Aloha United Way offers funding for loaned executives

Aloha United Way uses Community Executives to link its campaign staff and more than 1,200 businesses that conduct workplace campaigns. Community Executives, who spend about nine weeks with AUW, were provided by businesses or nonprofit agencies in the past either as loaned staff or through monetary sponsorships. In recent years, the number of loaned executives has fallen short of AUW’s needs and it has had to hire temporary employees to fill this role.

“Considering the state of our economy and the staff reductions many organizations have made this year,” said Norm Baker, AUW vice president for Community Building, “we anticipate an even tougher time recruiting donated Community Executives for the 2009 campaign. Therefore, we are considering a different way of recruiting CE’s for 2009 and beyond.”

AUW has invited its partner agencies to assign Community Executives, who would have a vested interest in seeing the annual campaign succeed and have an insider’s point of view which could enhance communications with potential donors. “We also believe that it is in (a partner agency’s) best interest to provide Community Executives – your representatives will be very visible in the campaign and will be able to tell your story during campaign operations,” Baker said.

The Community Executives will receive training in public speaking, marketing and management. In addition, AUW is “considering a special allocation to agencies that provide Community Executives. A full time CE would earn your organization an extra allocation of $7,000 while a half time CE would earn you $3,500,” Baker said. The amount would be added to the agency’s subsequent funding from that year’s campaign.

“Agencies that have contributed loaned or sponsored Community Executives in past campaigns will have the first option to participate in this program in recognition of their previous contributions,” Baker said.

Selection of a Community Executive candidate will be left to the partner agency’s discretion and could be a volunteer, such as a retired board member, spouse of a staff member or even a college student on break. The $7,000 in additional funding would offset the cost to the partner to pay the Community Executive while he or she is on loan.

The deadline to apply for the Community Executive Program is July 15. There are about ten slots available, which AUW will fill on a first-come-first-served basis, giving priority to previous loaned executive providers as noted. For more information, call Baker at (808) 543-2202.