Leadership Giving

The value of a man resides in what he gives 
and not in what he is capable of receiving.
Albert Einstein

United Way of Greater Mercer County’s Leadership Giving Society was created to acknowledge the generosity of our donors who share a commitment to our community, its people, and its future.

Individuals or couples donating $1,000 or more annually are enrolled and the names of our members are listed in our Leadership Giving Society Roster. Requests for anonymity are honored. The Roster is available to all current leadership donors and distributed to prospective leadership donors only.

Donors contributing $10,000 or more are recognized as a member of the United Way Tocqueville Society, named for the French aristocrat of the 1800s who was inspired by the American spirit of philanthropy. Alexis de Tocqueville was twenty-six when he came to America in 1831; Tocqueville’s observations formed the basis of “ Democracy in America,” a detailed study of American society and politics. He wrote extensively on the power of voluntary giving for the common good and applauded and immortalized the voluntary spirit that lives in America’s heart. All members are listed in the National Tocqueville Leadership Recognition Book. Requests for anonymity are honored.

In 1995, UWGMC initiated a reception, underwritten by local companies or organizations, to celebrate and acknowledge the generosity of our leadership givers. This event is held semi-annually and traditionally has centered on a “discovery” about one of our community's great assets. At Sarnoff, it was HDTV. At Drumthwachet and Princeton University's Prospect House, it was history lessons. At Boehm Porcelain, we learned about the creation of those delicate objects and at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, we toured the National Spherical Torus Experiment and discovered the future. At Princeton University's Art Museum, we feasted our eyes and at Wegmans Food Markets, we feasted! The reception is a fun and informal way for us to recognize the generous spirit and commitment of our leadership donors.

If you would like to help plan our next leadership reception, or to learn more about United Way of Greater Mercer County's Leadership Giving Society, please contact Judith McClellan at judith.mcclellan@uwgmc.org or 609.637.4902.