Columbus Urban League
http://www.cul.orgThe Columbus Urban League (CUL), founded in 1918, is the oldest and largest community based organization committed to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream in Columbus, Ohio. Specifically, the mission of the CUL is to promote the full participation of African Americans and other citizens in the social and economic fabric of our society. The CUL is an affiliate of the National Urban League, which was founded in 1910. The CUL stands as one of the oldest affiliates in the 105-affiliate network of the Urban League movement.
Quick Tips
- Personal phone calls from executives can be inspiring.
- Make your campaign match your mission.
- Employees who have personally received help can be the best ambassadors.
Spread the Word
As both an agency that receives support from United Way and an entity that strongly supports the United Way’s overall effort, the Columbus Urban League is in a unique position. In addition to educating their own people about the work of United Way, they can also interface with outside companies to demonstrate the effects of giving, as well as interacting with other United Way partner agencies to network, share resources and ideas.
Walk the Talk
As a United Way partner agency, the Columbus Urban League sees people every day who benefit from the programs and services supported by United Way. In fact, many Urban League employees have personally received help, and they are the best ambassadors for telling the United Way story. Hearing about a co-worker’s personal experience puts a face on the cause and has a strong impact on giving.
The Columbus Urban League’s campaign runs for about six months. They spend the first three months focusing on education, and run their actual pledge card campaign for five to six weeks. Their advocacy position and commitment has excellent results— as their last campaign saw 100% participation among full-time employees.
Make Connections
Part of the Columbus Urban League’s goal is to help people value the importance of United Way, and the work at the Urban League that United Way supports. This helps personalize the United Way support and makes employees feel more connected.
“Empowering Communities and Changing Lives” is the Columbus Urban League’s theme, and they seamlessly weave their United Way campaign into their overall philosophy to not only raise money but to raise awareness and involvement in the overall value of United Way.
