Stop by with your gently-used coat donations tomorrow to join Stove Top Stuffing and United Way as they spread the warmth in the Twin Cities. Your coat donations will help support the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities, Catholic Charities or Community Emergency Assistance Program.  Each charity will have its own donation bin and the charity with the most coats at the end of the event will receive a donation of $2,500, in addition to all the coats!  Come on by tomorrow to support your favorite charity and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate.

Spread the Warmth—March 4
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Nicollet Mall outside of the IDS Center (between 7th and 8th Streets)

Congratulations to our Campaign Victory Sweepstakes Finalists!  The Winner of the 2010 Victory Hammer 8-ball Motorcycle and pair of $500 Cub Foods gift cards, one to be donated to a food shelf of their choice, will be announced at the Best Of Awards on March 31.

Craig Alcock, St. Paul, MN	Peter Ingebrigtsen, Hastings, MN
Kelli Amero, Apple Valley, MN	Myles Lund, Andover, MN
Patti Crema, Brooklyn Park, MN	Nick Schmidt, Minneapolis, MN
Brenda Hernandez , New Brighton, MN	Stephanie Stull, St. Paul, MN
Helen Ialeman, Eden Prairie, MN

Read more about the Sweepstakes sponsored by Victory Motorcycles and Cub Foods.

United Way recently completed a competitive and open application and review process for two of its 10 goal areas: reducing domestic violence and maximizing independence for seniors and people with disabilities. These investments support two of the 10 goal areas that make up the organization’s Agenda for Lasting Change.

United Way is committing investments of $4 million in the domestic violence goal and $4.8 million for the independence goal over the next three years. Despite this tough economy, United Way continues to maintain funding levels for eight of the 10 goal areas.

“By choosing programs that best fit with United Way’s goals we are making smart and strategic investment decisions that support the most critical safety net services and also advance progress in our longer-term Agenda goals,” says Frank Forsberg, United Way’s senior vice president of Community Impact. Read more at United Way’s Website.

Thanks to everyone who nominated their company for a Best Of Award this year; we’re truly grateful for your support and committment to our community.

Find out if your company is in the running for a Best Of Award in the video below:

Congratulations to all of our finalists!  We look forward to celebrating with you at the Awards Ceremony on March 31.
Please note: This event is by invitation only.

More information about United Way’s Best Of Awards or the Awards Ceremony is available here.

The recent devastating earthquake left thousands of Haitians homeless, struggling for food and clean water. Your donation to the United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund will aid in recovery efforts.

Text HAITI to UNITED (864833) to make a $5 gift.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination(s)!  This year’s Best Of Awards submissions are currently undergoing review to determine which companies truly demonstrated what it means to Live United.  Finalists in each category will be announced February 9! The awards ceremony will take place on March 31, 2010.

Learn more about United Way’s Best Of Awards.

This year’s Best Of Awards are presented by Land O’Lakes.

Nominations for this year’s Best of Awards are due Friday, January 21!

Whether you’re a big or small company, this is your chance to show off the amazing things you did and receive special recognition for all of your hard work.

Nominate your company today!

Spend your day off giving back. United Way Caring Connection has plenty of volunteer opportunities honoring the spirit of the late civil rights leader. Find one now!

Every day, donors like you represent the true meaning of LIVE UNITED. From all of us at United Way, we extend sincerest thanks and gratitude for your support.

Thanks to you, our year-end giving programs reported some great results:

• Gifts to our Warm.Safe.Fed campaign averaged over $100 per gift, and 35 percent of donors were new to United Way!
• Donations to our Holiday Wishes program, an annual partnership with the Pioneer Press, topped $100,000!
  Read Jan. 6 recap article.

United Way began the Best Of Awards to recognize outstanding companies that run United Way campaigns for all of the events, planning, managing and execution done by Ambassadors, volunteer committees and employees. 

Anyone who has run a Greater Twin Cities United Way campaign in 2009 can enter.  By entering the United Way Best Of Awards you are able to demonstrate the work that you and your company are doing! This is your opportunity to show people what you have done on behalf of our community. Imagine being able to say your company is “award winning!”

Learn more or download the call for nominations and begin your application today!  Nominations are due January 22, 2010.