Centre County United Way Campaign Raises $1.6 Million

Centre County United Way’s 2021 Campaign raised $1,647,386, the organization revealed during a celebration on Tuesday night at Axemann Brewery in Bellefonte.

The total exceeds the campaign’s goal and surpasses last year’s fundraising by $74,000.

Penn State’s campaign was once again a significant contributor to the fundraising, accounting for 39% of the total, raising $645,107.

“We could not do what we do to support our partner agencies without Penn State,” CCUW Board Chair David Gaines said. “They are a critical partner, and we value their commitment to our mission and to Centre County.”

For more than 40 years, the university has designated Centre County United Way as its charity of choice and its campus-wide campaign has grown to include special fundraising events and options for employees to make pledges through payroll deductions

Tracey Huston, Penn State vice president for Outreach and chair of the university campaign, credited employees who volunteer to lead the fundraising effort.

“The team of people we have leading the campaign are terrific,” Huston said. “They find creative ways to engage their co-workers and communicate the need for the United Way Partner Network in our community.”

CCUW will begin the process of allocating the money raised to its 26 partner agencies in late March. Community volunteers serve on panels that visit with agencies and learn about the services they provide to the community, their finances and the outcomes being measured. Each panel makes recommendations for the level of funding the programs should receive, which are then presented to the CCUW board for approval.

For information about volunteering for the process, email [email protected].

CCUW intentionally selected Tuesday, Feb. 22 — 2/22/22 — to celebrate the 2021 campaign and look ahead to the 2022 campaign, as communications coordinator Megan Evans and Gaines revealed that this year’s campaign goal will be $2.2 million