The highly publicized United Way campaign has generated much discussion regarding where its monies are channeled. Unfortunately, a key issue is missing from the discussion. I would strongly encourage you to assess both the United Way and other charities based upon the percent of charity income that goes to programs. In other words, consider rating a charity not only by its cause, but also by its effectiveness in getting the maximum amount of your money to the end user. To help you do this, I offer two thoughts.
Any time overhead is reduced, more of the gift gets to the end user.
It has charity rating information with data from the NonProfit Times. Giving to charities provides wonderful benefits to any community. It is prudent, however, to make your gift count for as much as you can and to support the cause you wish to support. With the above link to Money Magazine as a starting point for your research, you need only time to find a highly effective organization to support.