1. Why do we need a United Way in Greater Lafayette?
The purpose of United Way is to help people. Our local United Way is a community-wide effort to meet the needs of residents in Tippecanoe County. Twenty-five member agencies provide a variety of human service programs. The principal responsibilities of the United Way are to:
Inform the people of this area about the services available to them.
Conduct an annual campaign to raise funds to help support programs at member agencies.
Administer those funds in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
Monitor services to avoid duplication.
2. What is the difference between the United Way of Greater Lafayette and the United Way of America?
Our local United Way is just that - local. It is an independent organization run by a board of volunteers from our community, which operates solely for the benefit of the residents of Greater Lafayette. United Way is our community's largest volunteer organization with more than 130 local residents on its Board of Directors and various committees. An Executive Director and small staff coordinate and implement directives of the Board.
The United Way of America is a national trade association to which local United Ways across the country choose to belong. This national association provides services such as training, national campaign materials and the use of the "helping hands" logo. The United Way of America in no way runs the United Way of Greater Lafayette or any other United Way affiliate, nor does it allocate funds to agencies.
3. How is the money raised in our community distributed?
United Way of Greater Lafayette uses strict budget and allocation processes to support service programs which best meet the needs of our community. These needs are determined in an annual citizen review process. Each member agency meets with volunteer Community Investment Committee members to present its request for the coming year. The committee members visit the agencies and conduct thorough reviews before determining the total needed to meet our community's needs.
4. How much of my contribution actually goes to local United Way agencies?
100% guaranteed! Leadership gifts to United Way, through an effort called The Vanguard, covers more than the cost of "doing business". In fact, United Way overhead costs account for less than 10% of total contributions. Again, all fundraising and administrative costs are covered by Vanguard contributions. Therefore, the entire amount of your contribution (100%) goes directly to United Way's 24 partner agencies in Greater Lafayette.
The most important benefit of the United Way is that your gift can impact each of the 24 partner agencies. Where else could you touch the lives of one in three people in our community with a single gift?
5. How does United Way raise money?
United Way conducts its annual campaign in the workplace, rather than soliciting door-to-door. The campaign is not designed to pressure people to give, but rather to offer every resident the opportunity to contribute to meeting the needs in our community. You may designate that a certain agency receives your gift by simply indicating so on your pledge card. United Way tracks and records all designations. If an agency's designated gifts exceed the citizen's review allocation, the agency receives the higher amount.
6. Who benefits from my contribution?
United Way agencies provide services to anyone who needs them. This includes people who have:
Lost their jobs unexpectedly.
Discovered they or one of their family members have an illness.
A need for child care services while both parents work.
A need for nursing care for an elderly parent.
Look at the list of partners and partner agencies - it's likely that you or someone you know has been involved at one time or another with a United Way agency.
Even if you don't live in Tippecanoe County, you may use the services of local United Way agencies as long as the identical service is not offered in your home county.
7. How does an organization become a member agency?
Community organizations may ask to become member agencies. They must meet various criteria such as being tax exempt, having a volunteer Board of Directors and meeting a need in the community. The agency must also be able to partially support itself through fees and/or fundraising, because the United Way does not provide any agency with 100% of its operating budget.
8. Do United Way agencies charge fees?
Some do. United Way agencies that do charge fees use a sliding fee scale. Charges are based on a person's ability to pay, allowing all individuals to get the help they need, regardless of their financial status. The sliding fee structure also ensures that individuals who can afford to pay for services do so, to make certain that your contribution goes as far as possible to help those in need.
9. 'I work in Tippecanoe County but I do not live here. Can I designate my gift to my home county?'
By contributing here, where you work, you help support this community's network of human services. However, if you choose to designate to another United Way, you may do so.
10. How do I make a contribution to United Way of Greater Lafayette?
Why do we need a United Way in Greater Lafayette?
