FAQ
What does United Way do?
Why should I give to GKUW?
Is GKUW a local organization?
How much of my contribution to GKUW is invested in programs that support the community?
How is GKUW held accountable?
How do I know that my donation will help those who need it most?
Why should I give to GKUW instead of directly to an agency?
Is my GKUW contribution tax-deductible?
I am on a tight budget. How can I afford to give?
How can I get help?
Can I designate to any agency I want?
Are Greater Kalamazoo United Way and United Way of Greater Battle Creek going to merge?
How can I help?
Q. What does United Way do?
A. United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. Our focus is on education, income and health – the building blocks for a good quality life. United Way recruits people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done.
Although well known for the annual community campaign, GKUW is much more than simply a fundraising organization that invests in local health and human service programs. GKUW is a community impact organization that mobilizes human and financial resources that create opportunities for a better life for all.
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Q. Why should I give to GKUW?
A. Whether or not you recognize it, we all have a stake in the welfare of the community. The struggling school in the neighboring community, the “bad” part of town, and a person with an untreated illness do impact us. We are all better off if the kids in the struggling school grow up to be productive adults. The community benefits if the “bad” part of town was better off and had more economic opportunity. When you give to United Way you become part of a community-wide effort that brings about measurable change and improves the quality of life for all of us.
Q. Is GKUW a local organization?
A. GKUW is a local, autonomous nonprofit organization. Like the more than 1,800 United Ways around the world, GKUW is governed by a local volunteer Board of Directors. GKUW participates in the United Way Worldwide membership in exchange for important cost-efficient services, including: staff training, community research and comparative information, campaign products, advertising, as well as, ongoing consultation.
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Q. How much of my contribution to GKUW is invested in programs that support the community?
A. For every dollar contributed to the GKUW Community Care Fund, approximately 86-cents of every dollar is used to make an impact on services, systems and local programs that improve lives. Undesignated contributions or contributions to the GKUW Community Care Fund go through a rigorous and time-tested volunteer review, to ensure that your gift supports human care programs that are achieving measurable results and doing the most good in our community.
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Q. How is GKUW held accountable?
A. GKUW prides itself on being a trustworthy and accountable organization. A volunteer committee of qualified and skilled financial experts meets monthly, monitoring the organization’s financial activities. We maintain high standards of operation and are reviewed each year by an outside independent auditor, who verifies that our financial statements fairly present the financial position of GKUW and that our systems and controls meet or exceed Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Annually, GKUW must meet national standards on financial accountability to be considered for membership with United Way Worldwide.
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Q. How do I know that my donation will help those who need it most?
A. More than 60 community volunteers commit to serve two-year terms, and are trained to carefully invest United Way contributions in local programs. This group of dedicated volunteers includes representatives from the general community, business leaders, organized labor, government partners, etc. Throughout the year, they carefully monitor community needs, meet with local health and human service providers, review agency requests for program funding, monitor program outcomes, and invest your contribution in effective programs that improve lives and address the most critical human care needs and issues of Kalamazoo County.
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Q. Why should I give to GKUW instead of directly to an agency?
A. Supporting GKUW is the best way to help the most people in our community for several reasons:
- By investing in the GKUW Community Care Fund you are able to have an impact on the most pressing health and human care needs and issues in our community. Giving an undesignated gift or giving to the Community Care Fund ensures that your gift is helping to improve lives and create measurable and substantial impact.
- Community volunteers carefully review each United Way-funded program annually. Their oversight ensures that agencies adhere to sound fiscal policies and that your contribution is invested in programs that do the most good. Contributions that are designated to a specific agency receive no oversight from GKUW.
- Giving through GKUW reduces costly and time-consuming fundraising efforts for the agencies providing programs. This enables them to better spend their time helping people in need.
- When you give through your workplace campaign, your contribution can be spread out over the course of a year through payroll deduction, making it easier and more cost-effective for you to support the human care needs of our community.
- When you give to GKUW, your contribution is invested with the contributions of others to help provide a continuum of care for those most in need. Even if you restrict a portion of your contribution to a specific service or agency, we ask that you consider investing part of your contribution in the Community Care Fund. This enables you to partner with us in creating sustained changes in community conditions that improve the most lives throughout Kalamazoo County.
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Q. Is my GKUW contribution tax-deductible?
A. Yes, your contribution is tax-deductible if you itemize your deductions.
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Q. I am on a tight budget. How can I afford to give?
A. Every contribution matters! Even a modest contribution per pay period can help provide solutions to the most critical human care needs and issues in our community. And by giving through payroll deduction, you can spread your contribution over the coming year – making it more manageable than a one-time and/or out-of-pocket contribution. If you can’t support GKUW financially, please remember that you can become a volunteer. Each year, thousands of volunteers come together through the GKUW to improve our community, through Day of Caring programs, GKUW, or, other nonprofit organizations.
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Q. How can I get help?
A. If you or someone you know needs help, please dial 2-1-1 from a landline phone or (269) 381-HELP (4357), from a cellular phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to receive information and referral assistance.
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Q. Can I designate to any agency I want?
A. You may designate to any health and human service 501c3 organization. However, United Way provides no oversight of how designated dollars are used by an organization, which means your contribution can be used for overhead, fundraising or programs at the agency’s discretion.
Your contribution to United Way has the power to create opportunities for a better life for all rather than impact a single issue. Additionally, United Way has the ability to leverage many contributions for maximum impact. Last year, GKUW led or assisted in attracting more than $7.5 million to positively impact our community – that’s in addition to the $9.2 million raised through the annual community campaign.
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Q. Are Greater Kalamazoo United Way and United Way of Greater Battle Creek going to merge?
A. The two organizations are exploring whether a merger would be beneficial to both communities and organizations. There is a task force of community leaders from both communities overseeing the discovery process. By the end of the year the task force will present findings and make a recommendation to both organizations’ boards. There has been a conscious effort to solicit diverse and broad input across both communities as part of the process.
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Q. How can I Help?
A. You can give. You can advocate. You can volunteer. Together, we can all LIVE UNITED.
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