Emerging Leaders 365
Start Your Year of Impact
Becoming an Emerging Leaders 365 donor is simple—you give $1 a day to programs that are supporting communities and ending poverty. And how it’s done is up to you. Give $365 all at once, divvied up monthly or even combined with your partner’s gift.
Stay updated on our awesome virtual volunteer and event offerings that support our local BIPOC community
What Do We Do?
Make an Impact
Give $365 or $30 a month to fight homelessness and poverty in your community.
Network
Connect with like-minded young professionals at issue-based events.
Volunteer
Help local nonprofits through group projects and multi-day opportunities via Connect For Good.
Access Leaders
Hear from local business and community leaders at our various events.
“I’m proud to support Emerging Leaders 365! I became a first-time donor during an Eat, Drink and Be Generous event because I was moved by the stories told by the team members and the beneficiaries. I also appreciated the emphasis on building a diverse, compassionate, engaged and outcome-based stakeholder community.”
—Karen Bryant | Mosaik/Suite J Consulting
“I became an Emerging Leader 365 donor after seeing the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on our local community. I wanted to get involved with an organization that was committed to creating real impact for people who need it.”
—Mackenzie Davies | Davies and Dixon
“I have lived in Seattle for 7 years and wanted to give back directly to the community here. Being on the EL365 committee has given me a lot of insight into United Way programs to end homelessness, help students graduate, and keep families financially stable.”
—Esha Pendharkar | Oracle
“Being an Emerging Leaders 365 donor is a valuable way for me to help give back to United Way and their important efforts in providing community relief during the pandemic. I’m excited to support United Way through my video podcast, The Soufflé, where I will be making a donation after each episode in honor of my guest’s time.”
—Trang VoPham | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
“I became an Emerging Leaders 365 donor to support the critical need to impact our community in a meaningful way. For me, this means transforming the socio-economic landscape and access to equitable opportunities in King County. As a Bridge to Finish partner, I’ve seen, firsthand, the work we have been able to accomplish together with United Way.”
—Basha Alexander | Green River College
“Donating through the Emerging Leaders 365 program not only allows me to set up monthly donations or a one-time donation based on my flexibility but also takes care of distributing the funds to fight poverty and homelessness—causes I deeply care about.”
—Anurag Choudhary | Microsoft
“I didn’t know what to expect when I first got involved with United Way’s Connect for Good project at Microsoft. Honestly, I never thought I’d reach my fundraising goal of $365. I’m really glad that I stuck with it and became an Emerging Leader 365 donor through my fundraiser. It feels good to make a small contribution to improving this beautiful community.”
—Desmond Howard | Microsoft
“United Way makes it so EASY to do good. Donating time and money as an Emerging Leader 365 has helped me support my local community, help those in need and connect with fellow likeminded Seattleites!”
—Rob Brady | Caterpillar, Inc
“I am an Emerging Leaders 365 donor because I believe in the power of individuals joining together to make impactful change.”
—Allison Daniel | BECU
“I became an Emerging Leader 365 donor because I love the King County area, and decided I wanted to give something back to it. Knowing I’m having a positive impact on our community, even in a small way, is really satisfying.”
—Kae Hondorp | Emerging Leader 365 Donor
“I’m an Emerging Leaders 365 donor because there is need in our community and United Way is at the forefront of providing aide directly to those with the greatest need in the form of rent assistance, feeding the hungry and more.”
—Nathalie Marte | Amazon
“I became an Emerging Leaders 365 donor because I believe in United Way’s mission of bringing people together to solve our community’s toughest challenges. It’s a blessing to be able support important work and meet talented young leaders along the way.”
—Hervi Icban | Microsoft
“I became an Emerging Leaders 365 donor because I want to be part of a community of diverse, caring individuals that wanted to empower each other to make King County a fair and equitable place for all.”
—Kidist Winters | United Way of King County
“Working in the ER with society’s most vulnerable communities has allowed me to recognize that a person’s health goes beyond a simple patient visit. I’m thankful to be involved with an organization that addresses the socioeconomic factors of the quality of healthcare someone receives.”
—Cristina Luevano Santos | ScribeAmerica
“I was struggling with the question of, ‘How can one person make a difference? How do I help?’ I became an Emerging Leaders 365 donor and then also started a fundraiser to encourage listeners to donate.”
—Brooke Fox | 92.5
“I’ve been part of the Emerging Leaders 365 program for a few years and recently survived COVID19. I’m now raising funds for people in our community who are struggling to fight this disease. I hope you’ll join me by making a gift or starting your own fundraiser as we can band together through this crisis.”
—Elizabeth Schneider | NanoString
“I became an Emerging Leader 365 donor because United Way has a huge impact on our community. Due to the size and scale of their programs… my donation dollars go further towards improving the conditions of Homelessness, Financial Stability, and Education.”
—Albert Cheng | Convoy
“Through volunteering with United Way I got to see the impact we can make by connecting with our community. I became an Emerging Leader 365 donor because I believe in United Way’s programs, mindset, and proactive initiatives that make a difference in people’s lives.”
—Hannah Kalinowski | The Boeing Company
“After moving to Seattle, I immediately joined Emerging Leaders 365 because I knew I would meet young leaders in the Seattle area who share the same values as I do. Your events are always engaging, fun and impactful and I look forward to the upcoming opportunities.”
—Lizette Ruiz | University of Washington
“I became an Emerging Leaders 365 donor because I wanted to be part of a community of diverse, caring individuals that wanted to empower each other to make Seattle a better place for all humans. When I joined I instantly felt connected and I highly recommend the program and its initiatives.”
—Jon Hermes | PwC
“I became an Emerging Leader 365 donor because I care about our community and believe in United Way’s approach to addressing the challenges we face. With programs like Streets to Home, they take a proactive and fact based approach that leads to results.”
—Lauren Taggart | Amazon
“As a Puget Sound native who recently returned from Peace Corps service, I sought out opportunities to make an impact in my own community. To me, Emerging Leaders 365 is the perfect combination of community engagement and professional development.”
—Anna McKnight | Amara
Connect for Good
Looking for a chance to deep dive into a subject area, develop your racial equity lens, volunteer and build community? Join us for a Connect for Good volunteer opportunity!
What Have We Helped Accomplish?
$429,500+ raised to ensure people have homes, students graduate and families are financially stable
2,272 people transitioned out of homelessness
561,218 meals served to children in our community
2,700 volunteer hours served at over 100 events in 2019
2,000+ people gathering at networking events and hearing from local leaders in 2019
Ready to Join?
Not ready to give yet? Sign up for our newsletter and get to know us at our next event!
Racial Equity Matters
Because of institutional and systemic racism, people of color disproportionately experience inequities in our community. It is imperative that we recognize, acknowledge and address racism in order to make progress towards a community with equal opportunity for all.
Through Emerging Leaders 365 your dollars are going directly to programs that address racial inequities head on. In addition to this, we actively choose speakers and POC businesses that reflect our community and center voices of color.
Get Your Company Involved
Upcoming Events
October Monthly Volunteer Challenge: Cooking Starter Kits
October 1 @ 8:00 am – October 31 @ 5:00 pmMake Indian Food at Home with Meesha
October 26 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pmNovember Monthly Volunteer Challenge – Create Thankful Kits for Dignity for Divas!
November 1 – November 30Learn the Techniques of Tamales with Frelard Tamales
November 16 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
FAQ
What are the different breakdowns of how I can donate?
There are four ways you can join Emerging Leaders 365:
- One-time gift of $365
- Monthly gift of $30
- Start a fundraiser and raise $365
- Pledge $365 during your workplace giving campaign. Email emergingleaders@uwkc.org for more details.
Can I fundraise the $365 instead of giving it all myself?
You bet! It’s easy to create a personal fundraising page and then ask your network to support United Way of King County in your name. Get started today.
What do I get to access once I join?
Besides the great feeling of helping others and ending injustices here in the Seattle area, you’ll enjoy a full year of benefits such as:
- Networking and connections with other young professionals
- An email twice a month to keep you updated Emerging Leaders 365 happenings.
- Free entry to tons of events, from speakers panels and happy hours to exclusive in-restaurant multi-course dinners and swanky cocktail events.
- First access to our ever-popular volunteer projects all across Seattle and King County.
- Opportunities to stand up for what you believe in and make a difference in people’s lives.
Who can join?
Any young professionals who want to make a difference, stand up for what they believe in and meet leaders and friends while doing so.
Where do my donated dollars go?
All Emerging Leaders 365 perks and events are covered by our generous corporate sponsors so that every dollar you give goes directly to building a community where people have homes, students graduate and families are financially stable.
Once I join, for how long am I an Emerging Leaders 365 donor?
You are part of Emerging Leaders 365 for one full year (or 365 days) from the date that you make your gift. For example, if you make a gift of $365 to United Way on Dec. 1 2019, you are part of Emerging Leaders 365 until Dec. 1 2020.
If I give, is my spouse included?
Yes! You’ll both be recognized as Emerging Leaders 365 donors and have access to the full range of benefits
My company matches my donations. How does that work?
We’re not currently set up to recognize workplace matches towards Emerging Leaders 365. However, we love that your company matches donations and encourage you to request a match for your $365. Double the $ = Double the impact!
I made a $365 gift and haven’t heard anything from you. What should I do?
Oh no! We’re so sorry. Sometimes our data processing lags behind. But fear not, we’ll get it straightened out as soon as we can. In the meantime, please contact EmergingLeaders@uwkc.org so that we can get you all taken care of.