Kristen Moran has spent the last two years serving communities across Central Alabama as part of the United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) team, and she’ll sum up the best part of her job in two words: the people.
Kristen joined UWCA in 2023 after a career in the startup world. At the time, she was working at an all-women recruiting firm when a friend mentioned a job opening at United Way. She intended to pass it along to a future client – until she read the description and realized it could be the next step in her own career.
Since then, Kristen has brought her energy and people-first mindset to UWCA’s Resource Development Department, first as an Individual Giving Officer and now as a Major Gifts Officer. In her current role, she helps steward members of the Tocqueville Society, which consists of local United Way donors who contribute $10,000 or more annually.
A Culture of Connection and Care
Kristen helps bring in new members, builds strong relationships and ensures each donor sees the impact of their generosity. She connects people to the causes they care about and helps them feel appreciated through events and personal outreach.
“Everybody here, at some level, wants to give back,” she said. “When you work with a bunch of people like that, it’s just a nice environment.”
Her favorite part?
“I get to email and call people, meet them for coffee or lunch and get to know them,” she said. “And I get paid to do that!”
Kristen Moran and United Way share a people-centric mindset. At UWCA, that mindset goes beyond community work, it shapes how the organization supports its staff
Living Its Vision, Mission and Values
As a mom of four living in Homewood, Kristen values the flexibility that UWCA offers. When she expressed hesitation about returning to an office setting after working remotely, leadership reassured her.
“Our CEO told me, ‘How can we as an organization say our goal is to put families and the community first if we don’t allow our employees to do that?’ That stuck with me,” she said.
UWCA is proud to be a place where passionate professionals such as Kristen can grow, give back and feel supported in every area of life.
This blog is adapted from an article that originally appeared in Bham Now “One local woman found a new rewarding career in Birmingham – see how you can, too”