I worked for an organization where the Human Resources Manager was also the chairman for the county too. He was very key on making sure that everyone in the company would donate. When I first joined, I wasn't going donate anything because I was also kind of ticked off over the Boy Scouts (my group was forced to shut down over cash problems) and I had just gotten out of college and I was in debt over my head. Well, the end of the week approached and my boss asked me where my form was. I told him I wasn't going to participate. I was then pulled into his office and told that if I didn't, I would not recieve the usual pay increase for that year. Seems as if your raise was very closely associated with your donations to the United Way since the HR Manager always had last signoff on all the raises and could adjust them to his liking or they would just magically disappear sometimes. I really didn't believe it at first till I was presented with some evidence that backed it up, namely a former employee's review sheet where for 4 years, his raises were downgraded significantly from what his boss had approved by no other that the HR manager.
From that day till I left, I donated under protest. Funny, we never had any of the fund drives there, it was "expected". Since then I have refused politly every time it comes around.
I don't even go to the drives when they are around. I can't be bribed by punch and cookies.