They then review agency budget requests and community needs and make recommendations on funding to the United Way Board of Directors. Each allocation volunteer will put in more than 24 hours of time to review agency programs. Allocation volunteers make their recommendations based on several important factors, including the agency's budget, its financial management, the scope of services it provides, the number of people it helps and how the agency meets the needs of our community. The United Way Board of Directors, another group of 75 community-minded volunteers and leaders, reviews and approves the final allocation amounts. However, there are advantages to giving through the United Way.
Payroll deduction allows an individual to give on a regular basis all year long.
Because it can be spread out, the gift is usually larger than it would be when a person writes a check to an agency directly. Secondly, United Way tells an agency how much it can expect to receive throughout the coming year. The agency can depend on that information and budget its programs accordingly. This helps eliminate the roller-coaster effect an agency would encounter if all its support came from individuals in a less predictable manner. Third, the cost of each agency doing its own fundraising would be considerably more than the costs of our yearly United Way campaign on behalf of all participating agencies.