United Way CEO reports progress on annual campaign

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United Way of the Ozarks is making progress on its annual community campaign ahead of a March 31 deadline, the nonprofit's leader said yesterday at a Springfield Business Journal event.

Brandi VanAntwerp, who became president and CEO of United Way of the Ozarks in summer 2024, spoke about the organization in a Jan. 21 interview with SBJ Executive Editor Christine Temple. The interview was held for SBJ's 12 People You Need to Know live interview series at The Backlot, Alamo Drafthouse Springfield's restaurant and bar.

During the interview, VanAntwerp said roughly $1.1 million has been pledged to date for the nonprofit's 2024-25 community campaign, with 55% of participants reporting.

"We still anticipate seeing ourselves getting right at that $2 million goal," VanAntwerp said. "We won't know until March 31, but we're on our way there. We're really feeling very positive."

VanAntwerp said a recent milestone at United Way of the Ozarks was the addition of four new workplaces – Amprod LLC, Roberts, McKenzie, Mangan & Cummings PC, Toth and Associates Inc. and Volt Credit Union – to its slate of 175 companies that participate in the nonprofit's workplace giving initiative.

"Having four new businesses in one year is, well, four businesses more than we've had over the last probably five years that have joined us in workplace giving," VanAntwerp said, noting the nonprofit has not had four new businesses join in a single year during that time. "It's a really big deal for us."

At the end of the event, SBJ announced Tiffani Claussen, CEO of Strafford-based Amprod LLC, would be the Feb. 18 interview guest for SBJ's 12 People series. SBJ previously announced a change in 2025 for 12 People, with the names of guests being released monthly.