For more information, please contact us at LiveUnited@LiveUnitedSEM.org 660 Woodward Ave., Suite 300 Detroit, Michigan 48226 313.226.9301 GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER. UNITEDWAYSEM.ORG
Alexis de Tocqueville Society Leading Change Welcome to the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Southeastern Michigan is home to some of the most generous philanthropists in the nation. Five years ago, our Alexis de Tocqueville Society chapter ranked 37th in the country. Today, it s No. 10 thanks to our growing membership base. We are ecstatic over this growth and we want to thank our members for helping us get to this point. But our work isn t done yet. There is still need in our community. Society members helped contribute more than $6 million last year to support vital United Way community impact programs in Education, Economic Prosperity and Health. When you give to United Way for Southeastern Michigan, your dollars go further. No other regional nonprofit has the legacy, relationships and know-how to create lasting solutions like United Way. Because of their ablility to harness resources from private, nonprofit and public organizations, United Way reduces service redundancy to make sure more community members get the help they need more efficiently. But they can only do it with the help of generous donors like you. Through Meet Up and Eat Up, your dollars don t just help feed kids. You support United Way s efforts to advise the state of Michigan on nutrition standardization for after-school and summer meals so that kids can grow up healthy and strong. United Way was able to create new technology to reduce partner paperwork, which means their partners can get more federal funding to make sure more kids access these vital meals. Your gift supports United Way s Bib to Backpack strategy, which provides parents and caregivers with access to peer networks, child development assessments, workshops and caregiver trainings so that more children show up prepared and ready to learn on the first day of school. With your support, more students are getting valuable real-world experiences with college preparation through our network of schools and graduating prepared for college and a career. And you help jobseekers keep more of what they earn through job advancement training and one-on-one budget coaching. Pair that with a robust volunteer recruitment strategy and policy team to make sure vital funds remain in the community, and you can rest assured that your contributions are hard at work. Thank you for your commitment to community. Thank you for Living United. - Lisa Ford and Bill Ford, Alexis de Tocqueville Initiative Chairs 1 2
A l e x i s d e To c q u e v i l l e S o c i e t y We could not do this incredible work in our community if it weren t for the commitment and passion of our Alexis de Tocqueville donors. Herman Gray, President and CEO, United Way for Southeastern Michigan 3 4
Alexis de Tocqueville Society We Live United for universal success and prosperity in Southeastern Michigan. 5 6
Alexis de Tocqueville Society I support United Way because I was excited about their focus on education, basic needs and financial stability, and moving the needle with high school turnaround work. Leadership was bold and took a risk to drive meaningful impact. Srikant Inampudi, Board Member and AdT Member 7 8
A l e x i s d e To c q u e v i l l e S o c i e t y As a society member, your gift is making the greatest impact and you ll get exclusive benefits. z Invitations to exclusive events, hosted by corporate and community leaders. z Recognition on our elite donor wall as an Alexis de Tocqueville member and initiation in our Honor Roll of Donors. z Access to member volunteer activities. z Networking opportunities and receptions with business and civic leaders. z A dedicated relationship manager to help you manage and reach your philanthropic goals. z Quarterly membership newsletters and donor profiles. z Mentorship opportunities with Emerging Philanthropists, a Leadership Giving group for young professionals. 9 10
A l e x i s d e To c q u e v i l l e S o c i e t y Exclusive Events Members enjoy VIP experiences 11 12
A l e x i s d e To c q u e v i l l e S o c i e t y Step-Up Program Minimum annual contribution to join the Alexis de Tocqueville Society is $10,000 per year. United Way offers a unique way for new members to enjoy the society as they step up their pledge over the course of three years. By participating in this three-year pledge program, you will be recognized as an Alexis de Tocqueville Society member upon enrollment and will be immediately eligible for full benefits, opportunities and events. Membership Commitment 13 Year 1 $6,000 Year 2 $8,000 Year 3 $10,000 14
A l e x i s d e To c q u e v i l l e S o c i e t y Your gift changes lives Here are some ways your gift can make an impact in the community. $100,000 can support 200 Meet Up and Eat Up summer meal sites, which serve more than 425,000 meals. $50,000 can support enrolling 57 households into our utility assistance program, offering shut-off protection and self-sufficiency services. $25,000 can support 5,000 2-1-1 calls, which offer service referrals on shelter, food, health services and more. $10,000 can support 263 Baby Boxes, which offer infant care essentials and parenting resources. 15 16
Alexis de Tocqueville Society The Alexis de Tocqueville Legacy Circle There are more ways to join the Alexis de Tocqueville Society outside of a cash or step-up gift program. Donors who endow a minimum gift of $200,000 to United Way through their estate plan join our elite Tocqueville Legacy Circle. Through their Tocqueville Legacy Circle membership, these generous supporters extend their impact on the community for generations to come and are nationally recognized. There are several gift options when making a planned gift, including a United Way Life insurance policy. Learn more about all planned giving options by visiting UnitedWaySEM.org/Legacy. 17 18
Alexis de Tocqueville Society A legacy of giving back Origins of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Alexis Charles-Henri de Tocqueville was only 26 years old when he came to the United States and Canada in 1831, recording his observations of life in the young nations. Though he only spent nine months in North America, he gleaned many profound insights about American society. His observations, readings and discussions with eminent Americans formed the basis of Democracy in America, a detailed study of American society and politics, published in two volumes in 1835 and 1840. Tocqueville recognized, applauded and immortalized North American voluntary action on behalf of the common good. He wrote: I must say that I have seen Americans make a great deal of real sacrifices to the public welfare; and have noticed a hundred instances in which they hardly ever failed to lend a faithful support to one another, eloquently capturing the essence of personal philanthropy that persists almost two centuries later. The observations on philanthropy made by Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831 remain true today; advancing the common good means creating opportunities for a better life for all. The name Tocqueville Society was chosen because of Alexis de Tocqueville s admiration for the spirit of voluntary association and effort toward its advancement. The Alexis de Tocqueville Society today Founded in 1984, the United Way Tocqueville Society is an opportunity for passionate individuals to become more deeply involved in United Way s mission. The Tocqueville Society recognizes local philanthropic leaders and volunteer champions in the United States, France and Romania who have devoted time, talent, and funds to create long-lasting changes by tackling our communities most serious issues. 19 20
A l e x i s d e To c q u e v i l l e S o c i e t y We support United Way as a part of Caresoft s mission to socially engage and give back to the community in Detroit. Our involvement in the Alexis de Tocqueville Society makes us feel like we re part of a larger cause along with like-minded folks who are great role models for our family and employees. - Mathew Vachaparampil and Dr. Anna Mathew, AdT Members Directory 21 18 22