With more than a month left to go, the United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s annual fundraising campaign has surpassed the total it brought in last year, ending three years of declines in fundraising.
As of Nov. 20, the nonprofit had raised a projected $49.5 million — well above its $48 million final total last year.
The group raises funds for other social service nonprofits serving roughly 330,000 people in 10 counties across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
“We’re just getting started,” United Way of Greater Cincinnati Interim CEO Ross Meyer said in a statement announcing the fundraising total. “Thanks to today’s news, we will help thousands of kids get a strong start in life, when it matters most. We will help thousands of our youth thrive in school and see hope and opportunity in their future. We will put more people into good jobs that can provide for their families. We will help thousands of people overcome any barriers in their way — be it addiction, homelessness, or mental illness. And, most importantly, we will help more families break the cycle of poverty for good.”
The money raised this year means that there will not be any funding cuts to organizations the United Way helps fund, said campaign chair and First Financial Bank CEO Archie Brown.
“Thanks to the generosity of the community, we will maintain funding for all agencies and initiatives,” Brown said in a statement.
This article appears in Nov 13-26, 2019.