Shelby County United Fund For You was recognized as Non-Profit Champion at the 2024 Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Awards Gala, celebrating an organization that has helped connect generosity with community services for generations.
SCUFFY Executive Director Alecia Gross, members of the Board of Directors, and representatives from the annual Drive committee attended the event on behalf of the organization.
The recognition added another milestone to a history of service in Shelby County that dates back to 1955.
More Than an Annual Fundraising Campaign
SCUFFY is best known for its annual Drive, but the organization’s role extends beyond collecting donations.
Each campaign brings together businesses, individual donors, volunteers, schools, community leaders, and partner agencies around one coordinated fundraising effort.
Funds raised through the Drive help support organizations providing a wide variety of programs and resources for Shelby County residents.
That model allows one campaign to reach many different areas of need.
A Network Powered by People
The work behind each annual Drive involves far more than a small staff.
A volunteer Board of Directors helps provide organizational leadership and oversight, while Drive committees, workplace coordinators, participating businesses, volunteers, and community supporters help carry the campaign forward.
Partner agencies then put those resources to work through programs serving individuals and families throughout the county.
The result is a network built around participation.
Recognizing Decades of Service
By the time of the 2024 recognition, the organization had been serving Shelby County for nearly 70 years.
During that time, annual campaigns had grown from the first $75,249 Drive in 1955 to campaigns generating hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
Leadership changed. Agencies evolved. Community needs changed.
The underlying model remained focused on bringing resources together in support of Shelby County.
An Honor Shared Across Shelby County
The Non-Profit Champion recognition reflects the work of the many people who contribute to that effort.
Donors make the funding possible. Volunteers give their time. Businesses organize workplace campaigns. Board members provide leadership. Partner agencies transform fundraising dollars into programs and services.
Each annual campaign depends on all of them.
The award served as an opportunity to recognize that collective effort and the generations of Shelby County residents who have helped carry it forward.