The 2016 Charmaine Chapman Society at the United Way of Greater St. Louis already has made philanthropic history. It already has raised more than $3 million in the current campaign – the first time the African-American leadership giving initiative has raised $3 million in one year.
Its campaign goal was set at $3.25 million. Co-chairs Ann Marr, vice president of global human resources at Worldwide Technology, and Keith Williamson, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Centene Co., said they are on pace to meet and even surpass that goal.
The society is comprised of more than 800 local African Americans who donate $1,000 or more annually to the United Way.
Ann Marr said she was motivated to give more and do more after making some site visits to member agencies, as campaign co-chairs always do.
“When you talk to member agencies and see how they have changed the lives of people, it makes you want to dig deeper and give more,” Marr said. “It inspires you and makes you want to support them.”
Marr has been trying to communicate that feeling to others who have not made the site visits to see and feel for themselves.
“When you see so many families and children in need, and think what they would do without the United Way,” she said, before her voice trailed off and she fell silent. “It’s heart-felt. You realize how much we do to change people’s lives when they are truly in need.”
According to the United Way of Greater St. Louis, its 170 member agencies help one in three local people, and the United Way invests more than $1 million each week in social services in our region, as well as in the United Way’s 2-1-1 helpline, community enhancement grants and other programs. In the past year, United Way 2-1-1 received more than 200,000 calls from people needing help from everything ranging from employment services, disaster help, senior care and utility assistance.
Further, the local need is increasing. According to the United Way, 82 percent of its local member agencies are reporting an increase in demand for services.
Marr encouraged those with means to remember that they could well be among the needy themselves.
“You realize how fortunate you are,” Mann said. “It could easily been the other way. So why would you not want to support people who are trying as much as anyone to better their lives and support their families? Why would you not want to help bring back those areas of our community that are really suffering the effects of the economy?”
Since it was formed (by St. Louis American publisher Donald Suggs) in 1994, the Charmaine Chapman Society has raised more than $32 million for United Way services in the 16-county metropolitan region. It’s the oldest and largest African-American philanthropic giving group associated with any United Way in the nation.
The United Way of Greater St. Louis’ overall 2016 campaign goal is $75 million, can campaign co-chairs are Steve Lipstein, president and CEO of BJC Healthcare, and Gene Diederich, partner of Moneta Group. Last year, more than 140,000 individuals and businesses donated to United Way to collectively raise a record $74.3 million. This year’s campaign ends November 14.
For more information about joining the Charmaine Chapman Society, contact Ashley Edwards at ashley.edwards@stl.unitedway.org or 314-539-4104.
