It's Not Too Late!!!

At a certain point in every political campaign, usually during the weekend preceding election Tuesday, both sides take a small step back to breathe. Candidates, staffers and volunteers all know they have done everything within their power to bring about the outcome they desire. Voters who have been inundated with campaign ads - some clever, some misleading, most neither - know (in a strangely-nostalgic way) that soon, their only exposure to those ads will be when they view the countless shows on their DVR recorded through the campaign season. Now, they know, everything is in the hands of the voters.

And the second guessing begins, even before the votes have been counted. The candidate worries that the gaffe he made five weeks ago will be the cause of his demise; the campaign manager wonders if she would have been better off going "all-in" in the southeastern part of the state at the expense of fewer resources being available elsewhere.

United Way campaigns are not so different.

This is the time of year when we are wondering if there is anything else we could do - or could have done - to ensure that our campaign will be able to provide sufficient resources to maintain - or even accelerate - the momentum we have seen in recent years around services for children and families.

But, in one important respect, we are different from those political campaigns - we still have time for more action! It's not too late!

And so, if your company has not yet run a United Way campaign this year, give Mitchell or me a call and help us get in front of the decision-makers at your place of employment. If you are one of those decision-makers, and you want to challenge a rival company, call us and let us show you how philanthropy can be a wonderful battlefield for such challenges. And if business has been really good this year, consider a corporate match for your employees' gifts.

If you have already run a campaign for us this year, consider a "New Hire" program that allows new employees to get in on supporting their community without having to wait for next year's campaign. And if, like me, you have begun to come to grips with your own mortality and are beginning to plan your estate, talk with us about a Legacy Gift that can perpetuate your support for your community through United Way.

So, now that November is upon us, if you haven't done so already, be sure to vote for the candidate of your choice. And if you haven't already pledged your support for Butler County United Way, be sure to do so. It's important. And it's not too late!

Bruce