Learn more about Amy and her role as a Loaned Executive with UWECI!
It’s campaign time at United Way of East Central Iowa (UWECI), which means there’s an abundance of energy going toward raising money and awareness to our community’s most critical needs. With an influx of work during this time of year, we have one tool that is essential to campaign success: Loaned Executives (LEs).
LEs are members of our community who work with UWECI for three months every fall. Their job, simply, is to support workplace campaigns at area companies. LE’s spend their time meeting with company coordinators, coordinating presentations, and sending campaign materials and information that tells United Way’s story.
This year, five individuals from our community stepped up to help our Resource Development team in the midst of campaign season. One of these individuals is Amy Bishop, a first-year LE who is sponsored by Quaker Oats . Learn a little bit more about Amy’s experience at United Way through her responses below!
How did you learn about Loaned Executives at United Way? What interested you about the position?
Quaker Oats has a long-standing tradition of “loaning” out an employee to help with the UWECI campaign from September until Thanksgiving. What interested me the most was learning about the fundamentals of fundraising. I live in a small, rural community where resources are scarce. Having some working knowledge on how to raise funds for projects and benefits would be very helpful to my community.
What does a typical day in your life at UWECI look like?
Every day is an adventure! There are emails to send and phone calls to make, campaign planning meetings with companies, helping companies kick off their campaigns and picking up envelopes when a campaign is complete (that’s when we get to ring the bell!).
What has been the best part of your experience at UWECI so far?
Aside from meeting and working with amazing people, my experience at UWECI served as a daily reminder that to be of service to others is the greatest gift you can give.
How has this experience grown your connections to the community?
It has allowed me to introduce schools, nonprofits, and businesses in my community/county to UWECI and vice versa. I’m optimistic that new relationships will be formed, leading to more engagement and community enrichment. It has also given me the opportunity to better understand the needs of my community/county.
Many companies are back to in-person campaign events, while others are enjoying virtual activities. What’s the best part about helping companies and organizations plan their fundraising activities?
I love the fact that UWECI offers so many creative ways to help a company run a campaign in ways that accommodates the needs of the company and their employees.
Would you recommend being a loaned executive to other individuals?
ABSOLUTELY! To be honest, when the position was offered to me, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it. I mentioned my apprehension to a former Loaned Executive that I work with, and she encouraged me to accept. She said, ‘It will be life-changing.” I thought she was being a bit dramatic, but truth be told, she wasn’t. Understanding and seeing first-hand the needs of local communities, has humbled me, broken my heart, and validated a million times over, that to be of service to others is the true definition of love.
