United Way of Tarrant County is a trusted nonprofit leader in solving the toughest social challenges facing Tarrant County. In honor of the organization’s 100 years of service to North Texas — and to create a more vibrant and stable community — UWTC launched an ambitious $100 million fundraising effort with the goal to fuel and fund programs and initiatives that would make a lasting impact for decades to come.
Genuine Article developed a strategic campaign platform, GET UNITED, to galvanize support for and thematically tie together what would become more than a year’s worth of public engagement events, education efforts, and individual and major gift fundraising initiatives. We devised and executed GET UNITED Day, a centerpiece launch event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, that brought together citizens, civic leaders, influencers, and media to kick off the campaign in a memorable way. Preparation for the public event included partnering with the Texas Rangers to utilize the footprint around Globe Life Field for a press conference and public engagement moment; distributing invitations and media alerts to over 500 North Texas business and civic leaders, as well as to more than 75 local journalists; and creating an experiential component, working with local artists and designers to create a 28-foot mural with a special magnetic front that attendees would help reveal by peeling off GET UNITED branded magnets.
GET UNITED Day made a remarkable impact on UWTC. It drove a substantial rise in the organization’s media attention and led to the highest number of interview requests in the quarter, was recognized by Rep. Michael Burgess on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, and garnered ongoing support from government leaders who have allocated millions of dollars toward UWTC. Most importantly, major donors committed significant six- and seven-figure gifts that would kick-start the fundraising efforts of UWTC to raise the $100 million needed to support life-changing programs through the GET UNITED campaign.
