Peoria, IL
After 18 years working devotedly as a President of the Heart of Illinois United Way, Michael Stephan will retire the end of August 2018.
“I cannot begin to express my sincere appreciation for all of the dedicated and compassionate volunteers, wise and committed board members, caring and knowledgeable community partners, generous and thoughtful donors, and the opportunity to work with the best United Way staff team in the country. While proud of our many accomplishments these past 18 years, with the community’s continued engagement, generosity and support, I am very excited about the future success of the Heart of Illinois United Way,” Stephan said.
Stephan joined the Heart of Illinois United Way in January 2000. During his time with the organization Stephan has been responsible for leading efforts that have positively impacted our community including:
- Led the transformation from fundraiser to community problem-solver, identifying and addressing the most critical health and human care needs in our community.
- Increased the annual campaign from $5 million annually to over $11 million annually, raising a total of $159 million.
- Implemented the annual Challenge Grant and Campaign Ambassador program to expand base of support during the campaign.
- Increased Tocqueville Society membership from 10 donors contributing $100,000 annually to 90 donors contributing $2.4 million annually.
- Heart of Illinois United Way is in the top one percentile, recognized by United Way Worldwide, for metrics related to community participation, per capita giving and campaign totals.
- Decreased administration and fundraising costs from 17 to 11 percent.
- Created and implemented three key community-wide initiatives: Heart of Illinois 2-1-1, Success By 6 and Supporting Student Success.
- Implemented an outcome-based allocation process demonstrating accountability and tangible results to donors.
- Established a comprehensive community assessment every three years to determine education, financial stability and health needs in central Illinois.
“The Heart of Illinois United Way is a philanthropic leader in central Illinois due in large part to Michael’s vision, his tremendous leadership skills, and his commitment to excellence,” commented Tim Neuhauser, Board Chair. “His contributions as a servant leader to this community are innumerable. He will be greatly missed by the board, staff, and community.”
Abby Clark, Board Chair Elect, along with a talented and diverse search committee will be conducting the search process for the new president over the next several months.