United Way - your response please

[swea_pea1]

I know this is going to sound awful, but.....

After some 15 years in the workforce, I have finally had my fill of being pressured to give to the United Way. I've worked for three different companies in two different states and it's always the same story. 100% participation is mandatory but they don't really advertise that *not giving* is actually participating. We are also pressured to give to the Political Action Committee. Between this "voluntary" (cough) giving, the rise in health care costs, trying to save for my children's education and my retirement, and the poor economy allowing for merit increases that barely beat inflation, I am taking home less and less each pay. At our company, they set a goal for everybody to increase their UW contribution by 14% over last year!!!!! I talked to my brother, in another state, who said he was given the exact same speech, so it must be a UW goal.

Our UW giving is tracked on-line through an employee database, so I know my employer can tell if I've pledged. It's highly frowned upon to pledge nothing, so I went ahead and pledged. Does anybody know whether the UW is actually permitted to inform my employer if I don't fulfill my pledge? I don't want to give this money, feel I am being forced to do so, and would much rather use money I have for charitable giving to my church.

Your opinions/comments are welcome.

 

[CEDmom]

I feel your pain and although I can't say for sure I don't think UA can tell your employer. Someone probably would have sued over that by now since it would constitute harrassment. Luckily my company has an online contribution system so cards don't have to be turned back in. The last few years I've contributed a nominal amount to be taken out of my bonus check. If I don't get a bonus ain't no way I'm giving to charity. DH and I do enough on our own w/o being pressured at work to give.

 

[ducklite]

The company I work for is the same way--they try to get 100% participation. I told my boss a couple of years ago that I wouldn't participate as I choose to give my charitable contributions directly to the charities I wish to support for two reasons.

First, I know where the money is going, and second, by donating directly, there is less overhead and a higher percentage of my donation can be used by the cahrity to serve it's purpose.

The two charities I donate the most heavily to are both entirely staffed by volunteers have NO fundraising overhead, and in one case have less than 1% total overhead--meaning that 99+% of my contribution goes to assist the charities recipients

Anne

 

[CajunDixie]

After United Way stopped supporting Boy Scouts my brother told his employer he wouldnt support United Way anymore. So now his employer lets him donate to Friends of Scouting and matches it up to $100. We have several others in our scout pack and troop that will be telling their employers they will no longer be donating their money to UW since they'd rather the money go to Scouts.

I dont see how your employer could fire you for not "donating" to a charity. Its not any of their concern how you spend your money.....if they are so into United Way then let them send their profits to UW. You could always just donate $.01

 

[luvmarypoppins]

They "encourage" my DH to contribute also yearly. He has a new boss so I dont know what will happen now. If we do give it is usually a one time donation for a flat amount. I know we have the option of designating a specific charity if we want.

Also I might add that I did work for an agency once that received money from the United Way. I only did the office paper work but I know the funds we received were applied to people who could have not otherwise afforded the medical care they received. So I know it went to a good cause.

 

[bclydia]

I really think it would be best to quietly say, I'm sorry. I just don't feel I can commit to that at this time. I would leave it at that. If you really can't then I'm not sure how it works on your side of the border but up here, you used to be able to specify any certified charity and 100% of your donation had to go specifically to that agency. You could direct your donation to your church as a non-profit agency. Alternately, they would allow you to specifically exclude certain agencies from receiving any part of your donation if their goals did not represent something you felt you could support. Good luck!

 

[bsnyder]

I am a big believer in the United Way "system". I think it maximizes the effectiveness of an employee's charitable contributions. Many people want to contribute back to their community, but have no idea which non-profits do a good job with the resources given to them. UW goes through an extensive process of evaluating the agencies that receive funds, to make sure that they are well run, and that they are meeting the important needs in that community.

I worked on two UW campaigns as a "Loaned Executive" where I worked full time on the campaign for 3-5 months, but I was still a paid employee of the company, not the UW.

However, I think contributions should be completely voluntary. I don't think anyone should be pressured to give, even if the company is striving for 100% particiption. And I think it would be incredibly short-sighted to penalize an otherwise good employee for choosing not to contribute.

 

[Pop Daddy]

dont like them, they bully people into giving, there top people make way to much money, and the pay for abortions. I do realize they do good things, but I dont like them

 

[Toby'sFriend]

You could direct your donation to your church as a non-profit agency.

Unfortunately in the United States every United Way that I know of prohibits directing your contribution directly to your Church. However, if your church is involved in the support of other 501(c)(3) organizations, it could be possible to direct the money to them. For instance, our church has a list of 24 Not For Profit charities that it supports and it asks each of it's members to give $1 to each of them each month ($24 a month). Among these are a food bank, a homeless shelter etc etc etc.

I also am not a big United Way fan after working closely with one agency through 3 Campaigns. The allocation process was highly political, their overhead was around 18% -- meaning that for every $1 a person donated...only 82% reached the charity who then also had to cover their own overhead....and yes many of the companies did way too much arm twisting of their employees.

The year I quit giving, I photocopied the checks I wrote to various agencies (YMCA, The Food Bank, The Homeless Shelter etc) and put them on my supervisors desk with a note that I didn't feel comfortable giving to United Way any longer. I never heard another thing about it.

 

[tar heel]

CajunDixie -- The Boy Scouts is still a United Way agency here.

Pop Daddy -- None of our United Way agencies pay for abortions. I guess it's possible that there are agencies elsewhere that do. There often is a misconception that Planned Parenthood is a United Way agency -- it isn't. A home for pregnant mothers is, though.

United Way does a lot of good in our communities b/c many of the charities supported would be unable to raise as much $ on their own. That being said, I think it's day may be ending. In our community, the company whose employees made the largest collective gift (Philip Morris) has pulled out and is doing its own campaign. Bank of America also does the same thing.

 

[Towncrier]

Our family chooses to give all donations to our local church. If the United Way wants my money, they'll have to ask my church for a donation because "I gave at the altar".

 

[Krisu]

I am not with an employer that solicits funds for The United Way. But I thought they let you check off which agencies you wanted your money to go towards? Maybe bsnyder knows the answer?

 

[Disney Ella]

I worked at a hospital about 12 years ago and my office handled the United Way campaign. Every week, we had to give a list to the CEO of the departments and their participation levels. The departments that had not reached 100% participation received a call from the CEO "encouraging" them to reach 100%. Some department heads put in money of their own as a one-time contribution for the employees who did not participate just to avoid the phone calls. Many people complained to me that they did not like being expected and forced to contribute to the United Way.

Undoubtedly the United Way does good things, but why is it necessary to strong arm people into giving? I am another person who believes that giving should be voluntary and personal. Your company should know nothing about how much you give or don't give to charity.