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• Upcoming Events and Promotions
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Upcoming Events

Back to Football Friday—September 10
Show your NFL team pride at your work or school on Friday, September 10!  This fall the NFL and United Way are teaming up for an exciting campaign to make youth health and wellness a nationwide priority.  Help the NFL and United Way tackle childhood obesity while celebrating your NFL team pride. 

At your Office:
Register for Back to Football and you could win a trip for two to Super Bowl XLV!  Get your office involved and tell us about your Back to Football celebration!  Your workplace could win a party hosted by the NFL and a visit from an NFL player! For more information and to register visit www.unitedway.org/backtofootball now.  We've even included tools to help you organize the festivities.

At your School:
Schools nationwide are invited to submit 3 essays, each in 100 words or less, and 3-6 photos.  34 schools nationwide will be named NFL PLAY 60 Super Schools and receive a visit from an NFL player and a $10,000 NFL PLAY 60 health and wellness grant!  Visit NFLRUSH.com/backtofootball to get your school involved and start planning your Back to Football Celebration today!

Allen Edmonds Men’s Shoe Store Grand Opening—September 10-16
City Center, Skyway Level, Minneapolis
Join us at the grand opening of Allen Edmonds’ newest retail store in downtown Minneapolis and support United Way! Longtime United Way donors Paul Grangaard, President and CEO of Allen Edmonds Shoes, has selected Greater Twin Cities United Way to receive 10% of the store’s sales during this week. There will be great specials and discounted prices on classic men’s shoes, belts and accessories. So come on down, check out the James Dayton designed space and purchase some shoes in support of United Way!

A Celebration of Sorts—Tuesday, September 14
Southdale Mall
Looking for the suspenders to pull off your clown costume? In desperate need of a hat to finish off that witch costume? Join United Way for the seventh annual A Celebration of Sorts to sort donations for ARC's Value Village Halloween Boo-tique. It's a great place to find a Halloween costume and as a volunteer, you get first dibs on the best of the best—plus, you're doing your part to help a great local nonprofit!

Click here for more information and to register.

We're also looking for great volunteers to assist with registration and hospitality in shifts throughout the day.  Please contact Julie Dyste if you'd like to sign up.

Registration and Hospitality shifts:

• 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.—2-3 Volunteers
• 12:30-4 p.m.—2-3 Volunteers
• 5:30-9 p.m.—2-3 Volunteers

Women's Leadership Council Annual Luncheon—September 14, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Westin Edina Galleria
Network with other Council members and guests while celebrating our 2010 successes at this annual luncheon.  Learn about United Way Women's Leadership Council, how to get engaged, their work in the community and more.  This event is open to Council members and their invited guests. 

Learn more about Women's Leadership Council and how you can be come a member.

Sponsored by:

Tocqueville Society Neighborhood Bus Tour—September 22, 8;30-11:30 a.m.
St. Paul
Joing United Way Tocqueville Society for a unique tour of St. Paul with Mayor Chris Coleman and Councilmember Melvin Carter, along with photographer Wing Young Huie.  Learn about the many faces of poverty in this community and how United Way is responding.  The guided tour starts at Lifetrack Resources and continues on to Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Center.  You'll learn how these two United Way partners are addressing the increased basic needs challenges in St. Paul neighborhoods.

*This is event is by invitation only.  Click here to learn how you can become a Tocqueville Society member.

Special thank you to Jefferson Lines for providing the transportation.

Claim It! 2010 —September 30, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Is a $2,200 tax credit really a big deal? It certainly is. Did you know it can dramatically boost the incomes of hard-working, low-income Minnesotans? And it can mean millions spent in your community, a ripple effect helping individuals and businesses alike. Join us for breakfast to learn more about the vital impact of tax credits and how you can help spread the word to those who may be eligible.

Click here for more information and to register.

Learn more about Claim it! A community-wide partnership.
 
In partnership with: AARP Tax Aide Foundation - Internal Revenue Service - Accountability Minnesota - Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance - Children's Defense Fund - MN Community Action Partnership - City of Minneapolis - MN Department of Human Services City of Saint Paul - MN Department of Revenue - Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis - Greater Twin Cities United Way - Ramsey County - University of Minnesota Extension - Hennepin County - University of Minnesota Law School

2010 Leadership Speaker Series, presented by BMW of Minnetonka
Our Leadership Series is an annual speaker series featuring top business and community leaders. These events are free to members of United Way Emerging Leaders who give $10 or more weekly and United Way Community Builders—leadership donors that give $1,000 or more annually. Series events are $20 for all others. Events are open to the public. 

October 4 , 2010
Professional Development—A conversation with community and business leaders on what it means to lead with integrity and why it’s important – both personally and professionally. Guests will walk away with real-life lessons that they can apply to their own lives in the second installment of this year's series.

Location: Calhoun Beach Club

November 3, 2010
Business Innovation—A panel of local entrepreneurs to discuss how innovations are leading to business success. Discussion will also include how to create an innovative and creative culture.

Location: BMW of Minnetonka

Networking with United Way
Social networks are the hottest new thing—so what better way for United Way to get involved than by having our own pages!  Now you can learn about United Way in a new and exciting way, get involved in our events, talk to us on our "wall" or simply become a "fan" to show your support.  With exciting events on the horizon and volunteer opportunities, you're sure to find something that interests you.  If you're a Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter member log on today to see how you can make a difference.

Recent Events

Hard Rock Cafe and United Way—August 1-27
Rock on with the Hard Rock Cafe Minneapolis and United Way for a school supply drive during the month of August.  Throughout the month, patrons of Hard Rock Cafe and United Way dropped off numerous notebooks, pens, pencils and backpacks to help support the kids in our community start the school year off right.  Thank you to everyone who donated to help ensure kids are ready to learn. 

Special thank you to our partner, Hard Rock Cafe Minneapolis, for all of their support in making the drive a success!

WINGs Networking Event—August 19
Nike, Starbucks and Nordstrom instantly have an image and feeling when you hear their names.  Now, nearly 75 women are also on their way to creating their own personal brand after having attended our exciting networking event The Power of YOU - The Importance of Building Your Personal Brand..  Through and consistent and strong personal brand you can tell someone exactly who you are and what your value-add is.  Attendees were also able to network with other professional women, participate in a volunteer project with WINGs funded partner, WAND, and see the impact WINGs is making in our community.  Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the event and the fabulous view from the Eitel City Building Apartments' SkyPark and SkyClub.

Learn more about United Way WINGs.

Sponsored by:

Evening Encounter Series—July 27 & 29
Julie and Doug Baker and Shirley and John Johnson had full houses this summer as they hosted Tocqueville Society members in their homes for the annual Evening Encounter Series. Members heard from Peter Heegaard, founder and former CEO of Lowry Hill, author of Heroes Among Us and founder of Urban Adventure. Peter and Brian Paulson, United Way community impact manager, spoke on the return on investment of effective employment training and placement programs. Members also had the opportunity to connect with other members in an intimate summer setting.

Learn more about membership in United Way Tocqueville Society.

Community Builders Recognition Night at the Twins—July 19
Target Field
Over 600 individuals came together on July 19 for United Way’s 2nd annual Community Builders Recognition Night. It took place at the spectacular Target Field where co-workers and families from thirteen great companies came together to network and be celebrated for their support of United Way. The evening’s sponsor, Target, even brought the event to the field by throwing out the first pitch, while messaging, logos and videos played during the game against the Cleveland Indians. Another win for United Way and our donors having see the event expand dramatically within one year, boasting over 300 new participants and nine new companies!  Thank you to the following companies for participating:

Accenture	KPMG
CenterPoint Energy	Mairs and Power
Cummins Power Generation	Medtronic
Deloitte	Target
DRIASI	U.S. Bank
General Dynamics AIS	UPS
Hallmark Insights

Community Builders is a giving community of individuals that donate $1,000 or more annually.  Learn more about becoming a Community Builder.

A special thank you to our sponsor:

Pepsi Refresh Campaign—July 19-23
During the week of July 19, Pepsi and KS95 were in different Holiday Stores promoting United Way and literacy as part of the Pepsi Refresh campaign. A book drive was held during KS95 promotions, and all proceeds went to United Way! In addition, they worked with United Way staff to determine the best way to use a $10,000 donation that will help seven schools in our community that are in need of specific tools and training to further their literacy goals.

Thanks for giving to help children in our area succeed in reading, school and life!

Edinburgh USA Pro-Am Golf Tournament—July 16
Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park
Fore! Local professional golfers helped out amateur teams at the 14th annual Edinburgh USA Pro-Am golf tournament. United Way is proud to be the beneficiary of this great event where an entry fee not only got you a great day of golf, social hour, dinner and a chance at an award, it put food on the tables of the hungry, provided a book for a child learning to read, and helped families reach financial stability and stable housing.

Our United Way team had a great time out in the sun this year—and the golf wasn't bad either!  Thanks for the support guys!

June 22—Nonprofits: Driving economic growth in the Twin Cities
The first installment of our popular Leadership Speaker Series explored the role nonprofits play in regenerating our local economy. Panelists addressed how social enterprise activities, small business development, and job training programs lead to economic growth in our economy and how these affect your business.

Participants had the opportunity to:

• Learn from our expert panel of representatives from Wilder Research, Women Venture, Rebuild Resources and United Way
• Network with other Twin Cities professionals
• Discover how they can get involved and make a difference in our community

United Front 2010—June 9, 7-11:30 a.m.
Minneapolis Convention Center

Nearly 800 courageous leaders from the health and human services sector, including senior staff leaders and board members, school, state and county government officials, foundation executives and other directors from across the Twin Cities took part in United Front 2010 on June 9.

The nonprofit sector has been severely impacted by the economic crisis over the last two years. Although signs point to a recovery, many leaders believe that the nonprofit economy will not return to its pre-recession state, and in fact, may be fundamentally reshaped until long after the recession.

This informative and interactive forum provided participants with tools and encouragement to find new ways of working together in the ‘New Normal.’ Keynote speaker Dr. Tom Stinson, the Minnesota state economist, defined the New Normal as a new paradigm for the nonprofit economy, determined by the impact of the Great Recession and demographic changes in Minnesota that are changing our community forever.

Learn more about the general session by searching #unitedfront2010 on Twitter.

The United Front 2010 discussion will continue online on United Way's collaborative site: www.unitedfrontmn.org. Workshop and speakers' powerpoint presentations, and video of the keynote speeach and panelists will also be posted there.

Sponsored by:

This event was held in partnership with the Center for Nonprofit Management, University of St. Thomas; Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; the Minnesota Council on Foundations; the Nonprofits Assistance Fund; and the Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits; and was a complementary event to the other seminars and workshops offered throughout the year by these partner organizations.  

Grants Reception—Tuesday, June 8
W Minneapolis—The Foshay


New grant recipient programs were announced and celebrated and participants learned about their impact in our community.

Ask For It! How to use the power of negotiation to get what you want!—May 20
Presented by Martha Carlson, Executive Coach and Co-Principal, The Bailey Group
Guests were educated on how to overcome an issue that many women face in the workplace: negotiation. They learned the skills needed to ask for what you need and negotiate for what you want. The confidence gained from this workshop will not only help these women advance in their careers, but will also put them in a better position to have a lasting impact on our community.

Event presented by United Way WINGs: Throughout 2010, WINGs will host a variety of events that align with our mission of empowering the philanthropic potential of women through investing in our community, other women and ourselves.

Program Sponsor:

United Way RBI at the Saints—May 17
Midway Stadium, St. Paul
That's Readers Batted In! More than 300 reading program participants and families enjoyed a game with the Saint Paul Saints. It was an evening of firsts for many of the kids—first bus ride for younger siblings, first baseball game, and for one lucky student, Zita Jackson, a first pitch to kick off the game. She’s got quite an arm!

The evening celebrated the hard work of the kids themselves and that of the amazing teachers, tutors and volunteers who help children learn to read by third grade—a critical benchmark for success in school and beyond. Learn more about United Way’s work in reading by third grade.

Tocqueville Society Awards Dinner—May 13
Radisson Plaza Hotel, Minneapolis
United Way Tocqueville Society acknowledges philanthropic leaders in each United Way community. Each year the Society presents the Tocqueville Society Award for Outstanding Civic Leadership, honoring an individual member or couple who has left a lasting legacy of philanthropy in the community through volunteerism, service and inspiring leadership. In 2010, Tocqueville Society also presented a special Tocqueville Society Lifetime Achievement Award. This year the Outstanding Civic Leadership Award was presented to Joyce and Dick McFarland and Eloise and Carl Pohlad were honored posthumously for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sponsored by:

Public Talk: Healing Communities Torn by Racism and Violence—April 23
Featuring Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum
Northrup Auditorium, Minneapolis
Over 600 youth came together in South Minneapolis to complete fifteen service projects over the weekend.  This year's theme was Healing Communities Torn by Racism and Violence.  More than fifty projects have been in progress across the country and were presented to featured Nobel Rigoberta Menchu Tum from Guatemala.  The local projects featured all ten of United Way's goal areas in addition to Diversity and Inclusion.  Make sure to stop by 25th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis to see a grand mural done by some of the participants.

PeaceJam is a best practice model Youth Leadership program of youthrive, the Upper Midwest Affiliate of PeaceJam International.  It engages youth leaders from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota and Iowa with a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, that the youth have studied about through the PeaceJam curriculum.  Each featured Laureate focuses on a specific theme relating to an important global issue.  The event combines learning sessions on peace-building in schools, communities, discussions with Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, and a host of hands-on service learning activities in a selected community.  At the PeaceJam conference, participants will share about a service-learning project that they have carried out in their local community.

Women’s Leadership Council Legacy Fund Cocktails and Conversation—April 22
Baker, Knapp and Tubbs, International Market Square
Female leaders from our community gathered for cocktails, appetizers and a personal tour showcasing the newest home décor trends conducted by one of four interior designers:

• Michael Crosby
• Suzanne Goodwin
• Jennifer Graham
• Jennifer Hillman

Guests also discovered how their support significantly expands the Council’s ability to improve our community.

Preview screening of Healthy Teeth for Children—April 15
United Way (404 S. 8th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55404)
Greater Twin Cities United Way, Delta Dental of Minnesota and Children’s Dental Services showed a preview screening of a new DVD called “Healthy Teeth for Children” (English version).

In partnership with ECHO (Emergency, Community and Health Outreach), four episodes of this innovative DVD were developed in English, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. “Healthy Teeth for Children” features multicultural dental health experts and focuses on simple steps to promote healthy teeth for children.

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits' Philanthropy Leaders Series—April 15
Metropolitan Ballroom, Golden Valley
MCN at the 2010 Philanthropy Leaders Series event featured Greater Twin Cities United Way president and CEO, Sarah Caruso.  It was a firsthand opportunity to hear what United Way is thinking about philanthropy for 2010 and beyond. This is one of six events in MCN's Philanthropy Leaders Series where attendees hear from and engage with some of Minnesota’s most prominent philanthropy leaders.

Philanthropy Leaders events are MCN members-only events and provide a great opportunity to network with your peers in fundraising.

United Way Best Of Awards presented by Land O'Lakes—March 31
Orpheum Theatre
The glamour of the red carpet and the paparazzi, not in Hollywood, but at the Orpheum Theatre as United Way hosted its annual Best Of Awards to honor local companies and volunteers who helped us raise $87.7 million dollars for the community throughout 2009.  On Wednesday, March 31 community members joined in celebration and shared best practices at the annual United Way Best Of Awards.  Each organization honored had utilized effective strategies to support United Way efforts in one of the toughest fundraising environments in years.  They stressed the importance of volunteerism, matched individual employee donations, and engaged leadership and executives throughout the entire process. These tactics allowed for many successful campaigns in 2009 and United Way wishes to extend with utmost sincerity and gratitude a big congratulations to all Best Of Award winners as well as other volunteers and organizations that have supported us throughout this past challenging year. 

Presented by:

Media Partners:

Flight of Fashion—WINGs Launch Event—March 16
Mall of America
Over 200 women gathered to help officially launch United Way WINGs (Women Investing in the Next Generation) at the Mall of America with networking, fun, fashion and philanthropy. WINGs is a new United Way initiative that is unlocking the philanthropic potential of women to drive lasting community change. Attendees were able to learn about this new program and heard an inspiring story from a Jeremiah Program graduate to get their senses going before the fashion show of the latest spring trends from Saks 5th Avenue OFF 5th, hairstyles for every woman by Aveda and Miyagi Salon, and beauty must-haves courtesy of Nordstrom. The wonderful emcee, Alix Kendall of Fox 9 News, took us through night engaging every person in the room.  Further, all of the guests started or continued their philanthropic work by simply purchasing a ticket where a portion goes back to support WINGs work in the community and donated business clothing to Dress for Success.  Thank you to everyone who came out and we hope to see you again next year!  Pictures coming soon.

Program Sponsor:

Event Sponsors:

Additional Support:

• Mall of America
• Jeremiah Program

Spread the Warmth—March 4
Nicollet Mall outside of the IDS Center (between 7th and 8th Streets)
Stove Top Stuffing and United Way had a thaw-a-thon winter coat drive with a very “cool” donation. Thanks for helping spread the warmth in the Twin Cities by bringing your gently-used coat donations to support the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities, Catholic Charities or Community Emergency Assistance Program.  Each charity had its own donation bin and the charity with the most coats at the end of the thaw-a-thon will receive a six-foot frozen donation of $2,500, in addition to the coats. Check back soon for the winner!

Find out how Stove Top Stuffing has spread the warmth in other cities by visiting www.SpreadtheWarmth.com.

Women’s Leadership Council Kick-Off— February 18
Minnesota Children’s Museum
Current and prospective members of the United Way Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) gathered to kick-off 2010 with networking and fun at the Minnesota Children’s Museum! In between admiring the décor in the Earth World room at the Minnesota Children’s Museum, attendees were invited to sit in on a sensational sampling of chocolate and wine’s by Chocolat Céleste founder Mary Leonard, as she shared her knowledge and passion with WLC members.  Words of wisdom from United Way president and CEO, Sarah Caruso and 2010 WLC Chair, Terri Ferrise gave prospective members insight on the community need and their impact.   The event was also a great way for members to learn more about the various committees and ways to further get involved with WLC.  Thanks to everyone who attended and for helping to get the year off to a great start!

Program sponsor:

Emerging Leaders Wine Tasting—January 21
Marriott City Center
From feather boas to sparkling top hats and cabaret entertainment, the Seventh Annual Emerging Leaders Wine Tasting set quite the scene at the Marriott City Center. The evening was a great opportunity to celebrate and recognize all that Emerging Leaders do for the community, including donating over $7 million annually and volunteering more than 850 hours.

Throughout the night Emerging Leaders and guests sampled wines from Red Bicyclette paired with french-inspired food, and enjoyed a cabaret theme that transported them to Moulin Rouge. The silent auction featured exclusive experiences including dinner with Richard and Theresa Davis in a suite at Target Field, to a private birthday party at the American Girl store.

Watch for next year's event in January 2011 featuring fair trade wines!

Sponsored by:

Additional Support by:

Volunteer Opportunities

Event Volunteers
Our event volunteers help to promote and create awareness for United Way at community events around the metro area. Opportunities are e-mailed approximately two weeks prior to each event and include an event overview and specific job duties. For complete volunteer descriptions and ways to get involved, please contact us.

We are currently seeking volunteers for the following opportunities:

• Emerging Leaders Wine Tasting Auction Committee!  Click here for all of the details and how to apply.
• Registration & hospitality volunteers at A Celebration of Sorts on September 14. Contact us to sign up.
  • 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.—2-3 Volunteers
  • 12:30-4 p.m.—2-3 Volunteers
  • 5:30-9 p.m.—2-3 Volunteers

Internships
Greater Twin Cities United Way offers semester, summer, j-term and year-round internship opportunities in our marketing department.  Visit our Human Resources page for more information and position descriptions.

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For more information about any of these events, please contact:
Ami Cervin at cervina@unitedwaytwincities.org