United Way is steady in campaign receipts

The United Way of Southeast Arkansas is two and a half months into its annual campaign, and despite significant changes in the way the campaign is having to be run in the midst of the pandemic, collections are steady.

Leslie Dorn, executive director of the agency, said earlier this month that individual giving has been consistent, but the corporate accounts are what she was concerned about.

It is in those businesses and industrial settings where United Way staff cannot go for the first time in decades to present their campaign, meeting eye-to-eye with potential donors.

Instead, that effort is being handled by company employees who have been faithful United Way supporters over the years.

Some of those campaigns will not be run until after the first of the year, Dorn said, but one that she’s been waiting on with bated breath is Evergreen Packaging.

The Evergreen corporation contributes 60 cents for every dollar its employees contribute to United Way, with the company and its employees accounting for about a third of the United Way’s goal of raising $1 million. And it’s a goal that has been met every year for more than 30 years.

Dorn can take a breath now as Evergreen has completed its campaign.

“Evergreen came in and they’re right where they were last year,” Dorn said.

“That relieves some anxiety.

By matching employee contributions, Evergreen continues a tradition started by the former owner of the paper mill, International Paper, Dorn said.

“There have been some years out there that were questionable,” she said, “but we can always count on them. It’s just wonderful.”

Currently, the campaign stands at about 40% of its goal.

Other corporate entities that have yet to run their campaigns are Jefferson Regional Medical Center, the banks, mainly Simmons and Relyance, and Central Moloney, which will run its campaign after the first of the year.

Southeast Arkansas College and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff are also waiting until at least January, she said as “they’ve been hoping to get back to normal.”

Waiting on businesses to run their own campaigns is the new normal, at least for this year, Dorn said, adding that the overall campaign is usually over by the end of February but could extend further out depending on when these business-by-business campaigns take place.

“This year’s going to be slower,” she said.

“That’s just what we have to understand. But I have every bit of faith in the people of Pine Bluff that they’re going to step us as always.”

Dorn also had praise for the agency’s 22 nonprofits that it funds.

“They have all really done an amazing job, getting the word out to their own donors and providing Christmas presents for many children and food on every table,” Dorn said. “They’ve done all they can to make sure this year’s Christmas is as enjoyable as possible. And they are to be commended for it.”