Your Support Matters
Our 2026 Wake United Campaign aims to live out our Wake Forest spirit of Pro Humanitate, by uniting our global campus community in a collective fundraising effort. We are partnered with the United Way to identify and address the most significant needs among those most at risk here in Winston-Salem and the surrounding area.
“Winston-Salem has so warmly welcomed us, and in the time we have been here, we have come to know and feel how deeply Wake Forest’s story is woven into the life of this city. We have long believed in and supported organizations like the United Way because of their ability to direct resources to the parts of the community where the need is greatest. And our decision to support the United Way comes down to a practical reality: the challenges a community faces are connected, and no single organization can meet them alone.”
President Peter Rodriguez and Mrs. Kathleen Rodriguez
Why United Way
A gift to United Way of Forsyth County is a gift to the neighbors who call Winston-Salem and Forsyth County home, pooled and directed to the community’s most pressing needs.
United Way offers a coordinated answer to complex problems. United Way of Forsyth County exists to bring the community and its resources together on problems no single organization can solve alone. A gift to United Way invests in 55 programs and initiatives through 32 local partner nonprofits, creating both breadth of impact and local reach.
With investments focused on Economic Mobility; Socio-economic Wellbeing, including basic needs and safety-net programs; Student and Youth Success; and Place Matters, its place-based neighborhood initiative, United Way has clear priorities for your donation. Community volunteers on its impact council review partner proposals, and United Way holds partners and itself accountable for every dollar invested.
A century of local history, and help now. United Way has worked in Forsyth County for more than 103 years. Today, neighbors in need can reach local help by calling 211.
Campaign Goals and Incentives
This year, Wake Forest aims to raise $100,000 through 300 or more individual contributions. To thank our community for their contributions, the following incentives will be made available as we approach these goals!
Incentives
Early Bird Drawing: For donations received in the first 72 hours (Monday, October 19 through Wednesday, October 21), contributors will be entered into a drawing for a night at Graylyn Estate.
Milestone Drawings
When Wake Forest total giving reaches $100,000 and total individual contributors reaches 300, the following incentives will be “unlocked” and winners drawn from the names of all Wake Forest employees who contribute at any amount.
Prizes
- Lunch with Peter and Kathleen Rodriguez
- A night in the President’s Box for the 2027-28 Face to Face Speaker Forum for the winner and up to 4 guests
- Four tickets to a men’s basketball game against an ACC rival
- A week of priority campus parking
- Magsgiving (Friday, November 20): United Way and Wake Forest swag for donors at table
Toqueville Leadership Society
The Tocqueville Leadership Society is a group of extraordinary community leaders and philanthropists who demonstrate their commitment to making Forsyth County a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Tocqueville Leadership Society members are results-oriented individuals who generously share their financial resources, time, and expertise to make a measurable difference for individuals and families throughout our community.
Tocqueville Members give $10,000 or more annually to the United Way of Forsyth County. To reach that goal, new members may participate in the Andy Brown Step-Up Match. This program allows donors the option to increase their gift over a three-year period while enjoying the benefits of Tocqueville Society membership immediately. Your willingness to invest in these outcomes at the Tocqueville Level means we can continue to find new solutions to complex problems. We thank you for your desire to play a critical role in addressing our community’s most pressing needs. With your help, change happens.
THREE-YEAR INVESTMENT PLAN:
YEAR 1 = $5,000
YEAR 2 = $7,500
YEAR 3 = $10,000
Through the generosity of Andy Brown, a local donor, United Way is able to provide the opportunity to gradually increase your gift to the Tocqueville level while recognizing you as a Society Member from day one. This three-year step-up plan is a great way to join the Tocqueville Leadership Society at your own pace.
Additional Information
United Way of Forsyth County 2026 Campaign Video
What does the UNITED WAY OF FORSYTH COUNTY do?
How to Make a Pledge
If you’d like to make a pledge, click the button below to be taken to Wake Forest University’s United Way ePledge campaign site.
Resources
Campaign Leaders
- Co-Chairs, Peter Rodriguez, President, and Mrs. Kathleen Rodriguez
- Sam Perrotta, Chief of Staff to the Provost
- Ashleigh Brock, Vice President and President’s Chief of Staff
- Leah Sink Haynes, Executive Communications
- Berthi Hotham, Associate Vice President, Business Strategy & Transformation
- Rene Bailey, Director of Presidential Operations