Using a quilt as a metaphor for the work to come over the next few months, the United Way of Door County announced Wednesday that its 2026 annual campaign goal is $1.25 million. The annual kickoff event at Woodwalk Gallery in Egg Harbor started with board members and individual donors sharing their “why” when it comes to supporting the organization. Many of the stories focused on the scope of the United Way’s work and the collaboration it fosters with other local nonprofits.
Individual partner programs took center stage later in the evening, with their respective coordinators sharing their accomplishments from the past year and the work that still lies ahead.
Ahead of the announcement, Executive Director Amy Kohnle called for those in attendance to participate in an arts and crafts project in which everyone received a square to share what the community means to them. Along with the stories shared earlier in the evening, those squares represented the effort needed to strengthen the fabric of the community, something Kohnle knows Door County is up for.
The 2026 United Way of Door County annual campaign continues through early January. The 2025 annual campaign brought in $937,969.33 toward its $1.2 million goal, second only to the 2024 campaign total of $942,686.14. The funds raised supported nearly two dozen programs and partners, including the United Way of Door County’s Child Care Initiative, Healthy Door County, STRIDE — School-Based Mental Health Services, the Door County Alcohol and Other Drug Coalition, and the Door County Partnership for Children and Families.
