Subject category:
Ethics and Social Responsibility
Published by:
Harvard Kennedy School
Length: 37 pages
Topics:
Non-profit management
Share a link:
https://casecent.re/p/6959
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Abstract
In the early 1990s, the leadership of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta comes to a surprising conclusion: despite the fact that its annual fundraising drives were successful, the organization was in long- term trouble. This major chapter of the most important U.S. organization dedicated to raising and disbursing charitable funds was concerned that new competitors offering donors new ways to direct their dollars would erode its own "market share". In addition, it was concerned over the tendency of donors toward "designated giving"-earmarking their charitable donations for specific purposes. Historically, the United Way had been predicated on the idea that it could be relied upon to direct charitable dollars to efficient and effective organizations. This case describes United Way, Atlanta''s efforts to adopt systems and approaches which will convince the public that it should continue to make "unrestricted" donations to the United Way-contributions over which the organization would retain discretion as to how to redirect. The case describes a series of United Way efforts. Its "community building" initiative seeks to go beyond its historic role of simply directing money to worthy organizations and, instead, to itself organize cooperation among neighborhood-based nonprofit groups to take on tasks which the United Way is convinced, based on conversations with residents of lower-income areas, are important. At the same time, United Way undertakes to find imaginative ways to measure the impact of the efforts its funds support- and to link those to priorities established through extensive surveys of Atlanta area residents. The idea: to demonstrate that, through United Way, Atlanta can make progress on social problems it cares most about. The case allows for discussion of the likely effectiveness of a major nonprofit organization''s effort to adapt to what it perceives to be a changing marketplace. Its implicit question: Will United Way, Atlanta succeed in its "journey of re-invention"? This case was prepared with support from the United Way of America.
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Abstract
In the early 1990s, the leadership of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta comes to a surprising conclusion: despite the fact that its annual fundraising drives were successful, the organization was in long- term trouble. This major chapter of the most important U.S. organization dedicated to raising and disbursing charitable funds was concerned that new competitors offering donors new ways to direct their dollars would erode its own "market share". In addition, it was concerned over the tendency of donors toward "designated giving"-earmarking their charitable donations for specific purposes. Historically, the United Way had been predicated on the idea that it could be relied upon to direct charitable dollars to efficient and effective organizations. This case describes United Way, Atlanta''s efforts to adopt systems and approaches which will convince the public that it should continue to make "unrestricted" donations to the United Way-contributions over which the organization would retain discretion as to how to redirect. The case describes a series of United Way efforts. Its "community building" initiative seeks to go beyond its historic role of simply directing money to worthy organizations and, instead, to itself organize cooperation among neighborhood-based nonprofit groups to take on tasks which the United Way is convinced, based on conversations with residents of lower-income areas, are important. At the same time, United Way undertakes to find imaginative ways to measure the impact of the efforts its funds support- and to link those to priorities established through extensive surveys of Atlanta area residents. The idea: to demonstrate that, through United Way, Atlanta can make progress on social problems it cares most about. The case allows for discussion of the likely effectiveness of a major nonprofit organization''s effort to adapt to what it perceives to be a changing marketplace. Its implicit question: Will United Way, Atlanta succeed in its "journey of re-invention"? This case was prepared with support from the United Way of America.