Marketing Learning the United Way

United Way tackled major barriers to educating its global network and realized that if you can successfully reach communities around the world, you can nurture a community of learners.

For the United Way, having a long reach is essential. One of the nation’s largest nonprofit agencies, with nearly 1,300 local organizations in the U.S. and a worldwide network covering 46 countries and territories, the organization creates opportunities and improves lives by attempting to address the underlying causes of problems that prevent progress in education, income and health.

With so many locations around the globe and an established history of external marketing, the organization’s brand recognition, ability to recruit volunteers and impact on communities are palpable. But external marketing is not the only measure of success in an organization of its size. Internal marketing, especially in support of training programs, is required to build a well-trained, empowered network. This is where the charitable organization has seen a challenge.

Spread Thin
Within the United Way, the Center for Community Leadership is tasked with the training and development of more than 9,300 employees and numerous volunteers at the organization’s local offices across the country. While the organization as a whole is savvy at educating the public, marketing for necessary internal education programs needed improvement. The training and development department needed fuller courses and conferences and higher visibility.

With small budgets and limited resources, the learning team determined a need to bolster its marketing to attain a higher adoption of training without spending more money. Though reaching more people without spending more money may seem an impossible task, efficient practices can help an organization save money and programs.

In November 2007, United Way’s Center for Community Leadership partnered with Expertus to strengthen and align its marketing tactics and attain a higher adoption of training from learners.

“Training is key to our group’s mission of building capacity,” said Heidi Kotzian, director of marketing and national events at United Way Worldwide. “The United Way’s movement will succeed only if our staff has the tools and knowledge they need to effect change. We can promote greater capacity-building throughout the system by marketing training and convincing staff that the training we are providing is valuable.”