Giving from your heart, your experiences, and your business

Lincoln is such a giving community. We have so many great organizations that roll up their sleeves and work hard to help thousands of individuals and families. As people who live and work here, we have a tremendous opportunity to give back to any cause we identify with. If we want to make an impact, there are a few key things we need to know: What areas are in greatest need right now? What are the values that align between people and organizations? Ultimately, how can I help?

In this episode of MoneyBetter, we talk with Angie Muhleisen, President & CEO of UBT, about the philosophy that drives UBT’s culture of caring. Then, Meagan Liesveld, United Way, and Mark Feit, Combined Health Agencies Drive (CHAD), share what’s going on in the community and how their organizations are supporting people in need, particularly as we continue to navigate the effects of a pandemic.

Show Notes

0:45: MoneyBetter’s Caitlin Moore kicks off the discussion with Angie Muhleisen, President & CEO of Union Bank & Trust, about her philosophy behind the bank’s culture of giving back.

2:10 — Angie: “The essence of our philosophy, of how we do business, and I really mean this: we care about each other, we care about our customers, and we care about the communities that we serve. I feel it in the depths of my soul…we need to give back.”

5:27 — Angie: “United Way and CHAD do such a great job of vetting who needs the funds. They study, ‘what are the needs in our community and how do we best fulfill them? Which agencies do fulfill those needs?’  It’s all about helping the human service needs in our community.”

7:07 — Angie: “I give to a number of nonprofits in Lincoln, and they each have their unique focus, their unique way of helping our community, and I love helping them.”

14:33 — Meagan: “Our nonprofit community is amazing, and we work to raise funds to support programming that they’re doing that makes all this possible for our community members.”

26:30 — Mark: “When COVID hit, all in-person activities were cancelled. We’ve all participated in some sort of fundraising event, and all of a sudden you couldn’t have those. So while the need increased, funding decreased.”

29:40 — Meagan: “I think there’s a little danger in thinking that because we’ve lost some of the visual signs of the pandemic, that the impact of the pandemic has ended and that the increased need during that time had gone away. The reality is our community is still really struggling.”

34:38 — Meagan: “It takes a whole team. Most families need to be connected to four nonprofits to meet their needs. That’s the interconnectedness of need. That’s why we believe in funding an entire network of nonprofits.”

36: 48 — Mark: “It’s really important for people to know how easy it is to give. With our partnerships, one dollar can help 64 agencies together.”

39:16 — Meagan: “It’s easy to go about our lives and not see the need in our community. Health and mental health needs are unseen. Food insecurity is often unseen. It’s our responsibility to each other…to be part of the solution.”

Get a behind-the-scenes look here.

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If you’re feeling inspired to give, be sure to check out this blog for the best reasons — and ways — to give back.