"People May Suprise You."

Thanks A Billion UPS!

August 2, 2010 By Olu Johnson Leave a Comment

In the last 10 years UPS workers have donated more $13 million to United Ways of Northern California

This summer, UPS and its employees and retirees will reach the exceptional milestone of $1 billion in total contributions to United Way since the company began its annual workplace campaigns in 1982.

“UPS is a driving force for change in our communities. The company and its employees continually raise the bar for United Way’s Global Corporate Leaders and are among our most valued partners,” said Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide. “Reaching a billion dollars in giving is a remarkable milestone. It not only speaks to generosity that is second-to-none, it’s indicative of their tireless and unwavering commitment to strengthening communities and improving lives throughout the world.”

In 2009, UPS’s total philanthropy reached nearly $100 million, including more than $55 million from their 2009 workplace campaign. UPS has been the top corporate giver to United Way for nine of the last 10 years. UPS employees and their families also contributed more than 1.2 million hours of volunteer service last year through the company’s Global Volunteer Month and Neighbor-to-Neighbor program. UPS has twice won the United Way Spirit of America Award, United Way’s highest national honor for corporate citizenship and measurable community impact.

“To my knowledge, UPS is the first company ever to have contributed $1 billion through one organization, a tremendous accomplishment both for our employees and the communities that benefit from United Way services,” said The UPS Foundation President Ken Sternad. “Wherever there is a stop light or stop sign in America, there is likely a UPS driver passing by; they are part of the community, they see the needs, and they have been a key part of the $1 billion story. We appreciate the recognition that our drivers, and our company, is receiving from United Way.”

Locally, UPS and its employees have contributed millions of dollars and volunteer hours to the Bay Area. We are proud to have them as our partners. So when you see your UPS driver, tell him or her, thank you!

You can also sign an online thank you card for UPS here.

Filed Under: Pathways out of Poverty, United Way Partners, Volunteer Tagged With: Bay Area, corporate, giving, United Way partners. united way worldwide, UPS

Volunteer Opportunities for Every Season

October 19, 2009 By Olu Johnson Leave a Comment

Now its even easier to volunteer in the community all year-round.

Building on the tremendous success of our annual Week of Caring, United Way has launched a quarterly volunteer program to provide Bay Area companies with employee volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

During these tough economic times, nonprofits have seen a huge surge in demand for their services, as the number of individuals and families seeking help continues to grow. Local agencies are increasingly relying on volunteer support to address this surge in demand. In addition to mobilizing more than 7,000 volunteers during Week of Caring, United Way’s quarterly volunteer initiative will connect hundreds more volunteers to nonprofits who need extra manpower.

United Way kicked off the initiative in July, hosting a project for UPS and Abbott Laboratories at Oakland’s Street Academy. Employee volunteer teams spruced up a teacher’s lounge and the school’s backyard, creating a welcoming environment for the school’s staff and students.

“Rolling up your sleeves and your getting your hands dirty is great because it provides a real way to see the effect that you can have in your community,” said Marlo Austin of UPS East Bay District. “ It was a lot work, but everyone who participated had a great time, and now we’ve given the school a very useful space. “

For more information about the next quarterly volunteer opportunity, contact your United Way development officer or Aditi Aggarwal, United Way’s volunteer coordinator at 415-808-4300, aaggarwal@uwba.org.

Filed Under: Road to Recovery Tagged With: children, empoyee, grantee, partners, UPS, Volunteer, youth

"People May Suprise You."

September 30, 2009 By Sonali Joshi Leave a Comment

UPS workers volunteer in the community year-round which helps employees understand community needs

In this difficult economic environment of layoffs and downsizing, UPS exceeded their campaign goal. We asked Jerry Lee, UPS’ Community Services Manager, to share the lessons he learned from the trail.

United Way: What were the most surprising aspects of your campaign?

Jerry: I was surprised that so many of our returning donors came back and came back at a higher level. People really stepped up if they could. This would have been a time for people to step back. I was nicely surprised to see how some people really stepped up.

United Way: What advice would you give Employee Campaign Coordinators worried about the economy?

Jerry: Do not get discouraged. You cannot walk into your campaign with a defeated attitude, thinking you will not make goal because things are rough. People may surprise you. Everyone understands the economic situation. People understand the need.

United Way: What messages resonated with your employees?

Jerry: Our message was simple: Now more than ever. If you have your job, there are people who need help.

United Way: What worked really well for you?

Jerry: Really getting the message out about the need in our community right now and the way the economy took a downturn. Everyone got hurt. Community groups have seen a huge surge in demand and a drop in funding. We also tried to have managers talk with each person one on one about the campaign. People feel, “If it was not important enough for you to ask me, it must not be that important.”

Also, many of our employees are involved in nonprofits and are passionate about the community and the campaign. We do volunteer activities year round because we want people to be exposed to the agencies and community need. That way it is not a surprise when the campaign comes.

United Way: How did you give every employee an opportunity to give without feeling pressure?

Jerry: This year, we really emphasized privacy of employees. Some of them may be going through hard times. You never know what is happening in their life right now in terms of a spouse getting laid off or whatever. We did not do a hard press. We made sure we told the story. People who understood it, gave more. People who could not, did not. We made sure no one was judged because you simply never know.

United Way: What was your moment of pride in the campaign?

Jerry: Some departments that struggled last year really exceeded our expectations. A lot had to do with the energy of the managers who were running the campaigns. Surprising to see how some groups really came together and came in at 140% of their goal.