Graduation Walks

Each spring ahead of high school graduation, United Way invites students graduating from local high schools to don their cap and gown and return to their elementary schools. The event is a day of celebration, recognition of the teachers and staff who helped these students achieve their successes and inspiration for younger students to graduate themselves.

United Way schedules the event, provides bussing and gives nearly 900 kindergartners' Future Grad t-shirts - all part of our Graduate to Elevate initiative. While at the elementary schools, graduating seniors answer questions from 6th graders, talk with kindergarteners about what they want to be when they grow up and join the kindergartners in taking a class picture. 

Your sponsorship of this event, covers the cost of buses and t-shirts. Total annual cost: $10,000.

In return for your sponsorship:

• Your logo will appear on the back of the Future Grad t-shirts.
• You will be recognized in social and in-kind media.
• You will be recognized in United Way materials including our annual report, our United We Lead newsletter and our email newsletter which is sent to more than 3,000 people in our community.

Read 2 Me

Timed in February to coincide with Dr. Seuss' birthday, United Way of Cascade County gives a book to every 2nd grader in Great Falls Public Schools. United Way recruits volunteers to go into every 2nd grade classroom, read to students and talk to them about the importance of reading in their lives. This kickstarts an eight-week reading challenge, during which local students read more than 50,000 minutes annually.

This effort is part of United Way's work to improve reading skills ahead of 3rd grade, which is a critical point where students shift from learning to read and instead are reading to learn. Students who can't read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade are four times more likely to drop out.

Your sponsorship of this event covers the cost to give a book to every 2nd grader in Great Falls Public Schools, and to provide awards at each school for students who participate in the Read 2 Me challenge. Total annual cost: $5,000. 

In return for your sponsorship:

• Your logo will be included on a Read 2 Me sticker in every book.
• Your logo will be included in Read 2 Me challenge printed materials.
• You or your staff can choose to be a volunteer reader at an elementary school.
• You will be recognized in social and in-kind media.
• You will be recognized in United Way materials including our annual report, our United We Lead newsletter and our email newsletter which is sent to more than 3,000 people in our community.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program appreciation luncheon

Each fall we gather for a luncheon to thank the more than 200 senior volunteers in our community who impact our community through thousands of hours of service. Senior volunteers receive recognition pins for 5, 10, 20 and 30 years of service. All seniors attending are given a free lunch and many are given flower arrangements to honor their service.

Your sponsorship of this event covers the cost for lunch. Total annual cost: $1,000. 

In return for your sponsorship:

• Your logo will be included on the luncheon program.
• You or your staff are invited to attend the luncheon to meet and speak with seniors.
• You will be recognized in social and in-kind media.
• You will be recognized in United Way materials including our annual report, our United We Lead newsletter and our email newsletter which is sent to more than 3,000 people in our community.

Volunteer Great Falls website sponsorship

United Way of Cascade County created and manages the volunteering matching website: www.volunteergreatfalls.org. More than 65 local nonprofits share volunteer opportunities at their organization on the website. The website is also used to recruit hundreds of volunteers for events like Stuff the Bus, the Back 2 School BLAST, Worlds of Work and more. 

Your sponsorship of this event covers the cost of the website management software. Total annual cost: $3,000. 

In return for your sponsorship:

• Your logo will be featured on the volunteergreatfalls.org website, which has nearly 12,000 views annually.
• You will be recognized in social and in-kind media.
• You will be recognized in United Way materials including our annual report, our United We Lead newsletter and our email newsletter which is sent to more than 3,000 people in our community.

Financial Reality Fairs

United Way of Cascade County partners with Great Falls Public Schools and local financial institutions to provide every student a hands-on budgeting experience to 600 high school students at Reality Fairs at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Financial literacy classes are now a graduation requirement and Reality Fairs are part of the class final assessment. More than 80 volunteers coached students through three months of budgeting, exposing them to costs of living and available resources

Your sponsorship of this event covers the cost of educational materials at the events. Total annual cost: $1,000. 

In return for your sponsorship:

• You can display signage at Reality Fairs.
• You or your employees can volunteer at these events.
• You will be recognized in social and in-kind media.
• You will be recognized in United Way materials including our annual report, our United We Lead newsletter and our email newsletter which is sent to more than 3,000 people in our community.