For Immediate Release: October 29, 2021
Local Businesses Recognized for Their Generosity at United Way of the Midlands’ Annual Meeting
During its Annual Meeting today, United Way of the Midlands (UWM) was proud to present its fourth annual “Campaign Recognition Awards:” “Volunteer Organization of the Year,” “New Business Partner of the Year” and “Corporate Partners of the Year” in four categories. UWM created the “Campaign Recognition Awards” to honor the organizations providing outstanding support for the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro through UWM campaign participation.
The winners of the “Campaign Recognition Awards” were as follows:
Volunteer Organization of the Year: Buildertrend
Buildertrend has engaged with UWM across a spectrum of volunteer opportunities. The group was the first company to participate in UWM’s Good on the Go program in August 2019. In 2020, the challenges of volunteering during the pandemic did little to dampen the resolve of Buildertrend employees. Since November 2020, volunteers have partnered with UWM to safely engage in projects with seven agencies including Completely KIDS, Family, Inc. and Siena Francis House. UWM is also grateful to have a member of the Buildertrend team serving on the UWM Campaign Cabinet.
Buildertrend started in 2006 in the basement of one of the owners’ homes and today is the gold standard in construction project management software. In 13 short years, the company has grown from the original three employees to 540 employees in 2019 headquartered in Omaha.
New Business Partner of the Year: Facebook
During a year of great need, Facebook partnered with UWM to support our neighbors and further our efforts to foster community. UWM was honored to have Facebook sponsor its “Unlock the Power Within You” virtual event featuring Chris Gardner. Facebook also served as a sponsor for UWM’s Day of Action initiative. By covering the costs of the initiative in partnership with other community sponsors, Facebook made it possible for the $136,815 raised on April 8th to go directly back to our community.
The company was founded in Cambridge, and it is now one as of the largest tech companies in the world. Facebook broke ground on its first building in Sarpy County in 2017. They are now planning a new 3.6 million square foot data center, which is set to open in 2024.
Corporate Partner of the Year – Under 100 Employees: Diversified Financial Services
Diversified Financial Services has been a dedicated partner of UWM since 2004. During their 2020 campaign, they exceeded the amount raised through their 2019 campaign by nearly 60%.
Diversified Financial is a dynamic financial services company that provides retail financing, leasing and insurance programs for the agricultural industry. Since its founding in 1969, Diversified has focused on relationships. They take pride in their ability to meet their partners’ needs through exceptional customer service.
Corporate Partner of the Year – 100 to 199 Employees: Ag Processing
Ag Processing has been a proud partner of UWM for over 30 years. During the 2020 campaign year, they had a 73% participation rate among employees and raised more than $282,000 for UWM.
AGP was founded by three companies in 1983 and is now the largest cooperative soybean processing company in the world and a leading supplier of soybean meal and refined vegetable oils. They operate ten soybean processing plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota as well as four soybean oil refineries and three biodiesel production facilities.
Corporate Partner of the Year – 200 to 799 Employees: American National Bank
American National Bank has generously donated to our community through UWM for over 30 years. During the 2020 campaign year, they increased the amount they raised for UWM year-over-year by 13%.
American National was established as The Bank of Florence Territory in Nebraska in 1856. Since that time, they have grown to become one of the largest banks in the region with major operations in Nebraska, Iowa and the Twin Cities in Minnesota. They employ over 440 employees and remain headquartered in Omaha.
Corporate Partner of the Year – 800+ Employees: FNBO
FNBO has been a proud partner of UWM for more than 30 years. FNBO Chairman and President Clark Lauritzen and his wife, Emily, were the UWM Campaign Chairs for 2020-2021. They were not discouraged by the worldwide pandemic and instead viewed the campaign as an opportunity for our community to rally together in support of our neighbors like never before. Under their leadership, UWM is funding many programs that will continue to help our neighbors recover. During their employee campaign, FNBO increased the amount raised year-over-year by nearly 50%, raising an impressive $1.125 million for the community. In addition to their employee campaign, FNBO generously sponsored multiple events including “Unlocking the Power Within You,” an event featuring Chris Gardner, and UWM’s Day of Action.
FNBO is a family-owned bank whose success dates back more than 160 years. FNBO and its affiliates are proud to be the 4th largest agriculture lender in the country. They are also one of the largest commercial bank finance providers to the ethanol industry.
UWM also celebrated its 2021 “Citizens of the Year” – Jim and Diny Landen. The 2020 “Citizens of the Year,” Mary and Rodrigo Lopez, presented the award to the Landen’s.
Additionally, UWM reported the impact of donor investments made in the Omaha-Council Bluffs community this past year and unveiled new impact goals for the organization. In the 20-21 fiscal year, UWM raised $24.8 million to support local nonprofit programs and initiatives that are addressing pressing social and economic disparities and meeting families’ essential needs, such as healthy food, a safe place to go after school and job support.
About United Way of the Midlands
For the past 98 years, United Way of the Midlands (UWM) has used its community-wide perspective to identify local needs that are going unseen or unmet – and how it can partner with corporate, government organizations, nonprofits and donors to tackle them. Today, UWM remains committed to uniting our community’s caring spirit to build a stronger tomorrow. It invests donor dollars in more than 100 local nonprofit programs that, together, form a circle of support around our community. These programs are addressing pressing social and economic disparities and providing the essentials families need to thrive, such as healthy food, a safe place to go after school and job support.