Well, after reading information on the Free Republic from some of my far more learned colleagues, I decided to look up information on the United Way myself. As everyone probably knows, I never express a political opinion outright. However, when I was young I worked at an establishment who REQUIRED you to sign up for the United Way BEFORE you were employed. So I have a vested interest in this discussion.
Getting information about donors and the programs sponsored by the United Way is like pulling teeth. The Headquarters of the United Way state that they have over 14,000 chapters throughout the country and that they DO NOT tell their chapters what charities they may fund. (Except that they must abide by the law) They cloak their policies in high-sounding rhetoric like “non discrimination” and open for all. However, when they passed the anti discrimination regulation they opened the door to just what they oppose. Discrimination.
Under the guise of anti discrimination many of their chapters have started to exclude some of our most patriotic organizations such as the Boy Scouts. And what is more insidious is that once this door is open it will give the more liberal groups, such as the gay and lesbian organizations legal standing to protest against any chapter of the United Way that still has the balls to support the Scouts. (This has already began) A true investigation into the United Way would take months because it would entail checking the funding list for every United Way Chapter in the United States. However by looking at a few you can begin to see a pattern develop. This is a list of the organizations that have already withdrawn support of the Boy Scouts.
LOCAL UNITED WAY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE WITHDRAWN SUPPORT FOR THE BOY SCOUTS ARIZONA•United Way of TucsonCALIFORNIA•United Way of the Bay Area•United Way of Santa Cruz County•United Way Silicon Valley•United Way of Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake Counties•United Way of Ventura County•United Way of California Capitol RegionCOLORADO•United Way of the Fort CollinsCONNECTICUT•Guilford Community Chest•United Way of Darien•United Way of Eatern Fairfield County•United Way of Greater New Haven•United Way of Norwalk-Wilton•United Way of Northern Fairfield County•United Way of Stamford•United Way of Westport-WestonFLORIDA•United Way of Broward County•United Way of Dade County•United Way of Palm Beach County•Heart of Florida United Way•Community Chest/United Way of Palm BeachILLINOIS•United Way of Evanston•United Way of Knox County•United Way of Lake CountyINDIANA•United Way of Monroe CountyMAINE•United Way of Greater PortlandMASSACHUSETTS•Northern Berkshire United Way•United Way of Greater Fall River•United Way of Greater Hampshire County•United Way of Massachusetts Bay•United Way of Central Massachusetts•United Way of Southeastern New England(covers several states) MICHIGAN•United Way of Allegan County•United Way of Washtenaw CountyNEW HAMPSHIRE•Monadnock United WayNEW JERSEY•United Way of Essex/West Hudson•United Way of Morris County•United Way of Salem•United Way of Cumberland County•United Way of Somerset CountyNEW MEXICO•United Way of Santa Fe CountyNEW YORK•Westchester-Putnam County United WayOHIO•United Way of Greater ClevelandOREGON•United Way of Benton CountyPENNSYLVANIA•United Way of Chester County•United Way of Southeastern PennsylvaniaRHODE ISLAND•United Way of Southeastern New EnglandWASHINGTON•United Way of King County•United Way of Whatcom CountyWISCONSIN•United Way Fox Cities•United Way of Dunn County•Oshkosh Area United Way Part 2 LOCAL UNITED WAY ORGANIZATIONS THAT APPEAR TO BE IN THE PROCESS OF WITHDRAWING SUPPORT FOR THE BOY SCOUTS CALIFORNIA•United Way of Santa Barbara•United Way of San Luis ObisboDELAWARE•United Way of DelawareFLORIDA•United Way of Alachua CountyIOWA•United Way of Johnson CountyNEW YORK•United Way of Thompkins County NORTH CAROLINA•Triangle United WayOREGON•United Way of Jackson County•Columbia-Willamette United WayWASHINGTON•United Way of Clallam County•United Way of Pierce County•United Way of Snohomish County•United Way of Thurston CountyWISCONSIN•United Way of Brown County•United Way of Kenosha County•United Way of Racine
(Scouting Legal Defense Fund)
And this is a surprise at least to me.
“The Oregon Council on Firearm Rights is asking you to make your charitable donations to local organizations other than the United Way in protest of United Way of America soliciting funds for the Brady Center. The Brady Center, an organization that would remove yours and every Americans civil right to armed self defense.” (Oregon Council on Firearms Rights) Here is a list of the University of Chicago Campaign for the United Way selected last year:
AIDS Foundation of Chicago American Cancer Society American Civil Liberties Union American Diabetes Association American Friends Service Committee American Heart Association American Indian College Fund American Lung Association American Red Cross Amnesty International Anti-Cruelty Society Aunt Martha's Youth Services Big Buddies Youth Services Blue Gargoyle Boy Scouts of America Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago Brent House Canine Companions for Independence Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese Center to Prevent Handgun Violence Chapin Hall Center for Children Chicago Abused Women Coalition Chicago Child Care Society Chicago Children's Choir Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Chicago Urban League Deborah's Place Disabled Veterans of America Doctors Without Borders Furry Friends Foundation Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. Greater Chicago Food Depository Greenpeace USA Habitat for Humanity Howard Brown Memorial Clinic Hyde Park Neighborhood Club Hyde Park/Kenwood Interfaith Council Hyde Park/Kenwood Soup Kitchen Jewish United Fund Kids in Danger Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly Little City M.A.D.D. Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Misericordia Home National Kidney Foundation of Illinois Newberger Hillel Foundation Oxfam International America Planned Parenthood Ronald McDonald House Salvation Army Scholars at Risk St. Jude Children's Research St. Martin De Porres House of Hope St. Thomas the Apostle Church St. Vincent DePaul The Nature Conservancy Treehouse Animal Foundation Trees for the Future United Negro College Fund (University of Chicago campaign for the United Way)
As you can see there are some highly respected and honorable organizations listed here. There are also many that I would NOT support. CONCLUSION
As many of you have already said it appears that the ONLY was to insure your money is reaching the charity you really wish to give to, is by giving directly. I do not know if the United Way has a hidden liberal and/or cultural agenda but I do know that they support the YMCA who is now headed by an avowed lesbian. It also appears that support of anti gun ownership is slipping into the United Way mainstream.
As more and more people are taught, convinced, bribed or coerced into believing that the gay and lesbian lifestyle is mainstream, more and more legitimate charities that disagree will suffer. The time to put a stop to this is now.
I agree. Boycott the United Way.
Steve Newton http://steven.newton1.home.att.net/ stevenewton69@hotmail.com
Maybe Ellen deGenerate in her mood of giving can call the other members of queer central to layoff the Boy Scouts.
I've stopped giving to them too. While it is true that they help out in a lot of positive ways, they also permit funding of Amnesty International, the NAACP, ASPCA, and the ACLU....Why would I donate $1 to the United Way, only to see 50 cents of it go to something I support and the 50 cents go to some liberal group when I can donate to some local charity where I know the entire $1 will go to a good cause?
Yep. Too easy to give diretly to the organization you want to these days, especially with google searches and all.
I've never understood why someone would give to the United Way when they can give directly to the charity they support. Unless, of course, their boss made it a condition of employment...in which case, specifying which charity your money goes to is an option.
When my wife and I were younger we had two choices: give to the United Fund, or get fired. Since that era has passed we have not given one penny to the United Fund. They say you can designate who gets your contribution, but that is a dodge, because the recipient organizations get a budgeted amount, and individual designations make not a whit of difference.
Thanks for the work and for the post.
Several decades ago I worked for a bank that basically forced employees to give money to United Way every year. Man, I wish there was some way I could get that money back. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.
Not only do I refuse to contribute to UW, but I'm pleased to say that my employer won't even allow the UW rep into the workplace to present his propaganda. My policy and advice is that people should give directly to the charities of their choice, or to none at all if that's their inclination.
There's another thing you might want to check into, to find out if they're still doing it - the "designated contribution" trick. They supposedly let you pick one charity to get your whole contribution. As a guy in my office found out, what they don't tell you is that they deduct the amount of your contribution from the funds that charity would be allocated, based on a formula for contributions by people who don't designate a specific charity. So the charity you designate doesn't get a dollar more than they would get anyway. Nasty stuff...
The united way, at least last I checked was giving money to People for the ethical treatment of animals. The same peta that is funding the criminal defense of a domestic terrorist with ELF (Earth liberation front)
There is a animal rights organization in california that solicits money for their cause out of one door and runs a law office that specializes in class action lawsuits out of the other. They have also received money from the united way.
Many of these "charities are incestuous. People sitting on the board of one charity will give money to another charity having many of the same board members. One charity might sound "reasonable", but you have no choice about sponsoring the other. the board members usually get paid at both charities.
If you gave money to the victims of 9-11 there's a good chance that some of your money wound up in the pockets of a charity like handgun control inc.
You wonder how these aging actors/actresses slash activists still live the high life even after 15 years without a money making movie and no job to speak of? So do I I havn't found much of a link yet, but I will.
This was about 15 years ago when I worked at a hospital. Once you signed up to give your "fair share" (I think one hour's pay per pay period), then every year we received a memo that read: "we assume you wish to continue contributing your fair share...." with no place to check yes or no. You had to actually go down to Human Resources and tell them that you no longer wished to contribute. They only gave new contribution forms to employees who did not contribute or "under-contributed." Department supervisors really pushed you to contribute because they received some kind of bogus award for all of their employees giving.
I personally donate to my church and take dog and cat food to the Humane Socieity. I no longer contribute to the big-name charities.