It has been a monumental campaign year for the United Way’s Charmaine Chapman Leadership Society. This year, The Society met a fundraising goal of $2.25 million – money that will benefit those who need it most.
United Way of Greater St. Louis supports more than 170 local nonprofit agencies that assist with basic needs, financial stability, education and health.
Reuben Shelton and his wife, D’Anne Shelton, served as 2014 co-chairs of the Charmaine Chapman Leadership Society campaign. The Sheltons will host a gala Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the Monsanto Company from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. to celebrate the end of a “rewarding” campaign year, Reuben said.
It was rewarding to work with a fairly large group of talented cabinet members dedicated to fulfilling the mission of the United Way, he said. Adding to that rewarding experience was nearly attaining the lofty goal of reaching 1,000 Society members – a feat he said had never been done before. In the end, over 800 members contributed to this year’s campaign.
“We had a huge push,” he said. “We did telethons. We had major events – like the 20th anniversary gala at the Peabody Opera House.”
This year marked 20 years since Donald M. Suggs, publisher and executive editor of The St. Louis American, founded The Society in 1994. It was re-named in 2001 after Charmaine Chapman – the first African American and first woman to lead the United Way. The Society is comprised of African Americans who pledge an annual gift of $1,000 or more to the United Way and remains a national leader in leadership and philanthropy. The initiative has raised nearly $29 million since its inception, according to the United Way.
The 20th anniversary gala honored Chapman, who was described as a “warrior for the underdog” and a “vigilant advocate” for the St. Louis community. Roughly 600 guests attended the anniversary gala.
That evening, David Steward and his wife, Thelma Steward, pledged to make an annual gift of $1 million to the United Way – becoming the first African-American philanthropists in St. Louis to do so. David Steward is founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, Inc., which ranked first among the top three companies in fundraising for this year’s Charmaine Chapman Leadership Society campaign. The company was joined on that list by Edward Jones and Monsanto.
“As former co-chairs of the Charmaine Chapman Society,” David and Thelma Steward said at the gala, “it is an honor and privilege to make this gift to help people in our community.”
World Wide Technology raised $1 million – and approximately half of David and Thelma Steward’s $1 million gift was counted into the Chapman Society numbers, according to the United Way.
As one of nine children, Reuben Shelton said his family benefitted from the generosity of others.
“We were the beneficiaries of a lot of philanthropy,” Shelton said. “We came up in some pretty tough times.”
He is a firm believer giving back. He has served on the board for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and the Mathews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club – both beneficiary organizations of the United Way. He works as senior counsel-litigation at Monsanto. Overall, Monsanto raised more than $4 million. The Monsanto members of the Chapman Society raised $118,994.
“I saw first-hand the impact that those types of contributions have on children, the elderly, and the indigent – people who need legal services and can’t afford it,” he said. “I truly believe we’re on this planet, first, to have a relationship with God and to help others.”
Overall, the United Way exceeded its 2014 fundraising goal of $72.5 million by raising a little more than $73 million.
“We witnessed an outpouring of generosity from everyone in our region – on both sides of the river, from our labor unions, from companies big and small, and households in 16 counties – to make this campaign successful,” said 2014 United Way campaign chair Scott Schnuck.
Money raised in this year’s campaign will help one out of every three people in this region, Schnuck said.
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