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How can I be sure that the money I give really helps people who need
it?
How
much of my gift really goes to help people?
What's the advantage
of giving through payroll deduction?
How
much should I give?
What if I feel pressured to give?
Why isn't
Boy Scouts a United Way agency?
Why
should I give to United Way instead of directly to my favorite agency?
We all have special interests, and we would
not ask you to support United Way at the expense of another charitable
organization. But there are some problems here in the Upper Valley
that cannot be solved by a single agency alone. United Way's coordinated
planning and needs assessment programs ensure that your gift will
be used wisely and effectively to meet our area's most critical needs
as a whole.
Why
should I give an undesignated gift instead of choosing a specific
agency?
Many people prefer
not to designate their gifts because they are primarily interested
in helping people in need who often require assistance from more than
a single agency. Undesignated pledges are used to help fund all 69
health and human-care services provided by United Way’s 28 member
agencies here in the Upper Valley. Too many designated gifts, in fact,
can mean that the pool of undesignated money available for all United
Way agencies is smaller than it should be to meet priority needs and
services. Nevertheless, the right to designate your gift is a choice
United Way strongly believes you should have, should you want to exercise
it.
How
can I be sure that the money I give really helps people who need it?
You can rely on United Way’s well-trained volunteers
to ensure that your gift is invested to make the greatest impact.
Allocation amounts are determined by local volunteers, who carefully
consider priority community needs, agency budget requests, performance,
and available funding capabilities. Their recommendations are then
reviewed and approved by United Way’s entire volunteer Board of Directors.
How
much of my gift really goes to help people?
Approximately 85 cents of every dollar donated
to United Way’s annual campaign goes directly to support agency services
and other United Way programs that help people in need. Only about
15 cents helps support administrative and fundraising costs which,
when added together with other non-campaign income, total about 19%
of United Way’s total annual revenues. National charity watchdog organizations,
meanwhile, report that 25 cents per dollar is average for operating
costs, and that up to 40 cents is acceptable. United Way of the Upper
Valley is consistently below the average, making efficient and effective
use of your gifts to the annual campaign.
What’s
the advantage of giving through payroll deduction?
Many people appreciate the convenience of making
an automatic tax-deductible gift through regular
payroll deduction. This allows
them to consider a larger gift, paid over the course of the entire
year, without also experiencing a significant reduction in their take-home
pay.
How
much should I give?
Giving to United Way is a personal matter, and
sometimes it's hard to decide what an appropriate gift is. However,
volunteers often suggest making a gift equal to one hour’s pay per
month. This is simply a guideline because no one can or should tell
you what to give. It should always be a personal choice based on your
abilities and your concern for others. But remember, even a small
gift each month through payroll deduction can make a big difference
to someone in need.
What
if I feel pressured to give?
No one should feel that they must contribute. This defeats the very
idea of voluntary giving, which is the cornerstone on which United
Way is built. We hope, however, that when you know the facts and realize
the importance of United Way agency services in our local communities,
you will decide to support United Way with a gift as generous as your
abilities and concern for others will permit.
Why
isn't Boy Scouts a United Way agency?
Much has been discussed recently about the U.S.
Supreme Court's rulings about the Boy Scouts of America. Several
years ago, however, United Way of the Upper Valley was asked by local
donors to review this same issue. After significant study by
representatives of its United Way member agencies, other area health
and human-care organizations, and Upper Valley citizens at-large,
the United Way's volunteer Board of Directors voted in 1993 to include
sexual orientation (which has since become a protected class under
state law in both New Hampshire and Vermont) to its anti-discrimination
policy. The Board then gave member agencies two years to revise their
own policies in order to comply with this policy and continue their
local United Way membership.
By 1995, all member agencies of the United Way
of the Upper Valley, with the exception of the Green Mountain Council
of the Boy Scouts, had amended their by-laws accordingly. The Boy
Scouts’ application for funding was thus unacceptable, and the agency’s
membership in UWUV ended. Prior to that time Boy Scout chapters in
New Hampshire had also withdrawn their memberships due to a conflict
with other United Way policies, including restrictions on independent
fundraising activities by member agencies.
As a result, area Boy Scout councils no longer
participate in the allocation of undesignated gifts to our local United
Way, which are restricted to member agencies only. Like any non-member
agency, however, they continue to be eligible to receive specific
donor designations made through United Way’s donor choice program.
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