United Ways of California is glad to share the following comments from participants who have attended the United Way Western Regional Conference over the past few years. 

2018 United Way Western Regional Conference

I was able to collect important information to share with our team and our Board on diversity and inclusion. It is always so helpful to hear from United Ways that are similar to our size on how they address community impact. - Kings United Way

I enjoyed meeting different United Ways and getting to know what other organizations are doing to make their programs work. Also, the keynote speakers were super good! - United Way of Northern New Mexico

The speakers were impactful and relevant to the work we as United Ways need to do. - United Ways serving Linn, Benton, & Lincoln Counties

I loved the atmosphere...[the] venue was great. - Woodland United Way

[It was a ] positive experience. Coming from a larger United Way, it was helpful to learn what's happening at the national level, and how smaller United Ways are making the most of their relatively smaller budgets/staffs/capacities. - United Way of Greater Los Angeles

I loved everyone's mutual desire to learn, network, and help each other. - United Way of Lane County

I will be writing this week and learning so many tips from table visiting about how people do something new or old, but tried and true. - Clearfield Area United Way

I always find the partnerships and ideas that we walk away with so beneficial. - United Way of Pinal County

All the sessions I attended were well-thought-out and delivered with precision. - Anonymous

It was very empowering. Generally - the schedule, sessions, keynotes all worked. - Anonymous

My favorite session was about turning volunteerism into revenue. I have been looking for this!!! - United Way of Walla Walla County

I thought it was very informative and productive. I loved meeting other agencies and learned a lot from their experiences and knowledge. - United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra

There was so much to appreciate at this year's conference. I especially liked Father Boyle's keynote. He is truly inspirational. - United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona

2017 United Way Western Regional Conference

[The United Way Western Regional Conference] was a terrific reminder that we are part of a large network of talented people. The workshops were excellent and hearing from Target and UPS leaders was extremely helpful as we try to navigate our RD work. — Kings United Way

As a Board member, experiencing all of the aspects of everything left feeling pumped. — United Way of Tulare County

I liked the cooperative spirit between United Ways, especially our local United Ways. — United Way of the Inland Valleys

[I liked] connecting with friends and making new ones - they allow the learning to continue past the conference. — United Way of the Wine Country

[I liked the] learning sessions that I attended and the conversations with other local United Ways and staff from United Way Worldwide. — United Way of the Wine Country

I loved the panel sessions and the breakout sessions. — United Way of Chelan and Douglas Counties

I really enjoyed meeting others doing the same collective impact work. It was cool to see what stages others are in, obstacles they've overcome, etc. — United Way of Southeastern Idaho

[I liked] connecting with other awesome folks and learning more about what they're doing and where they are at (the transition to CI, generating revenue from volunteer engagement efforts, etc.). — Anonymous

I was able to find out sites for localized data for marketing campaigns. I also was able to achieve finding out what other United Way's were doing differently and successfully. — River Cities United Way

I left the 211 learning sessions feeling more positive about the potential to expand 211. I also came away with a renewed sense of the importance of adding advocacy to our Women United work. — United Way of the Wine Country

[I appreciated the importance of having a united message and style of doing things especially when dealing with national/international companies. — United Way of Tulare County.

I walked away with two programs I want to be able to take back to my United Way and work to implement. — United Way of Pinal County

Everything was great! The conference areas were close to one another and easy to find, the resort was beautiful, and the speakers all brought something fun to the table. — United Way of San Luis Obispo County 

[The United Way Western Regional Conference] was very well organized and well run. Not a lot of waste because of the great app and tech. Good mix of networking time, engagement activities, sessions, etc. Food was terrific. — United Way of Central New Mexico

Previous United Way Western Regional Conferences

[I appreciated the] opportunity to meet folks from other United Ways across the country, find out what they are doing, and learn about new possibilities for our own United Way branch. — United Way of Whatcom County

I like the attention to public policy and how it can bring issues, programs, etc. to scale. — Valley of the Sun United Way

I thought that the keynote speakers and the breakout sessions were full of rich content. I appreciated it! — United Way of Northern California

[I appreciated] the opportunity to spend time with our team - for a collective "good of the cause" - away from work in an affordable setting. Priceless for team building!

I really liked the overall atmosphere of the conference. It seemed to be about the participants of the conference. — United Way of Albany County

Great location!! Great Food! but i think the best was the 'fellowship' with other UW staff - hearing what they are doing, some of the struggles and successes they are having, etc... — Inland Empire United Way

[I got] some great ideas on how to take our public policy/advocacy work to the next level and a different way of looking at how to accomplish goals.

Excellent Conference content. Right amount of time allocated to sessions and overall conference. Well organized and executed.

I liked the size and location. I really liked the keynote speakers, the topics and the presenters. — United Way of Albany County

I loved the vibe! It was exciting for us to be able to get together and share ideas. — United Way of the Inland Valleys

Keynotes were especially great - Hendrik Smith was awesome. — Mile High United Way

[I liked] connecting with colleagues, being able to just talk about common challenges. — United Way of San Diego County

I really like the sessions involving best practices for strategic planning and resource development. — United Way of Southwest New Mexico

[I liked] The keynote speakers, all of them were fantastic! — United Way of Central New Mexico

[I liked the] Atmosphere, positive vibe, most of the workshops I attended, speakers. — United Way of Kitsap County

It was great being able to connect with UW's that were similar to our metropolitan size. — UW of El Paso County 

I loved Hedrick and America [Bracho]. They were intelligent, well-spoken, and inspiring. — Mesa United Way

[I like] connecting across the network with others who share our passion for our communities. Ability to connect with UW Worldwide to learn more about what is next for our network. — United Way of Greater Los Angeles