I used to hate United Way

As long as I've been in the work force (19 years) I've been *cursed* by the United Way workplace campaign. Employees, like me, were encouraged to give a percentage or amount out of our paychecks to the local United Way. At some workplaces it was pretty much demanded you give, at other places, they didn't seem to care what you did. No matter what, I hated the entire process. I never felt right giving up my money to an organization I knew nothing about.

Until I became employed with United Way of Champaign County. Now I struggle to succintly explain to anyone who will listen all the amazing work being accomplished at United Way of Champaign County. Yes, United Way has a huge fundraising arm. But this is just one component of it's mission. It only makes sense to donate to United Way because it provides one central place for people to invest in their community programs. For those charities that don't have the staff and resources to solicit for money, United Way is their one major resource to sustain operations.

Beyond funding various programs run by various charities, United Way of Champaign County was a vital organization to residents in 2005. It was the leader in organizing the Katrina Evacuee station at the Bus Terminal. It was the leader in organizing the relocation and expansion of Frances Nelson Health Center - the communitie's health care center for the underinsured and uninsured. It was the leader is surveying all Kindergarten teachers asking what trends they saw going on in the lives of their students. This survey revealed our 3 and 4 year olds are missing the social and emotional support needed to succeed in a classroom setting. Through this research, United Way developed a 12-month calendar that gives specific and fun ideas on how parents and families can prepare their children the year before they enter Kindergarten.

And these are just a fraction of the wonderful outcomes our United Way of Champaign County has done.

If you feel forced to give to United Way, I hope you feel better knowing your money really does help make your community better.

If you don't give to United Way, I hope you will reconsider. Your donation helps a lot of different people in a lot of different ways and is a wise investment to help a lot of people at once.

You can give to United Way by calling 217-352-5151 or download and fax a pledge form at http://www.uwayhelps.org .

united way is the devil!

Let me preface by stating I'm a very generous and charitable person. I have my favorite places to donate, and I keep an eye out for local people in need and help where and when I can.
Sure, the United Way organization may do some good work. Let me ask this: who do you think you are, as a representative of this company, trying to guilt people into giving up their money for causes the United Way decides?
Why does the United Way have a monopoly in so many big money US companies? Could it be because executivies in those companies are encouraged (read: rewarded) to join the United Way, then influence their companies to guilt employees into giving to that fund? Ever hear of conflict of interests?
Do you believe people are so stupid they don't know where to give money if they feel charitable?
Let's "adopt" a family for christmas, and buy them presents so they can feel good about themselves. Maybe if I had more money left from working all week I might give. Or I'd buy myself something nice for xmas. Instead, money is stolen from me by the government, which is in turn redirected to "the less fortunate" who are determined by the government. If my neighbor's house burns down, so sorry, can't help; I lost $200 this pay period so my money could be spent helping people in Louisana get plastic surgery after the hurricane.

here's a thought: stop telling people to give up their money. Suggest a list, if they are looking for needy charities, and leave it at that. Believe me, there are plenty of worthy organizations to help out without going through a company modeled after the centralized government taking local money and filtering it to places some stranger deems worthy.

Oh, and get the hell out of my workplace. I was born with a brain, and I'll decide where to spend my hard-earned money.

I'd like to see a lot more debate on this across the web by people who resent this shady partnership between employers and the United Way.

i hate united way and my stupid so called "boss"

I resent ANY strong-armed method of separating me from what I have worked hard to earn. If I choose to help others [as I choose to do FAR TOO frequently for my own good], then that's MY affair. As it is, ONE QUARTER of my earnings are STOLEN from me before I even receive my paycheck. This theft is committed by government. They have bigger weapons than I do, so I must submit to this armed robbery. I am furthermore FORCED to belong to a union. After that bit of extortion, I simply REFUSE to be strong-armed by the United Way on top of it.

I understand the drive of the United Way and I appreciate the idea of placing a number of different charities under a single umbrella so that we are sure of funding all of them to a greater or lesser extent.

I find it disingenuous, however, to say that if I pledge a certain amount to an organization, that they will not be penalized for that. They are. United Way determines the amount given to each organization. If something is specifically donated to that organization through UW, it is a part of the overall dispensation. It ends up giving other organizations more. This cannot be disputed. Records from U-C's public records show so. When large contributions come in for one charity, others end up with more money.

For those who would give openly to UW, please understand that they openly give to Planned Parenthood, an organization that, while not openly advocating abortion, does allow its patrons to see it as a primary option to birth, even though there are wonderful people (like my family) that seek to find children in need to adopt.

If UW would expend the same (or more?) effort on adoption that they do on helping PlannedParenthood, we might see a better outcome.

To the thread creator, I ask you to respond. It would be a learning opportunity for me. I am not wholly anti-abortion. I just think that we are making it WAY to easy. These (potential?) children are our future, after all.

Peace.

I work for a agency that is funded by the United way, and it is so sad. I am poorly paid and unappreciated. The United Way does not care about their employees or the employees of the programs they fund. They do all this fundraising for the right cause but does nothing to help the workers who are doing the real leg work, helping people, yet they take all the credit when its over. The United Way helped millions of people ha, I helped millions of people and will never be recognized for it!!!!!!!!!!

Daisy wrote:

I helped millions of people and will never be recognized for it!!!!!!!!!!

If you helped millions of people, good for you, although you are a superwoman if that is the case. If you are looking for recognition for doing it, you are in the wrong business or doing it for the wrong reason.

Peace.

I have heard many bad things about the United Way over the years and when I personally saw how they worked in relation to payroll campaigns I knew everything I had ever heard was true.

If you should feel good about giving to the United Way, then you should also feel good about being mugged or making "protection" payments to the mafia.

Tim wrote:

I have heard many bad things about the United Way over the years and when I personally saw how they worked in relation to payroll campaigns I knew everything I had ever heard was true.
If you should feel good about giving to the United Way, then you should also feel good about being mugged or making "protection" payments to the mafia.

Well, "Tim," I'm confused. You "personally" saw things that the UW did that would cause you to equate their operation with "being mugged" or "making 'protection' payments to the mafia." Back that up.

You are making claims without basis. What did YOU personally see? I am truly interested, as I have donated to some of the causes that the United Way contributes to. Should I now be concerned that I am contributing to an organization that is working against me?

Please inform me with your knowledge of these things.

Peace.

There are several charities I give to - United Way is not one of them. I cannot stand the strong arm tactics used in their workplace campaigne. At my place of employment, we are given forms all ready affixed with a computerized label of our employee information and we are REQUIRED to fill it out and turn it in. NOWHERE on the form is a place to decline support. I asked my supervisor where to mark a decline in support and was then asked if she could educate me about the United Way - certainly if I was educated I would want to give. I had to write on the form myself that I did not wish to contribute to the campaigne. I have spoken with other people in other places of employment and many of them feel they are GUILTED into giving. As I have said, I do give, but when I do, it is from the heart and not because I have been strong armed or guilted into it.

April wrote:

There are several charities I give to - United Way is not one of them. I cannot stand the strong arm tactics used in their workplace campaigne. At my place of employment, we are given forms all ready affixed with a computerized label of our employee information and we are REQUIRED to fill it out and turn it in. NOWHERE on the form is a place to decline support. I asked my supervisor where to mark a decline in support and was then asked if she could educate me about the United Way - certainly if I was educated I would want to give. I had to write on the form myself that I did not wish to contribute to the campaigne. I have spoken with other people in other places of employment and many of them feel they are GUILTED into giving. As I have said, I do give, but when I do, it is from the heart and not because I have been strong armed or guilted into it.

i found all of the above comments very interesting. i do not give to United Way, nor do i work for a company that supports it. However, i always thought that if i had the money to give to charity or to doing good deeds, i would want to chose to whom i donated. when i can, i donate to the Childrens Hospital, which will give free care to children in need and to our educational television. i have also donated my time for raising money for these places. however, i have plenty of giving and sharing opportunities in my church, family and neighborhood, so it is not often that i can give to my "favorite charities". if more people would look after their own, we would have less need for these organized charities, which nine times out of ten are actually big businesses.
as for the lady who used to resent giving to United Way and now works for them...i noticed she did not complain of being underpaid,(as the person who works for one of the charities that United Way now supports did) but i have to laugh at her a bit (the UW employee)...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!!

Look at all the high-ranking UW employees who were prosecuted for crimes. The Chicago outfit figured out this racket long before the UW existed - charity up front while engaged in illegal activity behind the scene. Can we say RICO?

I agree the United Way "fund raising" drive is extortion. This person must be trying to get a raise.

I earn my paycheck by working undesirable hours, as I am on the operations staff of a 24/7 private business. No government pension, benefits or protection from arbitrary management action. My retirement will be what’s left of social security and the employee only 401K. For those with cushy government jobs, many retire in their 50s. If I do so, health care is a nightmare of terms such as uninsurable, pre existing conditions and adverse selection. Then the stock market can take a dump, and back to work I go.
I see the strong arm tactics as wanting the money I earned working a split turnaround weekend shift. I get that effen’ crap from the UW, and I have to sign it with ’no give’ written in by me.
Many years ago, my boy scout troop in Rantoul asked the UW for some of that money they holler goes to the boy scouts…no, that money goes to the council, arrowhead at the time. Administraters skimming hard earned money for administrators.

The UW is an unnecessary middle man. It takes your money, TAKES THEIR CUT (yes, this is how they make money), and splits it up (at the UW's discretion of course).

If you want to give to a charity, give it to a charity directly so that 100% of it goes to them.

The UW may have served a purpose in the past when giving to charities was not easy to donate to. But we now live in an online world, and every charity worth its salt has a website and a big DONATE button.

I was working for a company that would take out for United Way every other paycheck. I did not authorize it and a little pissed. Now dont get me wrong I see that the United Way is a good cause and I would give a contribution but the fact was my boss withheld from my paycheck without asking.

see what steve said is what I would have done, but it was removed from my concent. I didnt say anything while working there becasue I was afraid of being fired. It was a daycare facility. Can I get that money back from the daycare or is there something I can do?

I hate the united way campaigns at work, they always say if you do not want to give you do not have to, but they force us to listen to a sob story to a guy wearing an Armani suit, and never give us the option for no. Its always Give now or give later, I just want to tell this company no. United Way is one of the last companies I would ever give to, I prefer to see how my money is going to be spent by an organization before I dump thousands of dollars into it.