United Way Donations

[Twocubdad]

So out of 10 or so different posters here, at least three -- BD, airbornevet and camiam -- report being pressured to make mandatory contributions or face workplace reprisals. Hardly scientific but 30%? Wow.

 

Why doesn't UW take action on this, or are they just happy to cash the checks? Why aren't payroll deductions kept confidential?

[eaglescout1996]

They don't mind cashing the checks...I just checked the website of the UW I previously volunteered with. 19 employees...that's a lot of payroll and benefits.

[Tampa Turtle]

I do not like UW and I was a coordinator. However the original concept was that having one combined drive was less disruptive than a lot of little ones in the workplace and more efficient administratively. It was started by churches.

 

I used to run a non-profit and raising money is expensive--I wouldn't say UW is a rip off. Yes they had the abusive 1982(?) William Aramony scandal and donations dropped. Some folks still hold them against them--but do we hold that same standard for BSA for abuse?

 

At my workplace you had to turn in a card --mine was for $0-- but did participate in putting in some sweat equity in other fund raising events. The local chapter wanted 100% feedback -even if it was "no". You could direct your amount. There was no retribution at my workplace but I know of department where there was a lot of arm-twisting. That is the part I did not like.

[skeptic]

When we ran the annual drives, everyone was "encouraged" to donate, but not necessarily pledge. Got a lot of $1 donations. I know at least once or twice, in the last store in which I worked, the store manager expected his underling managers to kick in a donation for any of their employees that did not do so themselves. I ran the drive once, and it we had a dozen or so that refused to participate, for whatever reason. Yet, somehow, we ended up with 100%, due to the behind the scene directive. The real irony was that when less pressure was used, we had better results, even if fewer donated. I made sure that year that everyone "understood" directed donations, and that is how I was able to get quite a few holdouts to contribute.

[Tampa Turtle]

Yes I was low pressure --it was the depth of the recession--and we had our best year. I asked that everyone please try to do something and most everyone did.