United Way Campaign

Frequently Asked Questions

HOW CAN I GET HELP THROUGH UNITED WAY?

If you or someone you know needs help, call United Way of Allegheny County's HelpLine at (412) 255-1155, or go online at www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org and click on HelpConnections, a database of more than 5,000 health and human service programs in the Pittsburgh region.

WHAT ARE THE MOST CRITICAL NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY? 

We all take great pride that our hometown is a wonderful place to live.  However there are critical needs* that we must address, together as a community, in order to continue making remarkable progress and advancing the common good. 

• Youth settling disputes with guns and children living in fear that they may be hurt in the cross-fire.
• More than 1/3 of all Allegheny County fifth graders can not adequately read – a basic skill needed by the end of 3rd grade when we are expected to use reading skills to learn in other academic areas such as science and social studies.
• In far too many of our high schools, 1 in 2 students drop out.
• Approximately 80% of all care provided to older people in our country is provided by family members.  Here in Allegheny County almost 1 of every 5 citizens is a senior and a growing number of older seniors – those 85 years of age and older – live alone and with a disability.   
• The economic downturn has resulted in dramatic increases in calls to United Way's HelpLine**, people who have never before needed assistance find themselves unable to provide even the basic necessities for themselves and their families.  Requests for utility help are up 60 percent and food pantry referral requests are up 48 percent.

All of us want to see our elders live their later years in dignity.  All of us want our youth and families in our hometown to thrive. 

As we face our problems, we know that we are all in this together. And through United Way’s Impact Fund and Community Initiatives, we all come together to make our hometown a better place to live and work.

* To view the 2006/2007 University of Pittsburgh study commissioned by United Way of Allegheny County that surfaced these critical needs, visit http://www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org/NewsAndEvents.aspx?id=3732.   More than 60 corporate, foundation, agency and community leaders convened to review the results of this study and confirm the focus of United Way’s future work in our community. 

** Comparing Information Requests from January-May 2008 to January–May 2009

WHAT ARE UNITED WAY’S CORE BENEFITS TO ME…AND TO MY EMPLOYER?

As a change agent and community fundraiser, United Way of Allegheny County improves lives by addressing critical community needs.  By convening diverse partners and investing in programs and people to advance solutions, United Way creates long lasting change that prevents problems from happening in the first place.

United Way’s valued-added benefits to you and your employer include:

• One contribution to the United Way can support a multitude of agencies, either through a gift to the Impact Fund or the Community Initiatives, or by designating multiple agencies.
• The convenience and ease of payroll deduction.
• Rather than companies opening their doors to multiple requests from agencies, United Way provides the best way to raise charitable funds in a single workplace appeal.

Our promise to you as an investor in United Way is that we will invest in the efforts that get the greatest results.  We will evaluate and reward results, not just effort, and we will report back to you on your return.  We will govern ourselves at the highest degree of accountability and transparency.  All United Ways are required to have a code of ethics as a condition of membership in United Way International.  And finally, we pledge to remain one of the most efficient non-profit organizations in the country, always striving to put the maximum amount of resources into the work that changes peoples’ lives and community.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT FUND? 

The Impact Fund works like a mutual fund, combining your gift with thousands of others to address critical needs and strengthen our community. To increase the effectiveness of the Impact Fund, a new multi-year competitive funding process was initiated in early 2008. Its goal is to transform the manner of allocating Impact Fund dollars to agencies with the greatest impact on the community’s critical needs. The new process is being phased in over three years to help current United Way partner agencies make the transition as the old system is phased out.

The new competitive funding process will address critical community needs by providing an open opportunity for all human service agencies in Allegheny County to make their case that their programs are the most effective in addressing critical needs and United Way priority outcomes aimed at Helping Teens and Young Adults Succeed and Reducing Risk Factors for Younger Children, Assisting Frail Seniors and Addressing Financial Struggles for Adults and Families.

Each agency program is evaluated on its ability to 1) serve a population with great needs, 2) achieve measurable results, 3) utilize a sound approach and 4) align with United Way’s preferred long-term outcomes and contribute to community change.

With the new competitive funding process, there is a higher level of assurance to United Way donors that their contributions are supporting the best agencies and the best programs that have proven to help those in great need make measurable progress.

View the results of the recent competitive funding process and winners of the RFPs at:
Youth(1st round) http://www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org/NewsAndEvents.aspx?id=4424
Seniors http://10.100.8.113/NewsAndEvents.aspx?id=4460
Financially Struggling Families and 2nd round of Youth http://10.100.8.113/NewsAndEvents.aspx?id=4514

WHY GIVE TO UNITED WAY’S IMPACT FUND? 

United Way’s Impact Fund is the most effective, efficient way to get help – and critical funds – to the people who need it most. The network of United Way-supported programs and services can provide a meal and emergency shelter for a homeless family, refer them to counseling, help the adults find work, and child care services, and eventually help the family get on their feet in a home of their own. When you give to United Way, you help our partner agencies work together to find community solutions for urgent issues that affect us all. Here are three reasons why:

1) When you give to the Impact Fund, you make an impact by:

• Reducing risk factors for younger children
• Helping teens and young adults succeed
• Strengthening financial stability for adults and families
• Helping frail elderly and adults with disabilites stay safely in their homes

2) Volunteers in the community who participate in agency assessments provide a special quality control to make sure your gift is wisely invested. Please note that when a contribution is designated to a non-partner agency, the contribution bypasses the accountability provided by United Way's citizen review process. Your Impact Fund donations work smarter and harder and go to human services:

• Well managed by a professional staff
• Well governed by a volunteer board
• Financially sound
• Demonstrating measurable results for a population with great needs

3) Your Impact Fund investment generates measurable results.  Thanks to the generosity of tens of thousands of donors, United Way’s Impact Fund is transforming our community by:

• Reducing 50% drop-out rates in some of our toughest high schools
• Expanding innovative after-school programs that have successfully increased reading, math and language skills by more than 50% among targeted high school students
• Preventing violence by working with hundreds of vulnerable youth to provide jobs and training in the most at-risk neighborhoods during the most at-risk times of the year
• Building new and better collaborations so that the 1 in 2 aging seniors that live alone in our County enjoy their later years with health, independence and dignity
• Creating partnerships that build financial stability and help access the millions of dollars available to low-income families through earned income tax credits

WHAT ARE UNITED WAY’S COMMUNITY INITIATIVES?

United Way of Allegheny County also addresses issues that were identified as critical to the health of our region by a 2007 University of Pittsburgh study. With the help of community leaders, United Way created three Community Initiatives – Motivating Kids to Succeed in School (http://www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org/AboutUs.aspx?id=4056), Preventing Youth Violence
(http://www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org/AboutUs.aspx?id=4054), and Helping Seniors be Healthy and Safe at Home.

The Community Initiatives impact critical human needs by selecting research-driven programs and high-performing agencies that align with the initiatives. It works like this:

• United Way identifies critical issues and gaps in services/programs
  
• United Way identifies proven models, strategies and best practices that show promise to achieve the targeted outcomes for the critical issues and gaps.
  
• United Way works in partnership with other funders, local officials, health and human services agencies and other providers to replicate the models and implement the strategies and best practices.

Agencies are selected for funding based upon their ability to incorporate the model or best practices into their programs and willingness to participate in a formal evaluation

United Way’s Community Initiatives are supported by direct contributions to the Initiative/s of your choice.

WHY NOT GIVE DIRECTLY TO AGENCIES INSTEAD

United Way can efficiently raise funds for partner agencies often for a lower cost, freeing up their resources to do what they do best – help people. United Way significantly reduces fundraising and administrative costs for a wide variety of health and human services agencies by serving as the fundraiser, the processor, and the distributor of community generated funds. In fact, each month, United Way processes 40,000 donations for more than 3,800 agency programs.

Also, partner agencies can leverage United Way funds to receive grant money from other potential funding sources.

WHY AREN’T ALL AGENCIES AFFILIATED WITH UNITED WAY?

Any qualified local health and human service nonprofit can apply for funding through the competitive process. However, some agencies do not meet United Way standards or are not selected, while others follow national policies that require they operate independently. Thousands of agencies not directly affiliated with United Way are eligible to receive financial support through United Way from contributors who designate their gifts. Therefore, United Way's campaign is open to all qualifying nonprofits that provide health and human services.

WHO DECIDES HOW MUCH MONEY IMPACT FUND AGENCIES WILL RECEIVE?

United Way senior staff works together with business and community volunteers who are knowledgeable about local needs, to determine how much money each agency receives. Each agency program is evaluated on its ability to 1) serve a population with great needs, 2) achieve measurable results, 3) utilize a sound approach and 4) align with United Way’s preferred long-term outcomes.

WHAT IS UNITED WAY’S OVERHEAD?

Just like any business, there is a cost associated with the provision of quality services. However, United Way works responsibly in order to maximize the value of our donors' investments in the community. Since 2002, United Way has reduced its overhead expenses (related to fundraising and associated management costs) by over 42%. Currently United Way’s overhead is 12%, one third of the national recommended standard of 35% cited by the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (www.give.org).* United Way of Allegheny County’s fee is equivalent to its overhead; 88 cents of every one dollar goes to those in need.

*The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance states that no more than 35% of any donation be spent on fundraising.  United Way of Allegheny County’s overhead expenses (related to fundraising and associated management costs) represent approximately 12% of its overhead.

WHO PAYS FOR THE CAMPAIGN EVENTS?

No contributions are used to pay for campaign events. The costs are covered by:

• Guests who pay their own way or are sponsored by their employers
• Corporate or individual sponsor(s)
• A combination of the above

WHO OVERSEES OUR LOCAL UNITED WAY?

Each of the 1,400 local United Ways in the U.S. has its own volunteer Board of Directors which reviews local needs, as well as oversees fund raising practices, fund distribution to nonprofit organizations, and overall management. The Board has an Executive Committee – in addition to Administration & Finance, Impact Cabinet, Audit, Governance, and other committees – which regularly issue reports and recommendations to the full board.

WHO MONITORS THE MONEY UNITED WAY RAISES?

United Way strictly adheres to the stringent standards of accounting and financial reporting which govern the fiscal affairs of voluntary health and human service organizations. Each year, an independent public accounting firm performs a financial audit. In addition, a volunteer committee comprised of local business leaders monitors the finances of United Way. This subcommittee of the Board of Directors reports to the full board regularly.

DOES MY GIFT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Every dollar makes a difference in two important ways. First, a gift of just $2 a pay provides the college application fee for a teen whose family cannot afford the cost and $3 a pay helps one family avoid mortgage foreclosure, helping the family retain stability. As you can see, every gift – no matter the size – makes a difference.

Secondly, when your gift to the United Way Impact Fund combines with thousands of other contributions, the money is leveraged to have an even greater impact on health and human service needs in our region.

I NEVER USE AGENCY SERVICES, WHY SHOULD I GIVE?

Your continued financial and volunteer support assures help is there for someone who needs it now or in the future. While you or your family may not need services immediately, you or someone you care about may need assistance later from United Way-supported programs or services. The strength of a community is directly influenced by the health and well-being of all of its residents. Every day, United Way-supported programs and services help people with great needs deal with many health and human service problems.

I FEEL LIKE I’M BEING PRESSURED TO GIVE.

United Way believes giving is a personal decision and encourages companies to adopt the same philosophy. Whether or not an individual chooses to contribute and how much to give is entirely up to the individual. No form of forced giving is acceptable. United Way will refund any contribution to an individual if he or she believes they were forced to give. Pressure can be perceived and interpreted differently by many people. Some feel pressured simply by being asked to give. However, because the needs of the community are so great, it is important to ask.

WHY DOESN’T UNITED WAY TAKE MORE OF A PUBLIC STAND ON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES?

United Way is founded on and pursues the principle of respect for the diversity which exists in our community and the rights and dignity of the people who seek and use the services which are legally available to them. United Way provides a neutral ground for people of diverse interests and beliefs to join together for the greater good of our community. United Way also supports as broad a group of nonprofits as is possible with limited dollars, and advocates for improved public policies in response to what volunteers and contributors consider to be priority community needs.