focus on the medical community. It's a tough group to reach because many physicians give substantially of themselves just through free medical services they provide. But we think carrying the message to those two groups will help. The other thing deals with how we're kicking off the campaign this year. Historically you have a luncheon or a gathering somewhere - moderately attended. This year we're kicking off with our Day of Caring. On that date, teams of volunteers from employers across the area will be spending a portion of their workday assisting local human and health service agencies. The teams will be working on a wide variety of projects - from painting and landscaping to delivering meals to senior citizens in the community. Cardinal Health, Chromalox, Home Depot, Cannon County Senior Citizens, Stones River Medical Center, MAHLE Tennex, Reddell Honda-Mazda, SunTrust, Ingram Book Group and Middle Tennessee Medical Center are planning to participate. Other businesses participating in the United Way Day of Caring include Alexander Motors, Cavalry Banking, Consumers Insurance, General Mills-Pillsbury, Stones River Medical Center and Target Stores. This local effort will be part of a national initiative to encourage people to make Sept. 11 a national day of service. We think this year with this Day of Caring - First you've got the date, Sept. 11, and the emotions that that brings out. Secondly, by getting employees out into actual United Way agencies and seeing firsthand - not on a video, not by word of mouth - but seeing firsthand what takes place, and by giving some of your time, two things will happen. That person hopefully will be more inclined to give because they've seen it and then there will also be a domino effect when that person goes back to their place of business and says, "Let me tell you what we did and what I saw and how our dollars can be most effectively utilized." We think kicking it off by getting hands-on experience for potential givers will have a much greater impact than a handful of people showing up at a rally somewhere. We're fortunate Nancy Long is chairing our Day of Caring effort. Before coming to us, she was employed by a company in Williamson County, and they've done this in Williamson County and it's been proven in other communities. We're really excited. It's different than anything we've done before. But being different sometimes has its risks. If you miss a key leader on the Day of Caring who might have shown up for a rally, it could cost us. We think the risk will have rewards that are well worth it. When you looked at last year's campaign, did you decide the economy was the problem? Primarily. Rutherford County has historically been very supportive of philanthropic giving. You pick the issue and we give. I've lived here nine years now. It appears to me Rutherford County has more appropriate nonprofit organizations seeking dollars per capita than most other communities. The more you spread those dollars, the tougher it is. Then if you're not successful in getting really good focus on your best opportunities, that can hold you back. My experience in business has always been don't try to do 10 initiatives average. Pick two, three or four initiatives and do them extraordinarily well. We think that approach, which we're using this year, may not be the approach that has been used by United Way in the past. If we execute well and if we convey the message effectively - because United Way is about conveying the message - if we do that effectively, the community will respond. As you've said, people who have lived here for any length of time know we live in a special place and we have consistently shown a special attitude toward our neighbors who need help. How do we get that across to our new neighbors? The Day of Caring is one critical way. Having effective written materials for distribution is important. Having a video, which for those who, for whatever reason, can't envision the United Way agencies, helps. You made the point earlier that United Way is not just about providing funding help for agencies which help with this county's indigent citizens. Have you and your family crossed paths with a local United Way agency? Both of my parents died of cancer. My mother lingered longer than my father. She particularly was a benefactor of the services of Alive Hospice, which serves Nashville the same way as Hospice of Murfreesboro. That meant a great deal to my family and me because it allowed her to spend her last months with dignity at home where she wanted to spend them. That's an example. My wife Susan's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and that association was most helpful. A lot of their dollars go to research, which is so critical. I've been on the board of Children's Discovery House, which is now Discovery Center, for seven years now. You've seen the new facility. While the community raised the capital dollars for that, it's United Way dollars and other support which allow us to provide all the ongoing programs. My son worked at the Boys & Girls Club this past summer and he got to see firsthand all the rewards of what Steve McKinney and his group do there. It's a great organization - and it's a United Way agency. So those - and Boy Scouts - are organizations which have touched my family directly. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in Rutherford or Cannon county who has not been touched in some way by a United Way agency. Whenever I speak to any group about United Way, I'll ask everybody who has benefited from the services of one of the agencies. Typically half the hands will go up. Then I'll rattle off a few of the names. There will be associations they don't think of and a few more hands will go up. By the time we're through, 90 percent plus of any group will have raised their hands and recognized they have had the benefit of a United Way agency. It supports everybody, not just a few. Without a doubt there are many people who have been touched by an agency and not realized it. That's one of the reasons why the materials we distribute in the workplace are so important. We have a brochure which lists every agency. When you make that presentation, there's quite often an "ah-ha." Someone will realize these are agencies that have worked with their children, their parents or themselves. So the message is really simple if you can just get in front of people. The challenge is getting all companies to open up and be willing to conduct a campaign which allows that message to be presented. That's a problem? It is, and I'll never understand it. To me, if you have employees who live in this community, and as a business owner or manager you live here, I'll never understand why you wouldn't want to allow appropriate organizations to come into your company, to allow you to share some of the wealth and some of the blessings you've received by being a part of this community. There are still companies who decline to be part of the United Way. It probably means we're still not doing an effective enough job of reaching out. How many agencies? There are 41 agencies or programs which will receive some of their funding from United Way for the next year. Each agency meets every year with an allocations panel to determine their needs and how we can help. We also interview new agencies every year and add them as we are able. Some of the agencies have their own fund-raisers as well. How do you convince people they need to be willing to go to the well at least twice? That's a good question. I think what we've found over time is that many people have one specific agency that for one reason or another they're very passionate about and want to support. We're thankful for that and United Way has a program so you may designate one or more agencies - you can specify that your dollars go to those agencies. But what I like to remind people is that United Way is about supporting a broader community. You and I will always have agencies which are important to us and which we will more than likely support over and above the United Way. Allowing an allocations committee to interview appropriate agencies in this community is important because they can make the best decision on which agencies are best serving this community's needs. They ask questions, they review budgets, they talk to leadership. That process means they can distribute the dollars you and I give the United Way in the most responsible way for the community. I'm a firm believer that's a better way to serve your community than picking two or three specific agencies and putting all your giving there. Our hope is you'll give to United Way through a payroll deduction as well as supporting those specific agencies for which you have developed a special interest. You mentioned payroll deductions. Most of your giving is coordinated through the workplace. Does that mean you're missing some folks? We have a segment of our cabinet which focuses on individuals not employed by companies. We have neighborhood associations to go out and solicit. We have groups that focus on specific groups like Charity Circle, which will conduct their own separate campaign. We'll hit groups that aren't supported through the work force. But if you hit those in the work force and present the message effectively, you will successfully get in front of more than 90 percent of the market. Anybody not being asked? There will always be somebody not being asked, but we'll be trying to keep that number at a minimum. Several times you've talked about conveying the message. What is the message? Many years the message when you go to a company is, "We want 100 percent participation." To me the real message is simply this: "Allow United Way's message to be shared with your employees. Let the message speak for itself. Let people give because they feel called to give for the right reasons vs. being strongly encouraged to give by their supervisors." If we present that message effectively, we will succeed by reaching our goals. But we'll also succeed because people will feel good about giving their dollars for the right reasons. That's much more important to me this year for this campaign than people being compelled to give. I'm pretty passionate about that. I've signed my pledge card and I'm making a contribution every pay period. How much of that money is staying with United Way of Rutherford County? Ninety-three to 94 cents of every dollar ends up in the hands of an agency. My experience with United Way, not just in Rutherford County, but throughout the entire organization, is it's one of the most efficient deliverers of dollars of any program anywhere. If you give your dollar, you can count on 93 cents of that dollar in some way benefiting someone in Rutherford or Cannon county. What's the most important thing happening in our community? You've asked me that question in another context, but relative to this campaign that starts Sept. 11, the most important thing that will take place is conveying the message effectively to as many people as possible. I won't say that's the most important thing happening in the community today, but if we're going to be the type of community that attracts industry and new business, we had better take it very seriously. One thing new businesses look at is how well does the community raise dollars for philanthropic purposes. The quickest gauge a company can look at is how successful the United Way in that community is. It speaks about the quality of the people and the quality of life. I would suggest United Way is not just about supporting the agencies, but it's also about having a community which gives. That attracts the right types of businesses, the types of businesses Destination Rutherford dollars are being used for to bring to Rutherford County. To me, it's completing the whole puzzle to say, "This is the community I live in." No new agencies until funds available Will there be any new agencies under the United Way umbrella for the next year? "There will be no new agencies this year. Money is the issue. The board felt we shouldn't add any until we see how the campaign goes." |
