The Charmaine Chapman Society once again has made the United Way of Greater St. Louis first in the nation for African-American leadership giving.
The 2012 Charmaine Chapman Society, co-chaired by Brenda and Maurice Newberry, raised a record $2.2 million and came even closer to the elusive goal of 1,000 African-American members who donate $1,000 or more to the United Way annual campaign.
“Those numbers mean specific things,” said Gary Dollar, president of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.
“It means African Americans in our community in the St. Louis region are incredibly caring and generous,” Dollar told The American. “Their capacity for caring for people in need is an awe-inspiring phenomenon, and generosity follows upon their compassion and caring to make real, tangible changes in people’s lives.
The Newberrys knew they had their work cut out for them in leading a fundraising campaign during an election year in an economy that remains sluggish, with African-American employment even slower to rebound than the overall workforce.
“Achieving the goal of $2.2 million was a challenge in these economic times with African-American unemployment much higher than the national average,” said Brenda and Maurice Newberry, 2012 Charmaine Chapman Society co-chairs. “But we were blessed to serve with a fabulous team of cabinet members as well as the unwavering support and dedication of United Way staff.”
Dollar could see why their efforts were successful.
“Brenda and Maurice are great leaders, and they led a campaign that was very strategic,” Dollar said. “They put together a cabinet and a strategy, and they worked and executed that strategy. They stayed with it and kept going and executed at a very high level in a very difficult fundraising environment. They made sure people got asked – a personal ask – and they knew the people who would come through.”
Orvin Kimbrough, executive vice president of the United Way of Greater St. Louis, thanked the Newberrys and all the people they knew who came through.
“We are grateful to this community, and in particular our African-American leaders, for investing so much in this year’s campaign,” Kimbrough said. “It is the Charmaine Chapman Society that serves as a constant reminder for this region and the nation of the excellence that exists in the Midwest. Chapman has grown each of the last six years – it is truly in a class all by itself.”
The local United Way also continues to grow in numbers of African Americans who contribute $10,000 or more to the annual campaign and qualify for membership in the de Tocqueville Society. The 2012 campaign added 11 new black de Tocqueville members, and de Tocqueville members contributed nearly $1 million to the 2012 campaign.
“African Americans in the St. Louis region lead the nation in philanthropical giving to the United Way, and if we’re not number one in African-American de Tocqueville members we’re very, very close,” Dollar said. “Atlanta might say they have more, but I believe we do.”
The Newberrys also acknowledged the leadership of Donald M. Suggs, publisher and executive editor of The St. Louis American, who had the initial vision for the Charmaine Chapman Society in 1994.
Ultimately, Dollar said, the vision and the dollars amount to community service for those in need.
“The most important thing about these results is that the 175 agencies we fund will be able to continue to support and help people in need,” Dollar said. “ I truly want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone. This is really tremendous.”
