Frequently Asked Questions
What is United Way of Central and Northeastern
Connecticut?
United Way of Central and Northeastern
Connecticut is a nonprofit organization that has
been raising resources to meet critical needs and
create lasting change in our area since 1924. It is
one of nearly 1,300 autonomous
United Ways in the United States. It is the largest
of the 23 United Ways in Connecticut and second
largest in New England.
Our United Way serves 40 towns throughout central
and northeastern Connecticut, helping to ensure that
children are ready to succeed in school and in life,
that families are financially stable, and that a
safety net of services is available to anyone in
need.
Click here for a map of our service area.
What is United Way of America?
United Way of America is a national service and
training center for the 1,300 autonomous and
independent United Ways across the United States. It
makes no policy decisions for local United Ways. For
more information, visit
www.liveunited.org.
What is the United Way Community Campaign?
The United Way Community Campaign is a
partnership of United Way of Central and
Northeastern Connecticut and
Community Health
Charities of New England that supports health and
human service programs in our communities.
How much money does the Community Campaign
raise?
In 2008, more than 60,000 generous individuals
and organizations raised more than $28.1 million to
ensure success for children, strong and healthy
families and a safety net of services, and to
support areas of personal significance.
What are the benefits of contributing through
the United Way Community Campaign?
The United Way Community Campaign gives you the
flexibility and choice to support the programs and
services that are most important to you.
Community Investment (see below) makes it easy
to have the biggest impact on the communities where
you live and work. And workplace giving through
payroll deduction makes it easy to fulfill your
pledge.
Where does the money come from?
In 2007, 75% of the dollars raised came from
individuals, and 25% came from corporations.
Where does the money go?
Funds raised through the United Way Community
Campaign are used to improve lives and change
conditions so that children succeed in school,
families are financially stable and healthy, and
there is a safety net of services for those in need.
How efficient is the United Way Community
Campaign?
The United Way Community Campaign had
administrative and fund-raising expenses of just 12%
in fiscal year 2007. Nearly 90 cents of every dollar
donated goes directly to programs and services. The
Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance
considers up to 35% acceptable for administrative
and fund-raising expenses.
Can I direct how my contribution will be used?
The United Way Community Campaign provides an
opportunity for individuals to support causes that
are most important to them. When you fill out your
pledge form or pledge online, you decide how your
contribution will be used to improve lives and
change conditions in our communities.
Community Investment stretches your
contribution further than a single contribution to
one agency can. Thousands of children gain access to
quality childcare. Hundreds of families gain the job
skills they need to become more financially stable,
and they learn how to manage when illness strikes. A
safety net of services is available to everyone in
our region, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
When you choose Community Investment,
your contribution is pooled with thousands of others
to fund programs that are monitored by trained
volunteers. They ensure that dollars are well-spent
to produce real results and that effective
management, governance, and financial accountability
standards are upheld. To learn more about
Community Investment,
click here.
What is the Caring Club?
In 2008, an increase or first-time contribution
of $1 or more per week to Community Investment
qualifies you for the Caring Club. You’ll
receive a Caring Club card that gives you discounts
to local and national retailers. Go to
www.mycaringclub.org for more information.
What are the ways I can give through the
Community Campaign?
There are four different ways to contribute
through the United Way Community Campaign:
- Payroll Deduction – Your employer may offer
you the opportunity to have an amount deducted
from your paycheck each pay period.
- Personal Check – Personal checks made
payable to the United Way Community Campaign are
accepted.
- Bill at home – Bills can be sent on a
monthly, quarterly, or one-time basis for
contributions of $100 or more. The start date
will be March of 2009.
- Gifts of Stock – You can fulfill a pledge
with gifts of appreciated securities. Federal
law permits taxpayers who itemize to deduct the
current value of charitable contributions from
their adjusted gross income. Your own tax
advisor can provide more information. For
account information, please contact United Way’s
Donor Relations Department at (860) 493-6847.
How will I be recognized for my leadership
contribution?
With your gift of $1,000 and more, you take the
lead in helping to improve some of our communities’
most pressing health and human service issues. Your
leadership gift through the United Way Community
Campaign entitles you to recognition at the
following levels:
Constitution Society:
Colleague: $1,000 to $2,499 annually
Framer: $2,500 to $4,999 annually
Founder: $5,000 to $9,999 annually
Tocqueville Society: Gift of
$10,000+ annually
An annual gift of $1,000 and more entitles you to
membership in the Constitution Society and to
recognition at one of three leadership levels in the
Tocqueville Society and Constitution Society
Roster of Members. An annual gift of $10,000
and more entitles you to membership in the
Tocqueville Society, recognition in the Roster
of Members, and recognition in the United
Way of America Registry.
If you and your spouse or partner both donate
through the Community Campaign, your annual gifts
can be combined to achieve leadership recognition.
To learn more about making a leadership gift,
please call Sara Barczak at (860) 493-6837, or email
her at
sbarczak@unitedwayinc.org.
May I make a designated gift to an agency
through the Community Campaign?
You may designate a portion or all of your gift
to any qualified not-for-profit organization
recognized as a 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue
Service. You must include the agency’s name,
address, and phone number on your pledge form.
Please note that such restricted gifts are not
monitored by trained volunteers to ensure results.
For a list of local United Way partner agencies,
click here and look
for names with an asterisk. For a list of Community
Health Charities partner agencies,
click here.
Designated gifts through the United Way Community
Campaign are subject to a 10% fee, which includes
administrative and fund-raising costs, capped at
$100 per designated gift (assessed on a pro rata
basis upon gift proceeds received). No fees are
deducted by United Way from gifts to Community
Health Charities (CHC) or its member or associate
charities; CHC deducts its own administrative fee
from its members.
Cash, check or stock pledge payments will be
distributed to designated agencies by February 28 if
proceeds and pledge details are received by United
Way on or before December 31. Payroll gifts will be
distributed directly to designated agencies in
April, July, October and December, 2009 and March
and June, 2010, if proceeds and pledge detail are
received by United Way on or before the end of the
month preceding payout.
Will I receive a receipt for my IRS tax returns?
Individual payments of $250 or more made in 2008
will be receipted for tax purposes by February 28,
2009. For contributions of $250 or less, please keep
a copy of your pledge form for your tax records. You
will also need a copy of your pay stub, W-2 or other
employer document showing the amount withheld and
paid to a charitable organization. Please consult
your tax advisor for more information.
Community Health Charities of New England is
committed to improving the lives of those affected
by a chronic disease or disability by uniting caring
donors in the workplace with 43 of the state’s most
trusted health charities. These member health
charities are committed to finding cures and
delivering health education, treatment and wellness
programs. For more information, visit
www.chcofne.org.