United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area held its 2007 Victory Event on April 25th, celebrating the end of a successful campaign season.  The event took place at Republic in the Warehouse District, and hosted New Orleans’ community members that contributed to United Way’s 2006-2007 Campaign.  This year’s campaign successfully raised $20.1 million through pledged dollars and grant funding, marking the highest amount raised in the history of United Way.   

This record season set an assortment of achievements.  Locally, $16.2 million was raised, a 40% increase over the 2005 campaign; in addition to this, almost $4 million was secured through grant funding.  For the first time ever, two corporations, Entergy and Shell, gave at the million-dollar level through Employee Pledges and Company Matching.  Companies like Energy Partners, run by 2006-2007 United Way Chairman Richard Bachmann, doubled their giving despite suffering personal losses, which is an amazing feat in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Federal employees, which include military, and postal and federal workers, raised $1.4 million, doubling the $600,000 they raised in 2005.  The number of The Tocqueville Society members, those who pledge annual amounts at a prestigious level, has increased to 100.

These significant campaign accomplishments have allowed United Way unprecedented opportunities to provide services and programs to post-Katrina New Orleans.  As the needs of the community has changed and evolved after the hurricane, United Way has been evolving as well, providing direct services, creating new partnerships, and coordinating funding in new ways.

To better meet the many new challenges faced by area residents, United Way suspended its allocations process of providing 3-year funding commitments to partner agency programs and instituted a 4-month grant process in November of 2005. This short-term granting process enabled United Way to increase flexibility in funding to meet community needs in an ever changing recovery environment

In the past year, United Way has solicited and distributed refrigerators, washers, and dryers to residents and kitchen equipment and furniture to other non-profit organizations. We have also provided meals and other support services to volunteers from all parts of the country, created power tool coops providing safety respirators and insect repellant to residents and volunteers.  We help people obtain vital records, medical records and apply for food stamps, Medicaid and other government services.

The organization has also focused on the collaborative partnerships built before Katrina, such as UNITY for the Homeless, Success By 6, and School To Career which are all still supporting the community. Each respectively focuses on the homeless, quality childcare, and opportunities for higher education, all issues prominent in the New Orleans area both pre- and post-Katrina.

Additionally, United Way continues to provide relief and rebuilding assistance for those impacted by the hurricane not only through the program efforts it funds, but also through the 2-1-1 Emergency Referral line, Unmet Needs/ Long-Term Recovery Committees and the Greater New Orleans Disaster Recovery Partnership (GNODRP).

View photos from the award ceremony here!