Page 52 - Cityview_Jan_Feb_2014

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT

by mark Spurlock

UNITED FOR GIVING:

East Tennessee’s

Charity “Co-op”

O

n a brilliant summer
evening last July 21, luminaries

from the Knoxville community
convened downtown to team

host a white-tablecloth dinner
in the rustic brick confines of the South-

ern Depot (now the Foundry). East Ten-
nesseans eager to hobnob with so many

influence drivers at one central event
had sold out the soiŕe’s $100 tickets.

The impressive guest list included mov-
ers and shakers from politics, business,

media, and even academia: former dep-
uty mayor Eddie Mannis, CEo of RIVR

Media Dee Haslam, and uT Systems
President Dr. Joe Pietro, for example.

Not only did guests at what was dubbed
“The great Conversation” enjoy tasty

food, fine wine, and cocktails—while
interacting with some of Knoxville’s most prominent members of our com- profit” is synonymous in most minds

elite—their ticket purchase went to a munity. And all proceeds went to our with scarcity and being on the outside
philanthropic cause: the united Way of community campaign.”
looking in, the united Way can take its

greater Knoxville (uWgK).
It was the kind of grand occasion the seat at the highest profile table.
The dinner, marking the 90th an- united Way is adept at pulling off. In Consider this: the uWA’s regular

niversary of the founding of the uWgK, the charitable world, the united Way of budget is roughly equal to that of the
was the brainchild of the charity’s vice America (uWA) is huge and its resourc- united Nations.

president of branding and messaging, es vast. According to Forbes Magazine, Because the uWA’s mission has
Jennifer McCarty, and the Branding and the uWA raked in almost $4 billion in always been to mobilize communi-

Messaging Volunteer Committee, who private funds in 2012, which was twice ties and disparate resources for the
wanted to promote a new special event as much as the nearest runner-up (the common good, the organization could

that would refresh the public’s percep- Salvation Army). And that’s just within be described as a huge golf umbrella,
tion of the uWgK. “The conversations the united States. Internationally, unit- coordinating hundreds of partners and

were free-flowing and unscripted,” says ed Way Worldwide oversees a network protecting millions of aid recipients
McCarty. “It was the perfect opportu- of 1,800 local affiliates in 45 countries under its brand’s shelter. Most do-

nity to spend an hour with some of the
and territories. Whereas the word “non-
nors appreciate this structure and use

50 cityviewmag.com january february 2014