By By Noah Diedrich Sentinel Staff

Copyright keenesentinel

Monadnock United Way launched its flagship fundraising campaign this week — an annual event that hasn’t been hindered by economic turbulence in the past few years, President Liz LaRose told The Sentinel Wednesday.

The campaign — Our Monadnock, Our Impact — helps fund the nonprofit’s work supporting children, education and financial stability in the Monadnock Region, LaRose said.

During the first campaign in 1952, United Way raised $36,000, LaRose said. Nowadays, it raises anywhere between $1.3 million to $1.5 million each year.

This year, the goal is $1,519,000.

“It always amazes me how many people in this region care and want to give pieces of their time to make sure that their neighbors have the same quality of life that they do,” she said.

While tariffs and inflation have shaken up the economy in the past few years, LaRose said, United Way’s fundraising numbers have been steady.

That resilience is built into the system, she said. The giving is flexible, and people can give whatever amount is possible for them.

“Sometimes someone will come up to you and hand you a $1 bill or a $5 bill, and that is just as valid and important and helpful to the community,” she said. “Every one of those dollars gets added up together, and that gets us to our goal and then that money gets reinvested right away in the community.”

But economic forces have influenced the fundraising in other ways. LaRose said one local company gave a large portion of its annual corporate gift in January, attempting to hedge any potential instability caused by then-looming tariffs.

“It’s unheard of,” LaRose said. “It tells you what it means in this community to be able to give back.”

United Way fundraises all year long, but fundraising ramps up September through December, LaRose said. On Tuesday, the group opened the season with a breakfast and panel discussion about work in the region.

United Way followed up the event with its Day of Caring, an event that connects volunteers from local business with partner agencies to help with certain projects, LaRose said.

Workplace campaigns are the primary avenue of giving to United Way, LaRose said. Individuals at participating companies may allocate a portion of their paycheck to the organization.

Last year, those donations made up 46 percent of the gifts to the campaign, LaRose said.

Beyond fundraising, United Way also gets gifts and grants from foundations and state and federal governments, LaRose said.

The funds serve United Way’s partners in the region, LaRose said, like at Monadnock Food Partners Collective, which saw around 4,000 client visits across its eight pantries in the past year.

Gifts also benefit efforts like supporting childcare providers. United Way made it possible for four childcare providers in the region to give 193 children tuition last year, LaRose said.

“All of the gifts that are coming in to this region stay local, and they really are there to help children, families and individuals build stronger, more stable lives,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about.”