Get Involved
At United Way Fresno and Madera Counties, we mobilize the collective power of community to advance lasting solutions and measurable change for the most urgent issues our neighbors face. In other words, we know that when you give back to your community, you invest in the future of those around you, as well as yourself. That’s what we call Living United.
There is far more than one way to Live United with us, whether it be through giving, volunteering, advocating, or even just following us on social media and staying connected.
Give
There are several ways you can support our work.
General Donation
Visit uwfm.org/donate to give to our regular operational fund. This helps us continue to do our work remotely while our office is closed, and get the word out about resources and programs, from our 211 Helpline to our Free Tax Prep program, and everything in between.
Equity Fund
As the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged our country and disproportionately impacted People of Color and poor people across the nation, we saw firsthand how large the equity gap truly is. Here in the Central Valley, our 211 Helpline was inundated with calls – over twice our usual numbers – from people in search of basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing. We are committed to dismantling the radical wealth, health, and educational disparities that devastate Communities of Color and the working poor. Your gift to this fund goes specifically to aiding in that important work. Please visit bit.ly/EQUITYUWFM to contribute.
Work With Us
We offer two ways you can Live United with us in the workplace. Our first option is to become an employee and our second is through contract opportunities. The buttons below will navigate you to these respective pages with all the details. We hope you find the right opportunity to join our team.
Volunteer
We are always in need of volunteers, whether it be to help us stuff emergency preparedness bags or assist local families with their taxes. Please email uwfmvolunteer@gmail.com if you’re interested in helping out. Let us know your skill sets and interests and we’ll let you know what’s currently on the front burner.
Advocate
We need allies in our work, especially when it comes to our race equity programs. If your values are aligned with our mission, please consider helping elevate our message by sharing our resources with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Follow us on social media and engage with our content (links to all our profiles be found at the bottom of any page on our site). Follow our community partners and help do the same for them. Write your local representatives about matters that are important to you. Spread the Live United mantra wherever and however you can.
Workplace Giving
Workplace Giving (sometimes called Campaign) is an efficient way to make donations to the non-profits you care about, through donations taken directly out of your paycheck.
This is one of the most important programs to our organization. The money raised through Workplace Giving directly funds all the work we do because it’s unrestricted, which means we can apply it to the staff and resources that fuel all our programs. That ensures every dollar given stays in the communities of Fresno and Madera.
However, it isn’t just about the donations you give. We see Workplace Giving as a chance for us to Live United with you and your team. Our partnership benefits your company in a myriad of ways:
- Increasing employee engagement and morale that always comes from charitable giving
- Amplifying the impact your firm has in the community you serve
- Getting direct access and information on all the services we provide that can also benefit your staff
- Volunteer opportunities that are great for team building
- Our team volunteering to support your events
- Meeting your corporate social responsibility goals in a beneficial way
Our Promise
If you are a California State Employee, we can still connect with you on Workplace Giving and help you become a campaign champion. However the way you give is a just a little bit different. You’ll use Our Promise, a program which offers people that work for the state the opportunity to set up payroll deductions to donate to just about any nonprofit you would like to support. Workplace Engagement Coordinator AubreyEnna Johnson is ready to help with your campaign. Send her an email: ajohnson@uwfm.org. You can also visit the Our Promise website here, and if you already give and want to support us, use code 14518.
So, what’s next?
Start a Campaign
Any CEOs, presidents, human resource directors, or other boss-type decision-makers should reach out to oarnold@uwfm.org and our Senior Director of Resource Development, Olivia, will walk you through how easy it is to start Workplace Giving.
She or another awesome member of our United Way team will help you:
- Assist in facilitating the program from documentation to execution
- Work with your team on the best way to start payroll deduction
- Recruit a winning team of volunteers to market the campaign to fellow employees
- Provide information and resources on all of our programs on-site or virtually to your entire team
Employees who are part of our Workplace Giving program not only Live United with us but get access to all the information and resources we share with the community. You’re there for us and we’re there for you. That’s how Living United works.