Frequently Asked Questions

accountability matters.

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United Way focuses on the collaboration of people and resources to build healthier communities. United Way diagnoses community problems and partners with 26 community based agencies to tackle tough issues. Each partner agency provides programming that will positively effect one or more of the following health and human service areas:

Crisis Care: Providing basic necessities in a disaster or other temporary time of need and help with the facilitation of returning to self sufficiency.

Health & Wellness: Promoting wellness through physical activities and also providing physical, emotional and psychological caring to the sick, disabled and terminally ill.

Seniors: Facilitating access to services fostering long term independence and minimizing insitutionalization trhough nurturing support systems and other services.

Special Needs: Enable access to comprehensive healthcare and facilitating access to services fostering long-term independence.

Youth: Enhancing character development and self-esteem and providing safe environments and educational activities.

United with our community, we can accomplish more than we ever can alone.

Most health and human service organizations address only a single cause or area of concern. United Way researches and reviews community needs and then focuses its programming around the communities most pressing issues. We are dedicated to ensuring your investment is making a difference where you live. United Way monitors the performance of funded programs providing accountibility and measurable results to donors.

We're Local.
Funds raised in the area stay here to address local problems. Your dollars go far, but not far away.

We're Accountable.
Local volunteers review requests and make the tough allocation decisions, ensuring that every penny is spent wisely.

We're Efficient.
Volunteers help conduct the camapign to keep costs low so we can put your dollar where it is needed most. United Way's administrative and fundraising costs are among the lowest in the country.

We're Effective.
Partner Agencies and programs must prove they are solving community problems with effective outcomes.

We Help People.
United Way funded programs strive to improve the quality of life for neighbors, friends, co-workers and families.

United Way offers several convenient ways to give:

Online
Cash or check
Visa or Mastercard
Payroll deduction (check with your company to see if they offer an automatic payroll deduction)
or
Donate appreciated securities. When you donate appreciated securities to United Way, you pay no capital gains taxes and 100 percent of the stock is tax deductible. Consult your broker and United Way for further tax-saving information

United Way of Linn County chooses to fund in 5 major impact areas:

Crisis Care
Health & Wellness
Seniors
Special Needs
Youth

By investing directly in United Way your donation touches all five impact areas, and is put to work where it is needed most. It is also possible to designate your funds to a single impact area and make a difference in a single impact area.

We are also happy to offer you the option to designate to any 501(c)(3) agency. Your gift will be subject to the same overhead cost as gift to United Way; However, if you choose to designate to a non-partner agency United Way will not be able to track results or outcomes of your gift.

When you give directly to an agency, we can’t offer the extra value of United Way’s expertise applying your gift where it can have the greatest impact in the local community and we can’t monitor your contribution or the outcomes of programs.

Giving to United Way means that your donation coupled with many others will make a sizeable difference in your community. You’ll be addressing a variety of interrelated issues related to children, seniors, health and wellness, special needs and crisis care instead of just one cause.

The funding philosophy of United Way is that funds are allocated to programs of partner agencies that address high-priority community needs. The level of funding available is determined by the overall availability of funds and the partner agency’s program performance. The following values and principles form the foundation of the Funds Allocation Process.

Volunteer Managed: The direction, process, and policies of the funds allocation process, as well as funding decisions, are made by volunteers from diverse backgrounds.

Fair: The funds allocation system will be perceived as fair both by partner agencies and donors. There will be ample opportunity to provide and review information, for an appeal process to safeguard agencies’ rights. Volunteers making funding decisions will be guided by a conflict of interest policy to avoid personal bias.

Accountable: United Way will communicate to donors how contributions are translated into services.

Donor responsive: Various methods will be used to encourage and facilitate donor input.

User friendly: The allocation process will be easily understood by all participants. It will only use information that is necessary for decision-making and will respect the use of volunteer and staff time of both United Way and agencies.

Competitive: The needs of the community exceed the availability of resources. Partner agencies will enter and participate in the system knowing the process is competitive, that not all agencies programs may be funded, and that funding may not meet the requested level.

Inclusive: Decision-makers will be representative of the community. The allocations will support a service system that reaches into all parts and segments of the community.

Flexible: A certain percentage of funds will be available to allow United Way to remain responsive to emerging needs or be a key participant in community problem solving. Changing patterns of funding or need may also result in significant shifts in the programs that United Way funds.

Priority driven: Funds will be directed to the most pressing community human services problems that are appropriate for United Way response.

United Way of Linn County collaborates with community partners utilizing volunteers and sponsorships whenever possible to keep our administrative overhead low. This ensures that your gift makes the greatest impact possible in your community.

in 2009 our administrative cost was 10.5% well below industry standards of 25%. United Way continously looks for ways to keep costs low which benefits the community, because that's what matters most.