United Way reports campaign results in 'difficult' year

SHERBURNE – Thursday night, the Chenango United Way held its annual dinner and discussed the campaign of 2006 and what is in store for 2007.

The CUW was able to raise $414,560 in Chenango County in 2006. Combined with the $49,384 raised in other areas that was designated to Chenango, the total raised during the campaign was $463,944. Although this was the lowest campaign the CUW has seen in the last five years, the amount was still higher than that raised in nearby communities. By comparison, the United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties raised $385,665 this year, an increase from the prior year’s total of $382,153.

Chenango United Way officials celebrated their 2006 accomplishments and tried to identify what made this year’s campaign more difficult than those in years past.

“2006 has been a more difficult year than in the past,” Executive Director Elizabeth Monaco said.

Campaign Co-Chair Ben Burton, of OSG Phamaceuticals, agreed that donor fatigue was one of the challenges of the year. “There were still people giving,” Burton said. “They gave to the Red Cross and direct service organizations. That had an impact on our ability to drive funds,” Burton said.

Burton explained that the United Way no longer measures success based on the money raised, but instead bases it on the measurable change that occurs as a result of those dollars.