The Upper Valley's overall campaign hopes to raise $1.2 million this year and, as one of the largest employers in the area, Dartmouth's help is critical to meeting this goal, according to Susan Wright, wife of President James Wright and honorary chair of the College campaign.
"[United Way] is a lifeline in the community and our campaign is an absolute cornerstone to meeting the need," Wright said.
Founded at Dartmouth in 1974, the United Way of the Upper Valley funnels money to 29 different agencies. The United Way provides direct services to 30,000 of the Upper Valley's 75,000 residents and satisfies "urgent needs" such as healthcare services, job training, family services and basic needs, including domestic and sexual violence issues.
The Dartmouth United Way campaign raises money from employees who donate a set amount from their regular paychecks, according to Bill Hochstin, materials manager and the Dartmouth United Way campaign chair.
"Every time you get your check and you see that small gift to United Way, it's an awfully good feeling," Hochstin said.
Dartmouth's fundraising goal is revised yearly based on what has been raised in the past and the community's current needs.
"This year's campaign was a real challenge because we set a higher goal than ever before," Hochstin said.
Every three years, volunteers perform a needs assessment to determine which services the community lacks. Another group, the allocation committee, decides where collected money is distributed. Although most money stays in the Upper Valley, some funds go to outside areas of special need.
The overhead charges for the United Way are about half of most non-profit organizations because of a tremendous amount of volunteer effort in the Dartmouth community, Hochstin said.
"I'm proud of what a good citizen Dartmouth is," he said.
Wright feels similarly about the College's strong emphasize on lending a helping hand.
"The well being of this community is important to us at Dartmouth and helping those less fortunate -- that's always been our tradition here," Wright said.
