Most of my support goes to the local animal shelter. I know that all of my money goes to help the dogs and even a cat or two. Besides, I like dogs better than I do most people!
United Way Steps In It.
- Thread starter Cyrano
- Start date
DWalt
Member
UW is not in and of itself a charity, but a conduit for contributions to a multitude of charities. At one time, there were a few pro-gun charities on the list in my area and I would always specify that my contributions went only to them. Whether there are any such pro-gun charities remaining or if donors can still specify specific charities in UW I have no idea. It has been over 10 years since I have been involved in anything involving UW and things may have changed a lot since then.
UW may do some good but not on my money as some of their efforts, I don't agree with or at least not wanting to help fund. Since I'm on medical leave at work from back surgery and the wife is undergoing the chemo/radiation/surgeries bit, my finances currently aren't where I'm able to donate anyway but if they were, I'd give directly to the organization of my choice. I don't need some fat cat middleman dispersing my money. Especially at the rate of pay they give themselves.
You can designate your contribution go to any 501C charity you want. UW takes a very small percentage (3% IIRC) as an administrative fee. My employer matches our contributions and covers the administrative cost percentage so every dime designated to a specific charity goes to that charity.
I designate my contribution to go a couple of specific charities and get a statement from them every year showing that all of what I sent to them got to them. I participate in UW because my employer's partial match increases the funds going to ALL of the UW charities. I don't agree with all of the organizations they support, but the vast majority of them are worthwhile organizations that do a lot of good.
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Don't get me started on United Way...
Ever hear of William Aramony? He was enough reason for me to stop giving to UW even if they didn't support planned parenthood. A couple of former employers used to have the yearly coercion fund drive and I would print out several copies of the Miami Herald newspaper article about him and place them at strategic locations about the workplace.
Ever hear of William Aramony? He was enough reason for me to stop giving to UW even if they didn't support planned parenthood. A couple of former employers used to have the yearly coercion fund drive and I would print out several copies of the Miami Herald newspaper article about him and place them at strategic locations about the workplace.
Longhorn1986
Member
United Way sets a budget for each individual charity. They will tell you that "Oh you can give through us to a specific charity or cause". What they don't tell you is that they will reduce the amount allocated out of their general funding to that specific charity and give more across the board to other organizations, including those that you may be vehemently against. I was the Manager of Budgeting & Forecasting for a charity that dealt with UW. I know how they work.
If you don't think that the individuals who run UW have a serious agenda, even at the local level , I'd like to trade you a slightly used Lorcin .380 for a S&W Model 3!
If you don't think that the individuals who run UW have a serious agenda, even at the local level , I'd like to trade you a slightly used Lorcin .380 for a S&W Model 3!
Longhorn1986
Member
Back in the 1980s, I worked at a bank that was having its annual United Way beg-a-thon drive. Some woman from one of the agencies came out and begged and pleaded how wonderful UW was and how we should open our wallets and give. That evening I got home, flipped on the TV and saw the same woman on the local news telling us all what a P.O.S. President Reagan was and how he was an evil, greedy man who needed to be stopped. 
My understanding always was that they made a pledge for the company and that they would have to pay the difference if the employees didn't meet the goal. They wanted to look good to the community but wanted the employees to foot the bill!
DWalt
Member
The several jobs I have held with employers who participated in UW did not involve any coercive tactics to get contributions. There was generally some pep talk at the start of the UW campaign about why employees should donate to good causes through UW, but I was unaware of any attempts to force everyone to contribute.
loknload,
Ah ha!
Makes sense, but I won't pay the bill for anyone or any employer who makes pledges and expects me to make their pledge come true.
DWalt,
Sounds like you work for good people, however I don't want or need an employer to tell what to do with my money.
As it is, for the past 15 years my immediate family and my Grandchildren have had many financial problems and I contribute much money to them. This way I KNOW where my hard earned dollars go and what good they do.
Why should I contribute to others I don't know or if that money is truly going to help the needy and not some fat cat honcho working for the so-called charity.
Ah ha!
Makes sense, but I won't pay the bill for anyone or any employer who makes pledges and expects me to make their pledge come true.
DWalt,
Sounds like you work for good people, however I don't want or need an employer to tell what to do with my money.
As it is, for the past 15 years my immediate family and my Grandchildren have had many financial problems and I contribute much money to them. This way I KNOW where my hard earned dollars go and what good they do.
Why should I contribute to others I don't know or if that money is truly going to help the needy and not some fat cat honcho working for the so-called charity.
I remember in one of my early careers the company I worked for had a morning coffee sessions with the UW people with the President owner of the company present. Now this one morning I was late to the meeting (it was set pre start time) due to the fact that I was on night call the night before, I believe I was out something to like 3-4 in the morning! It didn't matter, I still caught royal hades! for not being there! It didn't matter that I was one of the higher contributors in our shop,didn't count that I always donated to the local burn foundation since I was a firefighter and that was something I believed in!
Needless to say I didn't give UW that year and made my own direct donation to the BF! I wasn't on the top of any favored lists that year! They never knew I donated directly though!
I never gave through them again and shortly left that company for greener pastures!
Needless to say I didn't give UW that year and made my own direct donation to the BF! I wasn't on the top of any favored lists that year! They never knew I donated directly though!
I never gave through them again and shortly left that company for greener pastures!
I've often wondered about that too. Maybe there's some sort of a kick back program for managers that reach 100% participation. Both of the employers I mentioned in my earlier post were high profile Fortune 500 companies that would give great free advertising for UW by proclaiming "insert company name here" "LIVES UNITED" on marquees all over to show their support and subsequently entice other companies to "LIVE UNITED"
dieselbeef
Member
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I quit giving when I found out the local chapter prez in Manatee county made almost 150k a yr
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
ever see the home in which the president of the Red Cross resides? Bigger/better than the U.S. Vice Pres home
Is it true that Red Cross charges for blood which they get for free?
Is it true that Red Cross LOANS disaster money out which they get for free?
Is it true that Red Cross charges for blood which they get for free?
Is it true that Red Cross LOANS disaster money out which they get for free?
I quit going along with "mandatory voluntary" donations after Army basic, where there were tables at the end of the pay line for "voluntary" donations to the Red Cross. Failure to donate could result somehow info extra KP or intensive individual training on terranean field-improvised fortification excavation.
In the military and, I suspect, in civilian corporations, there is a strong element of higher command influence.
I must admit to a bit more FTA attitude than the usual RA grunt. In one unit, we acquired a colonel who was a fanatic about getting everybody to church call, and he would have the CQ wake everybody up in plenty of time to be all bright and shiny-balls to be marched off to the chapel of "choice." Sunday being the only morning we had off duty, and not being an active practitioner of organized religion, I was neither delighted nor enlightened by the process.
After a quick trip down to central post records, the next Sunday at 0-too-early when the CQ made his rounds I handed him my dogtags and told him that if there was any more of this church call ****, I would set myself on fire in front of the orderly room. That was 1965, and I still have the dogtags reading "zen Buddhist". (The guy running the dogtag printer at central post--Murphy or O'Reilly or some such== had grinned at me and asked, "Why change? All these Protestant religions are alike, aren't they?"
In the military and, I suspect, in civilian corporations, there is a strong element of higher command influence.
I must admit to a bit more FTA attitude than the usual RA grunt. In one unit, we acquired a colonel who was a fanatic about getting everybody to church call, and he would have the CQ wake everybody up in plenty of time to be all bright and shiny-balls to be marched off to the chapel of "choice." Sunday being the only morning we had off duty, and not being an active practitioner of organized religion, I was neither delighted nor enlightened by the process.
After a quick trip down to central post records, the next Sunday at 0-too-early when the CQ made his rounds I handed him my dogtags and told him that if there was any more of this church call ****, I would set myself on fire in front of the orderly room. That was 1965, and I still have the dogtags reading "zen Buddhist". (The guy running the dogtag printer at central post--Murphy or O'Reilly or some such== had grinned at me and asked, "Why change? All these Protestant religions are alike, aren't they?"
franzas
Member
UW is a bad joke. I won't say any more due to the forum rules, but y'all can probably guess.
FWIW, Of the major charitable organizations, United Way is ranked pretty highly. Here are their financial stats
Financial Performance Metrics
Program Expenses
(Percent of the charity's total expenses spent on the programs
and services it delivers) 91.0%
Administrative Expenses 6.2%
Fundraising Expenses 2.7%
Fundraising Efficiency $0.04
Working Capital Ratio (years) 0.39
Program Expenses Growth -3.3%
Liabilities to Assets 49.1%
Compared to Red Cross - pretty darned comparable. In fact the percentage of funds that make it to the actual programs is 1/2 of a percentage point higher than the Red Cross.
Financial Performance Metrics
Program Expenses
(Percent of the charity's total expenses spent on the programs
and services it delivers) 90.5%
Administrative Expenses 3.8%
Fundraising Expenses 5.5%
Fundraising Efficiency $0.20
Working Capital Ratio (years) 0.36
Program Expenses Growth -4.4%
Liabilities to Assets 48.2%
FWIW, I really don't care what they were doing in 1992. That's before I started contributing. As long as my contribution goes 100% to the organizations I want to receive them, and my contribution causes my company to kick in some as a match, then I'm good with it. There are a LOT of good organizations supported by United Way IMO.
Is it THE best and most efficient charity out there? Nope. But it is one that does a lot of good and one that my employer will contribute to as a partial "match" to my giving. So that multiplies the benefit of my contribution. There is no pressure to contribute where I work, but they do bring in people from agencies to raise employee's awareness, and that gets some folks who otherwise might not contribute anything to kick in at least a little. The fact that it can be deducted from our paycheck, making it easy, also encourages a lot of people to contribute who otherwise might not even think of doing it.
Besides, what I give through United Way is less than 10% of my total charitable giving each year. Not a big deal at all. But that's just me and my opinion.
Financial Performance Metrics
Program Expenses
(Percent of the charity's total expenses spent on the programs
and services it delivers) 91.0%
Administrative Expenses 6.2%
Fundraising Expenses 2.7%
Fundraising Efficiency $0.04
Working Capital Ratio (years) 0.39
Program Expenses Growth -3.3%
Liabilities to Assets 49.1%
Compared to Red Cross - pretty darned comparable. In fact the percentage of funds that make it to the actual programs is 1/2 of a percentage point higher than the Red Cross.
Financial Performance Metrics
Program Expenses
(Percent of the charity's total expenses spent on the programs
and services it delivers) 90.5%
Administrative Expenses 3.8%
Fundraising Expenses 5.5%
Fundraising Efficiency $0.20
Working Capital Ratio (years) 0.36
Program Expenses Growth -4.4%
Liabilities to Assets 48.2%
FWIW, I really don't care what they were doing in 1992. That's before I started contributing. As long as my contribution goes 100% to the organizations I want to receive them, and my contribution causes my company to kick in some as a match, then I'm good with it. There are a LOT of good organizations supported by United Way IMO.
Is it THE best and most efficient charity out there? Nope. But it is one that does a lot of good and one that my employer will contribute to as a partial "match" to my giving. So that multiplies the benefit of my contribution. There is no pressure to contribute where I work, but they do bring in people from agencies to raise employee's awareness, and that gets some folks who otherwise might not contribute anything to kick in at least a little. The fact that it can be deducted from our paycheck, making it easy, also encourages a lot of people to contribute who otherwise might not even think of doing it.
Besides, what I give through United Way is less than 10% of my total charitable giving each year. Not a big deal at all. But that's just me and my opinion.
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They charge for the aid they give. Donuts, coffee, blankets, etc. have to be paid for.
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