The United Way of Rock River Valley announced the collaborative effort, dubbed "Media United," at a news conference Monday afternoon featuring leaders from about 20 of the agencies it helps support and media leaders representing television, radio and print.

The media groups have agreed to air and publish public service announcements asking area residents to make donations to the United Way by phone, mail or on the Web.

United Way interim CEO Paul Logli said he's borrowing a page from the successful political fundraising campaign of president-elect Barack Obama.

"They raised close to $1 billion and much of that was through small donations, $10 donations, to the Web site," Logli said. Nearly all of the money that the United Way raises each year -- about $4.8 million in 2007 -- comes from workplace campaigns where employees make a donation that's deducted from their paychecks and large individual donations.

Logli called the $337,000 shortfall a serious threat that could force the United Way to make internal cuts and have less money than promised to give to agencies as soon as late February.

The shortfall is, in part, the result of pledged money that isn't coming, officials said Monday. The agency was pledged more than $6 million for 2007. In Octobert, the agency's staff was cut from 26 to 18. Leaders say the move was done to protect funding to its partner agencies.

Media United, a takeoff on the nonprofit's "Live United" slogan, will involve the airing and publication of public service commercials, announcements and print ads encouraging area residents to donate to the United Way this holiday season.

Pitching in are WIFR-23, WREX-13, WTVO-17, Maverick Media, Cumulus Broadcasting and the Rockford Register Star.

For more information, call the United Way at 815-968-5400 or visit unitedwayrrv.org.

Staff writer Corina Curry can be reached at ccurry@rrstar.com or 815-987-1395.