News, Press Releases - Wednesday, March 10, 2010 3:11 - 0 Comments

United Way’s tough 2009 giving campaign ends on high note

The United Way of Rock River Valley is preparing to celebrate what will probably go down as the fundraising success story of 2009.

For the past year, United Way CEO Paul Logli has been known to rally his troops with a single, succinct and utterly realistic phrase: “Nothing good happens around here unless we grow the campaign.”

Good, it appears, is finally here, though there was no shortage of obstacles between the local United Way chapter and the $4.5 million fundraising goal it set for last year.

Winnebago and Boone counties scored the highest unemployment rate of all metro areas in the state in 2009, and Illinois slashed funding to social service agencies by 15 percent. Dozens of major government agencies and private sector businesses made across-the-board cuts in spending, and the United Way itself restructured its operations and grant allocations to absorb a $500,000 loss.

“We think we have enough information now to indicate where the overall campaign stands,” Logli said Tuesday. Full Press Release…