Orange County United Way said it has exceeded its $23.8 million goal in its 1999-2000 campaign by $25,000, raising the highest annual total in the organization’s 75-year history.
The amount also was a $2.3 million increase over the 1998-1999 campaign total of $21.5 million.
Most of the funds will benefit the Targeted Community Investment program, which includes developing after-school and mentoring programs, promoting healthcare access, and increasing independence for the working poor, transitionally homeless and people with disabilities.
Bank of America received United Way’s Dimension in Giving Award. It and its employees contributed $1.3 million.
United Way officials said a trend seen this year was technology companies such as Buy.com running fund-raising campaigns for the first time. Buy.com raised $40,000. Other companies such as Gateway Computers, Sage Software, and the OC-based employees of Microsoft and IBM were also big donors this year. In addition, United Way received two anonymous gifts totaling $500,000 and stocks worth a total of $1 million from individuals.
“Our success with respect to the level of growth we’ve achieved was due to a great measure to our ability to tap into the emerging industries and high-net-worth individuals in Orange County,” said Craig Dutra, senior vice president of Orange County’s United Way.
Those two groups contributed more than 60% of the $2.3 million in growth, Dutra said.
