Save the Date for the 2026 Unity Campaign: March 4-18, 2026!
The Unity Campaign is a collaborative project between nonprofit partners, sponsors, and the greater Frederick community to support our most vulnerable neighbors by giving to a nonprofit organization of your choice. 100% of individual contributions go to the designated nonprofit. Every gift will be matched by the Incentive Match Fund. The Unity Campaign is an annual fundraiser in March.
With roughly 1 in 3 Frederick County households struggling to afford basic needs, the Unity Campaign is a vital funding source to reduce suffering, provide opportunity, and build a better future for our struggling neighbors. These households, known as ALICE, are often receive support in one way or another from the organizations involved in the Unity Campaign.
The 2025 Unity Campaign was a record-breaking campaign, raising nearly $700,000 in support of 37 organizations!
Who is ALICE?
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households have incomes above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but struggle to afford basic household necessities. In Frederick County, MD, 33,138 households (32%) are considered ALICE and cannot afford basic needs such as housing, transportation, child care, food, transportation, and health care.
Applications for the 2026 Unity Campaign, running from March 4-18, 2026, will go live on Wednesday, August 13 and close on Friday, September 12 at 11:59 PM. If your organization is a new applicant to the Unity Campaign, please save the date for our Unity Campaign Information Session on Monday, August 18 at 2 PM. Please email Erin Lawson at elawson@uwfrederick.org to join this session.
Participating Partner Toolkit
Partner Marketing Materials (social media graphics)
History of the Campaign
Launched in 2014, the Unity Campaign was built on the success of two previous fundraising efforts – Frederick 48 and Frederick News-Post’s Season of Hope. When county funding for our local nonprofits were being eliminated, an effort was begun to “fill the gap” by raising funds from the Frederick Community. The Unity Campaign has a clear and vital mission to support local nonprofits who serve ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households in need of food, shelter, clothing, financial sustainability, and healthcare as well as at-risk children and youth. Starting in 2017, the Unity Campaign became a annual project of United Way of Frederick County. The Frederick News-Post remains a strong partner of the campaign.
