United way? (Charlotte: home, to buy, living)

[Whytewulf]

Originally Posted by Metallisteve

I'd be interested to hear what other people's place of employment does during United Way time.

Mine asks for a volunteer from each division (a division has about 50-80 people), sometimes two to five people. These folks spend numerous hours posting posters around the building, holding meetings, attending meetings, getting people to join in...there's even a line item on our timesheet that you can bill to for United Way activities. On an individual level, we all get a pre-printed form with our "fair share" donation already calculated based on a percentage of our salary. You can elect to give the fair share, an amount of your specifying, or nothing at all. They demand that even if you don't give anything, you have to write down "0" and sign it and turn it back in. This all happens in a one hour devoted "staff meeting."

On a hear-say level, my neighbor tells me that your giving is even on your year-end review at his company.

What a bunch of crap.

Thats sucks and I would complain to HR, that its no ones business but mine on how much I donate!

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Metallisteve

I'd be interested to hear what other people's place of employment does during United Way time.

Mine asks for a volunteer from each division (a division has about 50-80 people), sometimes two to five people. These folks spend numerous hours posting posters around the building, holding meetings, attending meetings, getting people to join in...there's even a line item on our timesheet that you can bill to for United Way activities. On an individual level, we all get a pre-printed form with our "fair share" donation already calculated based on a percentage of our salary. You can elect to give the fair share, an amount of your specifying, or nothing at all. They demand that even if you don't give anything, you have to write down "0" and sign it and turn it back in. This all happens in a one hour devoted "staff meeting."

On a hear-say level, my neighbor tells me that your giving is even on your year-end review at his company.

What a bunch of crap.

I know from my past experience w/ hospitals . . . employees who didn't give were not considered team players. It may not have been on the annual review as such . . . but that is how much pressure was put on all of us - to not only give . . . but make sure our employees anted up. Plus all the contests - free pizza to department raising the most $$ (%-wise) etc.

[bandibadji]

Originally Posted by Charlotteborn

Can anyone explain to me how it is acceptable for the president of a non-profit organization to be compensated over 1 million dollars? I used to be a contributor but never again!

I once had a list that told me what percentage certain organizations received from contributions. Most middlement keep from 20-30 percent for operating expenses. Of course, the United Appeal represents most organizations together and the directors should make maybe $100K at the most. I was shocked to recently learn that the callers requesting donations for the police/fire departments kept approximately 90 pecent of the takings themselves leaving 10 percent to the departments. My future donations will be directly to the source without any middleman. These greedy pigs screw it up for the sources for which they are supposedly representing.

[BarbJ]

Having been aware of its CEO salaries for a long time, I always resented the United Way campaigns when my husband and I worked at UNCC. It appalled me that our university administrators, who are quite well compensated, put pressure on the faculty and staff, who work for peanuts, to contribute to this charity that compensates its administrators in such royal fashion. I refused and still refuse to contribute, preferring as many of you, to choose my own charities.

[BrusselsSprouts]

Just FYI....this isn't the first time for scandals like this, and won't be the last. I rememebr this happened 10+ years ago (outrageous salaries, theft and mismanagement of donations). Some of this happened prior to your being able to specify which charities get your money. The company I work for puts loads of pressure on you to donate, and I used to, but stopped more than 10 years ago. I will only give to organizations I believe in (Scouting, Police, Fire). One pre-req is that the charity be honest. For example, I saw a charity that said "Please help people who's lives were ruined by drugs". Sorry, if it said "Please help people who ruined their own lives by abusing drugs" they may have had a chance to get some money.

[ntrh]

I agree with the posts here about the salary of United Way Management especially Gloria Pace King. Her salary was posted in Charlotte Observer so i hope using her name is OK here. The companies that force employees to contribute should be sued. Maybe this will force this issue. It seems to me that this is almost extortion. At least it is not right. The UW gets people in upper management on their board. These people coerce their employees. Look how many people from Bank of America and Wachovia are on the UW board.

The charities they support are great. But why does UW have to pay such high salaries. I bet most if not all management positions could be volunteer. Then all UW management could be fired.

The following is an email they sent out.




"Thank you for contacting United Way of Central Carolinas. We understand your concern and appreciate hearing from you.

The recent news stories touch on past decisions by United Way of Central Carolinas' board-level executive committee regarding the president's salary. These actions have not adversely affected the work of United Way in the community, and United Way has continued to receive four-star ratings from Charity Navigator in organizational efficiency.

The generosity you have shown this campaign season, and in past seasons, has helped hundreds of charitable organizations address issues the community has identified as pressing. The contributions you have pledged this campaign will help United Way continue its mission of investing in a better future for our community.

While it is true that a reward of working in the nonprofit sector is the good that the work accomplishes, it is also a profession. In fact, nonprofit organizations represent one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy. To achieve their goals, nonprofits must have experienced, high-quality staff, including visionary leadership. Our society needs nonprofits to address large cultural problems - extremely important work and well worth the investment in outstanding leadership. It takes leadership to bring people together to solve pressing issues. It takes leadership to tell the United Way story in our community and to attract the kind of support - financial, in-kind and advocacy - that makes solutions and better communities possible.

With your generosity, Gloria Pace King, United Way's president, has helped United Way of Central Carolinas raise more than $500 million in the 14 years she has served the organization. Plus, she has kept the organization's overhead extremely low as referenced by our four-star rating with Charity Navigator. She is a highly regarded asset to United
Way, gaining national prominence for her leadership both locally and nationally.

United Way is committed to maintaining efficient, transparent operations that instill confidence in our donors, volunteers and other stakeholders. I encourage you to visit our web site (uwcentralcarolinas.org) for more information. If you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact Dani Stone, VP of Marketing, at dstone@uwcentralcarolinas.org or 704-371-XXXX. (ntrh deleted)

Your generosity is important, but your trust is vital. On behalf of United Way, we are grateful for both."

[Whytewulf]

Thanks for sharing that. I also sent a note to my leadership asking if we were going to take any actions.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Charlotteborn

Can anyone explain to me how it is acceptable for the president of a non-profit organization to be compensated over 1 million dollars? I used to be a contributor but never again!

It's not acceptable, but nothing new with these people.

Their local CEOs get outrageous salaries & from time to time it comes out. I have refused in various jurisdictions in this country to sign up, since the 70s. I've also seen reports on the news where people in need are denied for capricious reasons.

My mother had an accidental run-in with them.

She had terminal cancer and needed some shots over a holiday weekend. My parents had health insurance & were on Social security & medicare.

A woman came out from the visiting nurse company. My parents gave the insurance & medicare information. Instead of leaving she started asking prying questions about their finances. My parents told her that they had given the information needed to get paid, & asked her to leave.

The woman told them that if they wanted a nurse to give those shots, they would answer the questions, because visiting nurses fall under United Way. She asked prying, humiliating questions for one hour. Then she had the gall to lecture my parents for trying to get something for nothing.

My father told her that they gave her the information that was needed & he intended to pay the difference if needed & to get out of his house.

My mother called me at work, in tears. I went there after work & got to hear this at midnight (after 2nd shift) The next day when I got to work (a TV station) I went to the News Director & told him. They were able to get enough, without involving my parents, to do an expose in one week.

[Whytewulf]

An Updated response from their board. A decent explanation, but I still think these non-profit execs make too much money. And she is a local CEO.

Charlotte Observer | 07/03/2008 | United Way apologizes<br> for pay gaffe

[newcharlottan]

I remember a similar scandal happening in Miami several years ago. I too worked for a huge employer that made a big deal of donating to United Way. I normally headed/led all the charity drives and fundraising events, United Way was one that I refused each and every year. And our drives were huge, I was able to raise thousands of dollars. But never for United Way, ever.

And now to see something yet again happening with United Way makes me doubly glad that I don't have anything remotely to do with them.