48 I ICT TODAY
Case Study: Embracing Emerging PoE,
Sound Masking, and AV Technology
for the United Way of Central Alabama
By Andrew Clark, RCDD
One of the largest United Way chapters in the country, the United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) was
organized in 1923 and is one of the few chapters that directly provides services to its community. To support
more than 200 programs and initiatives, UWCA annually raises more than $97 million in contributions
and federal grants and contracts. With these contributions enabling UWCA to make a positive impact on the
community, the organization mobilizes a broad network of community partners, corporate entities, and other
nonprofit agencies to deliver essential information to the community during crisis, provide access to vital
emergency services, offer services for veterans, promote educational success, improve community health,
and teach financial empowerment. These services, in conjunction with critical call centers, warranted UWCA's
new 40,000 square-foot (≈3,716 m
2
) expansion project.
