Charitable giving is way down, so United Way is evolving

The Kansas City community has seen exceptional growth in some areas, but challenges in others. Nationally, nonprofits are struggling with a trend of a decreasing donor base.

According to the National Philanthropic Trust, the percentage of Americans who make charitable donations has dropped from nearly 66% to just over 55% during the past 15 years.

The 2017 federal tax overhaul doubled the standard deduction that taxpayers could take, which may decrease the number of people willing to itemize their charitable contributions. And that concerns me, because I know the most vulnerable in our community rely upon the generosity of many nonprofits and their donor bases. That includes the United Way of Greater Kansas City.

I volunteered to serve as the cochair of this year’s United Way campaign, along with Alise Martiny from the Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council, because I believe in the work United Way does hand in hand with its partner agencies to create change in the community. I also realize there are more constraints on the ability to fundraise and lead the United Way’s mission than at any time during the organization’s more than 100-year history.

And yet I am hopeful, because I know that Kansas City takes care of its own.

Keeping a community moving forward requires tireless attention to the issues that matter most. It can be achieved through the generosity of individual donors and corporate sponsors who choose the United Way as the foundation of their charitable giving. Nearly 400 companies, organizations and agencies support United Way of Greater Kansas City with an annual campaign. As impressive as that is, I know we can do better.

This is not a region without obstacles, and uncertainty surrounding the economy complicates the United Way’s mission. Quite simply, fundraising determines the ability to fund incredible agencies throughout the metropolitan area.

The United Way has taken some exciting steps to merge its loyal, longtime donors with the next generation, which demands simplicity and transparency in exchange for their generosity. To meet those expectations, our footprint has grown to provide a better volunteer and donor experience through Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud, a corporate impact platform designed for a new era of giving.

Armed with data and more than 100 years of experience, the United Way is able to effectively identify the community’s greatest needs and live its mission through three targeted programs:

▪ Healthy Beginnings for healthy, thriving young children ready for school success

▪ Prepared Youth to prepare the next generation for career and life success

▪ Thriving Adults & Families to ensure adults and families in our community are financially secure and independent

In addition to supporting impactful programs at agencies throughout the community, United Way of Greater Kansas City also collaborates with many of those sponsors to offer community initiatives aimed at advancing these goals. This includes Promise 1000, a home-visiting program in partnership with Children’s Mercy Hospital that supports families with children during their first 1,000 days of life.

The Launch College and Career Savings Accounts is a personal finance program that has enabled more than 100 students, usually low-income and first-generation college students, to pursue higher education. And the Financial Opportunity Center Network coaches struggling low-income adults and families to move past crisis-driven decision making, and into long-range financial stability through job placement and retention, financial skill-building, improving credit and building assets.

We are so grateful for our passionate and supportive community. If you are among those involved in United Way campaigns, thank you. If you are not, I urge you to get involved — now, more than ever.

Craig Kuckelman is the Kansas City managing partner of Deloitte, LLP and cochair of the annual campaign of the United Way of Greater Kansas City.

This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Charitable giving is way down, so United Way is evolving."