Posted: 3/15/2004 2:26:00 PM EDT
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We dont really care for the techniques of upper level managment when it comes to getting donations for the united way, and many of us have stopped donating, and taken it uppon ourselves to get others to do the same. From what I have heard the united way has one of the poorest dollars in to dollars that actually do something ratio on account of their advertising, and such. Is anyone privy to information which micht help my cause? I need some hard printable facts if you have them. |
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I haven't messed with the United Way since 1996, when I was "appointed" United Way coordinator by the company I worked for in PRK. At that time, you could pick from a booklet they printed the exact UW-affiliated agency you wanted your money to go to, and that 80% of your donated funds would go there. NO, I don't have anything printed to back that up, just strictly recollection. I donated to the UW for years, just so that when I walked out of a store or something like that and someone was soliciting funds for something or other I could look them in the face and honestly say,"I give at the office". The exceptions were/are Boy Scouts and Veterans associations. They get all my spare change, or more, every time. |
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I remember something on TV about most of the money raised goes the the United Way's infrastructure and their upper management people are drawing insane salaries. You can always give directly to a charity of your choosing and skip the middlemen leaching your dollars. |
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Quoted: I remember something on TV about most of the money raised goes the the United Way's infrastructure and their upper management people are drawing insane salaries. You can always give directly to a charity of your choosing and skip the middlemen leaching your dollars. I have heard that too, but I need a reputable source to back it up. This is my biggest problem. Too many people at work are to affraid of upper level managment to stand up for themselves. |
| Also, the money you donate to a third party might not go to them. United Way (and other pass through not-for-profits) is set up so that if they give a 100,000 grant or donation to a charity and then collect 150,000 from individuals to go towards that carity, they only have to give the 100,000 they pledged. The extre 50,000 goes to where ever they want. |
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At the local level, the UW in my area uses only 15% of donations for infrastructure and the rest goes to their selected causes. It is also up to the local regarding if they give to the Boy Scouts or not. At the national level, that's another story. They also allow you to designate who your funds go to. This is a good improvement. Years ago, around '93-94, the place I worked at would have these huge mandatory campaign meetings, and would have a local charity rep speak, and show a video of local hardship cases and how UW helped them. After the film, there was a Q&A session. A question was asked to one of the speakers about his groups' (forgot who he represented) position on gun control. The guy got all heated up and spouted out stuff like, "all guns should be banned," and "there's no need for anyone to own a gun," or something similar. Many of us started tearing our donation cards in half! The UW chairman quick took over the mic and went into disclaimer mode, saying this individual does not represent the views of the UW. Officially, the UW stays out of the gun control debate, however they are against gun violence (as if anyone condones criminal behavior!) Just take care and do research into the groups your local UW gives money to. I'd never give a cent if I thought it would ever go to gun control! |
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All of us at work quit giving to the United Way when they would'nt support the Boy Scouts. Later they had an area on the form to fill in for one specific group, which we could select an area Boy Scout Council. We divide ours between two local counties. FUCK them IDIFUCKS that are against the Boy Scouts! |
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Hey MoonDog... that 15% cut that your local UW takes is for the Impact Fund. The Impact Fund is something new and is similar to having a fund for a rainy day or whatever the UW thinks. Most local UWs have this now and are using the 15% of all local donations to seed the fund. They still take more than 37% for administrative/overhead. There's another percentage on top of that that goes to national UW HQ for national charities. Roughly about 30% goes to local charities. National regulations state that all targeted donations (ie. donations where the donor names a charity) are used up to the cap that your local UW sets. Thus, if your local UW sets $10k for the Boy Scouts and receives $60k in named donations, then only $10k goes to the boy scouts. The remaining goes to overhead, transfers to national UW, or in some cases gets diverted to another local charity (not likely though). [size=3]Fiscally responsible donors bypass the UW and give directly to the charity.[/size=3] |
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I dumped the UA communists >30 years ago when they tried to convince me I OWED them an hour's gross per week! The more I learn about those parasites the happier I am to have told them to take a hike. DOnate to the charity YOU choose; not to the thieves who suck up 1/2 or more for overhead or NMBLA or whatever. The giver has every right to give where he thinks it serves a good purpose. I just don't think socialists, those who prefer queers to the BSA and untold fat bureaucrats are where I want MY hard earned $$ going. |
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There was a center down here for people that needed help... (i.e, Alcoholism, drug abuse, marital counseling, wife abuser programs, therapy, etc...) And it was a GREAT program. Well apparently one man in the organization became greedy and falsified reports to get more $$$. Well instead of firing this guy or pressing charges, United Way stopped ALL funding and all those people that were getting help, suffer. Thanks UW, I told them that they are to take me off the mailing list and NEVER ask me for a donation.... EVER! |