Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, we witnessed one of the most devastating natural disasters ever in the Pacific Northwest. Communities already affected by COVID-19, either directly or economically, were impacted yet again with the wildfires in our region. As with so many instances and throughout history, communities of color and low-income communities were disproportionately impacted.
Thanks to your support, United Way responded quickly in communities with the greatest needs. With racial equity at the center of our work, we prioritized funding solutions that came from within communities of color and were led by culturally-specific organizations.
Your generosity helped stabilize communities, made it possible for kids and families to recover and brought us one step closer to a more equitable region.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to creating a region where all families have the resources and opportunities to thrive. Thank you for standing united with your community. I hope you take pride in seeing the impact you made possible.
Sincerely,
John Ewert, Board of Directors Chair
United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
At United Way, we’re committed to equity in our work – from interacting with the public, to engaging with donors, to allocating resources across our community. We define equity as the intentional inclusion of everyone in society. Equity is achieved when systemic, institutional and historical barriers based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and other identities are dismantled and no longer predict socioeconomic, education and health outcomes.
As an Oregon-founded company, Nike is deeply committed to our backyard community. In the fall of 2020, we donated to United Way of the Columbia-Willamette to support immediate relief needs for our fellow Oregonians impacted by the wildfires. Our partnership with United Way made it possible to recognize and support our communities in this time of need.
I became a United Way donor on Day One of my professional career when I proudly signed up for payroll deduction. Indeed, we proudly have a long time, multi-generational history with United Way both through the Jubitz Companies and personal annual giving.
Over the years, United Way has proven to be a worthy recipient of our support. From the quality of services they provide to the relationships they build with other nonprofits and the visionary leadership they contribute to our region, we continue to have peace of mind that our funds are effectively utilized. We look forward to continuing our long and productive relationship with United Way of the Columbia-Willamette.
We know when we partner with United Way that equity will be the center of our shared purpose. Their leadership in Oregon’s census funder collaborative—the way they innovatively managed partnerships with the State and an unprecedented BIPOC-led grassroots campaign—was instrumental in helping to ensure that everyone in our state counts, that everyone is seen. And that impact will be felt for years.
| Individual | $1,053,929 | 3.83% | |
| Workplace | $7,224,827 | 26.25% | |
| Foundation | $1,255,573 | 4.56% | |
| Government | $17,397,852 | 63.21% | |
| *Other | $590,449 | 2.15% | |
| * Includes investment revenue, fee for service and miscellaneous | |||
Based on the 2019–2020 IRS Form 990
Our financial information
Thank you to all of our volunteers who continued to safely serve our community this last year.
The compounding threats of the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires across Oregon and the ongoing housing crisis continue to test our community and our collective strength. These crises have further highlighted persistent inequities across our region, with communities of color and low-income communities being disproportionately impacted.
In order to meet these challenges, as we look to the year ahead, we must develop innovative solutions, build coalitions and change systems. Through our Resilient Families initiative, we are working to build a more equitable and inclusive region where all families have the resources and opportunities to thrive.
As part of our Resilient Families Initiative, we are also engaging community members, nonprofit partners, funders and our Board of Directors in an extensive strategic planning process. Our goal is to develop a three-year strategic plan focused on creating solutions to (re)build resilient families and communities. Throughout this process, we remain committed to centering racial equity in all our work and holding ourselves accountable to the communities we serve.
I look forward to sharing more about our strategic plan in the months to come and thank you, in advance, for joining us on this journey. It is through your support, and all of us coming together, UNITED, that we will address our region’s crises.
Cindy Adams, President & CEO
United Way of the Columbia-Willamette