RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE

The 2024 Campaign Partner Awards recognize businesses that went above and beyond to support United Way of the Midlands during the 2024-25 campaign.

2024 Campaign recognition

annual meeting award winners

Last year, more than 500 organizations partnered with United Way of the Midlands during the 2024-25 campaign, empowering us to create lasting impact across our community. We believe the following awards capture the unique and varied nature of our partnerships: Volunteer Organization of the Year, New Business Partner of the Year, Corporate Partner of the Year – Leadership Donors, Corporate Impact Partner of the Year and Corporate Partners of the Year.

Because we know small organizations can still make a big impact, the Corporate Partner of the Year awards are presented to companies within three different employee-size categories.

Volunteer organization of the year

This award recognizes companies who consistently strive to improve our community through volunteerism. The winning companies were selected based on the percentage of their employees’ overall engagement in volunteer activities and the number of employees who participated in volunteer events.

This year, we have a tie!

Fiserv has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to giving back and empowering its employees to make a positive impact.

Fiserv illustrated our outstanding partnership by hosting the largest volunteer group for a Good on the Go event, incorporating it with their “Bring Your Kids to Work Day” with approximately 85 employees and 130 children participating.

They also generously sponsored both our MLK Day and Shine Bright events – along with actively volunteering at MLK Day.

In total, Fiserv mobilized more than 226 volunteers in fiscal year 2024-25 to support United Way of the Midlands.

Goosmann Law, a new partner, earned this award through their dedication to giving back to the metro by participating in many United Way volunteer activities.

Through United Way’s Good on the Go program, Goosmann Law planned six volunteer kit-building projects to make care kits for local nonprofits – with a stretch goal of completing eight.

And each of their Good on the Go projects includes a partnership with additional community organizations like FNBO, Mi Mama’s Tortillas, The Foster Group, Advent, RTI Threads and others.

And this year, they are projected to complete more than 3,300 care kits for nonprofits across the metro.

Additionally, members of the Goosmann Law team volunteered their time at Shine Bright.

New business partner of the year

This award recognizes a business that recently chose to invest in our community through United Way of the Midlands. Businesses that did not donate to United Way in the prior campaign year were eligible for this award.

Through this new partnership, they are showing their commitment to helping members of the Omaha-Council Bluffs community.

In their first year of engagement with United Way, Google Fiber contributed more than $23,000 to support volunteerism, 211 and digital literacy for older adults.

They also hosted a Good on the Go event where employees assembled 400 bilingual literacy kits for the Visiting Nurse Association.

Corporate partner of the year - leadership donors

This award recognizes organizations that make efforts to secure leadership gifts from employees, and who have developed strategies to encourage these higher-level gifts. The award criteria are based on year-over-year growth and those who were able to secure the most new donors at the leadership level.

Scoular demonstrated outstanding leadership in campaign growth by nearly doubling their number of Bridgebuilder donors from 27 in calendar year 2023 to 53 in 2024. This resulted in an additional $24,000 and a total of $308,000 raised for our community.

With their 1:1 match for employee gifts, Scoular continues to have a strong number of Tocqueville Society members – adding a new member this year and bringing their total to 16 for last year’s campaign.

Scoular’s impact is further strengthened by the leadership of Paul Maass, who serves on our Board of Directors and as the current Board Chair – helping to guide and champion these efforts at the highest level.

Community impact partner of the year

This award was created to celebrate organizations that show an exceptional level of commitment to our community by supporting nonprofits and their fundraising efforts for local programs.

On October 26, 2024, Creighton's men's basketball team hosted a charity exhibition game against Purdue.

This exciting “Hoops for a Cause” event raised an incredible $150,000 for United Way of the Midlands’ Disaster Relief Fund – and was a powerful demonstration of Creighton’s role as a key community partner.

They stepped up and answered the call when Omaha and surrounding areas were recovering from the devastating tornadoes that struck the region earlier in the year.

The funds raised from the event were instrumental in supporting critical disaster relief efforts then and into the future.

corporate parter of the year award

Because we know any size organization can make a big impact, these awards will be presented to companies in three different size categories. The selection criteria included year-over-year campaign growth, average gift per donor and participation rate.

under 200 employees

Chesterman Company demonstrated exceptional commitment to philanthropy and community engagement during last year’s campaign.

This year, they increased their campaign ten-fold and also added a member to United Way’s Tocqueville Society.

In addition, they provided in-kind support for JAG Nebraska students – showcasing their dedication to youth education and workforce development.

With their powerful combination of financial impact and personal dedication, Frontier Bank set a benchmark for corporate philanthropy – showcasing how to turn compassion into meaningful action.

Last year, Frontier Bank led an outstanding campaign – with a 43% year-over-year increase – and an impressive 78% employee participation rate.

Additionally, their commitment extended beyond donations through a meaningful Good on the Go project to assemble chemo kits in honor of a colleague who they lost to cancer – demonstrating their heartfelt engagement and solidarity.

As a strong partner, Deloitte continues to lead by example and showcases their culture of service and generosity.

Last year, they had a remarkable 70 percent employee-giving participation rate – resulting in more than $242,000 raised to support United Way.

And beyond their campaign results, the firm remains intentional about growing its leadership giving.

They elevated their Tocqueville Society presence, with Dan Kinsella, a member of United Way’s Campaign Cabinet, personally hosting a new Tocqueville event – creating a space for both new and established donors to connect.

200 - 799 employees

Koley Jessen has been a wonderful corporate partner and supporter of United Way of the Midlands for many years.

Koley Jessen’s overall campaign last year increased by 73% – thanks to engaging fundraising events like a dunk tank and others that helped energize participation and raised an additional $41,000 for our community – increasing their total support of United Way to $97,000!

In December, they showcased their hands-on dedication to helping others by organizing a Good on the Go project to pack 800 snack packs for the Urban League of Nebraska.

And with their innovative matching and step-up program, they empowered more leaders to reach Bridgebuilder and Tocqueville Society levels, amplifying employee contributions.

800+ employees

Last year, they achieved a 45 percent growth with their campaign – increasing gifts by more than $45,000 for a total of $161,000 pledged to United Way.

And they hosted a variety of special events to support United Way including a spirited golf tournament, a donut dash/wellness walk, a competitive volleyball tournament, a Giving Tree fundraiser in support of the Good on the Go program and a popular food truck event.

All of these activities fostered employee connections, strengthened community spirit and showcased Lincoln Financial’s support of our community.