Cornerstone Co-Chairs
Diane Conterno and Steve Branch
Cornerstone Society
What is Cornerstone Society?
United Way of Greater Greensboro’s Cornerstone Society members truly are the foundation of our community. Formerly known as the Chairman’s Society, the Cornerstone Society is an impressive roster of donors who invest $1,000 to $9,999 annually to demonstrate their commitment to bettering our community.
In the 2006 campaign, the extraordinary generosity of 2300 individuals raised over 22% of the total dollars raised. The Cornerstone Society is led by volunteers Steve Branch of the Greensboro Merchants Association and Diane Conterno of Advanced Direct.
These donors are “gems” of the Greater Greensboro area as represented by five levels of Cornerstone Society giving. Each of the gemstones levels allows members to extend giving to greater heights, which increases the positive impact we can make in the lives of many in our community.
The entry amount for each level is:
Sapphire $1000 ($20 a week)
Ruby $2500 ($48 a week)
Emerald $5000 ($96 a week)
Diamond $7500 ($144 a week/$20 per day)
Why do I want to join?
Because leadership giving is more than just a name …it’s a lifestyle. Your continual investment in our community year to year has great value and here are just four examples of how important your gift is:
- $20 a week- Provides a month of adult day care/day health for a senior in our community through Adult Center for Enrichment
- $48 a week- Provides a month’s stay for a family at Clara House, the domestic violence shelter of Family Service of the Piedmont.
- $96 a week- Provides five computers that can be used as an interactive teaching tool for literacy instruction or job skills training at Reading Connections.
- $144 a week- Provides supported employment for 3 clients of The Arc for 1 year.
Below please find personal benefits for Cornerstone Donors:
Recognition – You will be recognized at leadership events, in our leadership roster and often within your company.
Networking – You will have the opportunity to network amongst your peers and new business acquaintances who also have a passion for changing our community.
Service- Engage in the work of United Way! You will have an opportunity to join our community investment volunteer councils to be the decision makers for the allocation of United Way of Greater Greensboro resources to programs.
The Cornerstone Society also offers members an opportunity to join African American Leadership (AAL). Through AAL, African Americans are encouraged to become leadership givers by investing their time and resources to advocate the impact of United Way of Greater Greensboro’s partnerships and programs.
How can I join?
Invest a minimum of $20 a week in your community.
Consider giving jointly with another member of your household for a combined gift of $1,000 or more.
How can I continue to impact our community as a Leadership Giver?
Commit to an annual increase in your leadership gift. The needs in our community become greater year after year. Your continual support will provide the resources for our volunteers to make sound decisions about meeting these needs. Also see information on Matching Grant Opportunity.
For more information on how to be a part of this fundamental part of our community and become a Cornerstone Society member, contact our Leadership Giving staff:
Nicole Beatty, Dir. of Leadership Giving- 378-5023
Calvin Foster, Jr., Leadership Giving Specialist - 378-6612.
“In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs only when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”
Harry S. Truman
33rd President of the United States