United Way #1 on Fundraising List
With Contributions Topping $4 Billion

Trident United Way Aiming At Record $9.5 Million

No one generates more support from the private sector than the Trident United Way and all the other United Ways around the country. That’s the finding of an annual survey by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the newspaper of the non-profit world.

With contributions of $4.14 billion in 2006, the nation’s 1,800 United Ways raised 40% more than the #2 fundraiser, the American Red Cross. The Salvation Army was third.

Trident United Way (TUW), serving Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, is in the midst of its annual fundraising campaign. It is working towards a ninth consecutive fundraising record of $9.5 million.

Excluding donations to victims of Katrina, charitable giving increased less than one percent across the U.S. in 2006. Contributions to Trident United Way jumped nearly 7% during that period. “Many contributors are responding to our continued focus on outcome-oriented community investing and our leadership in the non-profit community,” said Chris Kerrigan, president of Trident United Way.

Indeed, Trident United Way became the first United Way in South Carolina to boast 100 contributors earning membership in the national Tocqueville Society with contributions of $10,000 or more. In all, 114 local individuals and couples joined the Tocqueville Society in 2006 and TUW has set a goal of 125 for 2007.

TUW is demonstrating leadership today as it spearheads an effort to make four-year-old kindergarten (4K) available to every family in the state. TUW has organized business leaders, education leaders, public officials, the early childhood community and non-profits to lobby the state legislature for 4K.

Trident United Way uses its financial and volunteer resources in its work to solve the most critical problems facing the people of the tri-county area. TUW invests contributions in a wide variety of activities addressing the root causes of issues.

Among TUW’s activities are investing in programs that measurably improve people’s lives, spearheading movements for change, funding the creation of new initiatives that address critical issues, developing community strategies for change and helping non-profits work more efficiently and effectively.

Trident United Way provides free to the community the 2-1-1 Hotline, the Lowcountry’s phone resource to give or get help; and Child Care Resource & Referral, expertise and resources for finding child care.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy Top Ten

United Way $4.14 bil
American Red Cross $2.98 bil
The Salvation Army $1.63 bil
Fidelity $1.15 bil
American Cancer Society $969 mil.
YMCA $960 mil
Stanford University $911 mil
Gifts In Kind $892 mil
AmeriCares $885 mil
Food for the Poor $836 mil