Donor choice a negligible factor at United Way

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ^ | August 31, 2003 | BRUCE MURPHY

[mtbopfuyn]

We don't need the likes of a United Way. Don't give to a middle man; give directly to the charity of your choice.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

I agree. I have not donated to UW for many years, since I discovered that my designations did not alter the dollars received by their *racist* 'charities'. I began then giving time and money to charities that I wanted to support. THEN I had to abandon the Red Cross after four hundred donations when then posted against my legally carried CCW. too bad for them

[Drango]

The United Way should be shut down under the RICO statutes.

[Dudoight]

Absolutely! I select the charities I want to receive my $ and I give the $ directly to them. I quit United Way LONG before their stance on the Boy Scouts of America.

[FreePaul]

United Way, or whatever it has been called at other times, has established a policy of lying to people about how their contributions are distributed. Any other organization doing this would be prosecuted for fraud. United Way is above the law. If you want your money to go to your preferred charity give it to them directly. Don't let the scammers skim their share and ignore your wishes.

[Conservababe]

I haven't given to United Way since the seventies because of employers tactics to gain pledges.

[IncPen]

My wife works in social services, and her (and many other) organization refuses United Way money, because they are embargoed from fundraising during United Way drive periods.

They've found that they can do better by targeting their donors year-round than by accepting what UW deems them worthy to receive.

[Proud Legions]

Good for your wife and her comrades. I did not trust UW for many years, because I had heard of how they shuffle money like this article states. Then I saw where lots of their money went to groups I just could not stomach supporting, and finally the Boy Scout problems. I now give the money I used to give to UW straight to the local Boy Scouts.

[big'ol_freeper]

ping

[neutrino]

Great article! I despise the United Way - the strong-arm tactics used in the workplace approach thuggery.

[upchuck]

What you said!!

Thank you, sarcasm, for posting this. I realize this is part two of a three part series. I hope in part three the author will get into UW salaries. Unbelievable! And remember, every dollar they are paid, either as salaries or administrative costs, is a dollar not going to a charity.

Last year, about $1.1 million of the $34 million raised by Milwaukee's United Way was spent on the allocation and outcome measurement process.

So they spent 1.1 Mil just deciding who gets what? Seems pretty outrageous to me

Dump United Way; give direct.

And remember United Way are the folks who quit supporting the Boy Scouts because the Boy Scouts refused to let their organization be corrupted and overrun by queers and faggots.

[WhiteGuy]

Keep your money.

Pay off your debt.

Save for your future.

[Drango]

I hope in part three the author will get into UW salaries

I know in the SF Bay Area the United Way head crook CEO makes about $220,000. Remember charity begins at home :-)

[MissAmericanPie]

I was talking to some girls at work the other night and they were relating how they or their husbands, or a friend, had been strong armed by their company into donating to the United Way under threat of firing.

I would think that this would call for a class action law suit.

[Paul_B]

Good to see this exposed. Money is fungible. Designated funds don't mean anything unless, as this article points out, previous allotments run less than their totals. The oldest financial trick in the book for governments and nonprofits.

Thanks much, I'll be posting this to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChristianInvesting/

pb

[SandRat]

Take a look at Fewer donors, more choices put squeeze on agency: United Way struggles with identity for some interesting replies to an almost identical areticle.

[Redleg Duke]

Exactly! I see a future America where the deserving charities receive from the donors and the bureaucrats from the deceased United Socialist Way are sitting on street corners with tin cups of pencils for sale.

[SandRat]

Pass this litle gem along to your friend

I did this once when there was a big push to get 100% participation in UW giving -- when the UW Collector came around I pulled out a penny and gave it to him.

He gave me a dumb look and asked "What's this?"

I told him "My contribution and what I think the UW is worth. Now you have 100% participation."

The next year they changed it to 100% contact to "offer" employees the chance to support the UW.

Nasty but effective.

[gitmo]

I always suspected that allocating donations to particular agencies was meaningless. I never give to Untied Way.