FAQs and Why Give?

Powerpoint Presentations:
Why United Way? and
"Live United"

Struggling.
Q. Our employees and their families are struggling. How can we ask them to give?
A. Time and again, some of the most generous givers are those who themselves have struggled and needed a helping hand from our community. Everyone should be given an opportunity to express their caring through charitable giving, to enjoy the emotional reward that comes from knowing he or she has helped our community become safer and stronger.

Well spent.
Q. How is United Way making sure my money is well spent?
A. We engage businesses, government and people like you to identify the most serious health and human service problems in our community and determine the best ways to make a meaningful impact on these problems. You support a much broader group of programs and services through United Way than by giving to an agency directly. Volunteers work to minimize duplication among programs and look for measurable results, quality performance and innovative approaches.

Get help.
Q. How do people get help from United Way?
A. United Way provides a free, confidential information referral service, 2-1-1 at First Call for Help™, that connects individuals and families with health and human service organizations that can help with counseling, job training, emergency assistance and other needs.

Minimum.
Q. Why is there a $50 minimum to designate to an agency?
A. United Way is very dedicated to keeping our cost of processing low. Designations to agencies are processed monthly (when contributions arrive from your company), gifts smaller than $50 require very small checks to be cut. This increases the cost of processing.

Money
Q. How much of my money gets to programs and services rather than overhead?
A. Effective with the 2009 campaign, United Way is lowering the fee structure for designations to a flat rate of 5%, with a minimum of $5 and a cap of $500.  There is no fee to designate to United Way, our key focus areas (education, income or health), or the 2-1-1 Maryland at United Way information and referral service although your gift is subject to overhead costs. 

United Way fulfills a unique role in the community - over 1,000 nonprofits rely on funding from United Way. They absorbs costs on the agencies behalf and handle over 2 million accounting transactions each year.

Serve the poor.
Q. Do United Way partners only serve the poor?
A. Dollars contributed through United Way are distributed where they will do the most good for the entire community. Partner agencies provide services aimed at helping everyone in need. Perhaps you, a member of your family, one of your neighbors or co-workers has benefited from services supported by United Way. The United Way process supports services such as quality child care, after-school programs, disaster relief, shelters for the homeless and abused, agencies that provide information and support to those dealing with cancer and mental illness and many others.

Stop working.
Q. If I stop working, what happens to my pledge?
A. Should you stop working, your payroll deduction pledge stops. Your pledge through United Way is made in good faith based upon your employment. When you start a new job, ask to signup for a payroll deduction again or you can donate by using direct debit/EFT. Call United Way for further details.

Affect.
Q. How do the troubles at other United Ways and other nonprofits affect our United Way?
They do not. Each one of the 1,400 United Ways in the country is autonomous and managed by local volunteers. In central Maryland, hundreds of local volunteer leaders from all walks of life are involved in and oversee every detail of United Way operations, from fundraising to investments to financial agreements.

Q. Why should I give to the Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund?
A. The Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund will enable local organizations to build stronger neighborhoods by addressing the health, educational, public safety, employment and community revitalization needs of the residents. The financial and volunteer contributions made by both employees and the university will strengthen the funded organizations.

Q. Doesn’t United Way already address the issues to be supported by the Neighborhood Fund?
A. United Way of Central Maryland targets four major impact areas. The Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund will focus on organizations close to our campuses that may not have been included in United Way’s funding areas or are receiving reduced funding. The Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund was created to complement United Way.

Q. What kinds of organizations will the Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Fund support?
A. Nonprofit organizations that are associated with Johns Hopkins through employee and/or institutional involvement and that deliver services to the communities near Johns Hopkins campuses will be considered for funding through a proposal process.

Q. How will I know which organizations are receiving funds?A. A list of organizations that have received grants from past funding cycles is available at http://web.jhu.edu/uw/NeighborhoodFund.html . In March 2010, the list of organizations receiving funds in the current funding cycle will be announced and available at the same website.