United Way and FOS?

[AKdenldr]

My family has ALWAYS (even when we didn't have kids) given to scouts through the United Way campaign. We like the United Way because they impliment requirements on non-profits that result in better run organizations.

 

I've been reading in these forums with great interest about FOS. It seems there is tracking and list making etc about units and FOS contribution rates.

 

Should we drop the United Way contribution and donate to FOS?

 

 

[scoutldr]

This may be an urban legend, but I've always heard that the UW predetermines how much each organization will get. Your designated donation only counts if the total of all the designated donations exceeds the predetermined amount. Based on that, and I don't know if it's true or not, I have always donated to FOS and used UW (or CFC for us feds) to donate to other charities. I would donate directly (and I do), but it gets the people at work off my back...they like to have 100% "participation". Once the council gets the money, it really doesn't matter...it all goes in the same pot.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I agree with scoutldr, but I do not view this attitude as an urban myth. The local head of the UW is an involved scouter, and his hands are completely tied as to how much his unit/branch/chapter--whatever they call it--can contribute. I accept his statements as fact. I can't phrase it any different or better than scoutldr.

 

Six years ago, UW contributions amounted to over 60% of the funding for our council. Now it is less than 15%. FOS makes up the difference, hence increased FOS heavy handedness over the past few years. From what I have heard, these figures are typical of UW funding nation-wide.

[Eagle92]

I am a volunteer with one UW chapter, the county chapter my work is im, but my council deals with other UW chapters. it is correct that each UW board of volunteers determines who gets what money.

 

Nationally some BSA councils have lost UW funding. The county UW that I live in does designations only for the BSA. Anotehr County UW has denied funding to my council, and we are waiting to hear if they will still allow designations. Council has posted their response to two complaints that the local UW has for why they are no longer giving. Complete faldercarb if you ask me.

[Buffalo Skipper]

One more thing, only slightly off topic.

 

My units have, of late, been some of the best FOS contibuting units in the council (if you look at funds/scout). I attribute this to one simple thing. A month before the FOS presentation (B&G or CoH, I directly address to the parents with a statement similar to this:

 

"At our Court of Honor, there will be a district voluteer, who will be asking you to make a donation to Friends of Scouting. With decreasing funds from the United Way and other organizations, FOS is becoming local council's main source of operating capital. I would encourage you to contribute what you are willing and able to give. If you cannot afford to give, you are under no obligation to do so. In my experience, people who are blindsided with a request for a handout are not so inclined to give, but those who have been advised in advance are more open, as they are not caught off guard. I give to this campaign every year and I hope you are able to do the same...."

 

I have found that he key to this is that last part, about being blindsided and I think it makes a big difference. One of my den leaders suggested this to me years ago when I was a CM, and my units have had great success ever since. I also believe that leading identifying that I also give, sets the example which others follow. Finally, with strong District connections, I personally choose who will make the FOS presentation to our unit, and I speak to them about their presention a week or so ahead of time. Most presentors are chomping at the bit to present to my units, because it is an easy sell. Some of those same presentors I have seen run out of a meeting on a rail for asking. Their presention is fine, but the failing lies in the attitude of the unit and it's leaders.

 

I expect a lot of my council. In return, I do what I can go give a lot back to them. What goes around comes around.

[NWScouter]

In my council we deal with four countys United Way and the Boeing Campaign. Two of the counties out of general drive give no money to BSA and the other two do. The Boeing campaign gives the vast majority of its general drive money to two counties (one to the south of us not in our council) that do not give to the BSA. Now here how it gets interesting, you may instruct UW to give to a 401 c3 non-profit; if it is on their list of organizations your donation goes to that organization but unless there is enough directed donation to exceed its planed giving to that organization it only gets the planned amount. Now if you instruct it give to an organization that is not on the list, in our case the BSA, then it will forward your gift to the BSA minus a fee to cover the UW overhead.

We have had UW volunteers misstating this to people, say yes they give to Scouts but not telling them the had to specify and /or not telling that a handling fee applies

 

[Hal_Crawford]

If the question is whether to give to scouting through United Way or directly to FOS consider that United Way has to use a portion of your donation to fund their operation. I say this without any criticism of the organization; it costs money to collect and process your contribution. A portion of your donation to FOS also supports fundraising. It would seem that by giving directly to FOS you more of your money should be spent supporting the scouting program because you are cutting out the United Way costs from the equation. I would say this no matter what your charity of choice is. If you wish to support cancer research, give directly to American Cancer Society or a cancer hospital. You get the idea.

 

Where United Way is great is for people who wish their donation to support a wide range of charities. It is great for those who do not wish to feel guilty that they have overlooked one deserving group in favor of another.

 

When giving it is also a good idea to look at what percentage of donations goes to direct support and what percentage goes to fundraising and/or administrative costs. These numbers are published and they are sometimes surprising. According to the Better Business Bureau's Wise giving report BSA spends 90% on programs,

[gcnphkr]

I've been giving through CFC (Like UW for federal employees) for years. Last year I asked the council CFO what he preferred and he said directly through FOS or one of the endowments. The downside is now I have to remember to send in the donation that used to taken out of my paycheck.

[HICO_Eagle]

I stopped supporting UW ever since some chapters of the United Way stopped supporting Scout units during the Clinton administration. There have been numerous allegations about both UW and CFC diverting financial support to "underdonated" organizations like Lambda Legal Defense. Regardless of the veracity of those claims, I'd rather donate directly to the organization than go through a pass-through.

[VigilNavyCPO]

I ran CFC for years on the ship in the Navy. It was my job to ask Sailors to support the campaign. If leadership (Ship Commanding Officer (CO) & Officers) presented it as a good thing, Sailors responded with their wallets wide open. If leadership went thru the motions of supporting it, the wallets were shut. As far as how CFC & UW distributed their donations, you will fine that a % is taken off the top as "Local cost" which is then used to support charities that the normal person would not give to. For example, One person gives $100 to your local Scout Council thru UW, Local takes 12% for local costs (total 7% Admin & 5 % local charity share fund. Thus $88 is sent to the Scout Council. If the Local Scout Council then uses 5% for Admin, then only $83 goes to the program. If you give to the local Council thru FOS, then $100 5% admin = $95 to the program. As you can see a greater share will support the program if you cut out the middleman (UW).

[BadenP]

The bottom line is if you want 100% of your contribution to go to scouting without deductions for processing or diverting to another cause then contribute directly to FOS and not the UW or CFC which deducts up to 25% for processing the donation. It's just that simple.

[eisely]

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, all local UW chapters have cut off local BSA councils from automatic allocations. The local chapters claim that they will forward designated funds to the BSA council you specify, but frankly I don't think it happens. The only reason I have given to UW in recent years is because of employer pressure to participate at some level. I still get to deduct the contribution for tax purposes, but I don't think my council has ever seen a dime of my money through UW.

 

Given the scandals in some UW local chapters, and my doubts about their promises, I will never give to UW again, at least in this area.

 

It really is too bad. UW was organized to promote fund raising efficiency and allow one stop giving for both employers and employees. Like so many other American institutions it has been seriously damaged by political correctness.