(Harrisburg) -- For the 15th straight year, the United Way of the Capital Region has topped its campaign goal. In a year when the economy continued to sputter and the midstate was hit by massive flooding, the United Way raised $11,280,527 million. The figure is more than $280,000 above goal and exceeds last year's amount by $510,000 or 4.7 percent. President and CEO Joseph Capita says many partner agencies reported the highest level of client need in three years, due to unemployment and underemployment. "The ripple effects of a slowly recovering economy really hit home this year," Capita says. He notes flooding in September due to Tropical Storm Lee placed additional burdens on several agencies, as well. "To not only reach, but surpass our goal during these tough times speaks to the generosity of our community and the hard work of our volunteers and staff," 2011 Campaign Chairman Dave Schankweiler says."As these challenging times continue, more and more people need the safety net of programs and services supported by our United Way." Schankweiler's the CEO/Publisher of the Central Penn Business Journal. All of the money raised from individual donors in the campaign will be distributed to programs and services in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties. "In a time when every penny counts, donors appreciate that 100 percent of their contribution goes directly to programs and services," Capita says. "The Corporate Cornerstones initiative demonstrates that UWCR is a great charitable value." Other United Way organizations are expected to announce the results of their 2011 campaigns in the coming weeks, including Lebanon County's next Thursday.