F.A.Q.

Frequently Asked Questions

You've got questions, we've got answers.  If you have a question about United Way, feel free to contact us.  Here are some of the frequent questions we get asked and the answers you need to know. 

Q:  I can only afford to give a little, will it really make a difference? 

A:  YES!  Every dollar counts and helps us towards our community goals.  In fact, United Way of Volusia-Flagler's largest supporter is Publix Supermarkets and Publix Supermarket Charities.  Each year hundreds of Publix employees give, often as little as $.50 a paycheck, to help United Way and its Partner Agencies.  Those numbers add up quickly to close to $900,000 annually! That's a lot of quarters adding up to a lot of dollars.

Q:  How do I know that my donation will be well managed? 

A:  United Way is governed by a very large board of 50 volunteers.  These board members take their job seriously and stringently review all of United Way's financial decisions, funding allocations, expenses, strategic planning and more.  Volunteers make all allocations funding decisions based on program outcomes and agency reviews.  You can see our outcome and our financial documents, including our 990 online. 

 

Q:  What is your admin/overhead rate? 

A:  We strive to keep our administration rate as low as possible, while still having the funds necessary to create lasting change.  Fundraising levels can fluctuate from year to year, but we still have to pay the light bill.  Typically, our admin & fundraising rate is between 12-18% each year.  This is well below federal and state guidelines.  We are also helping other organizations save on their fundraising costs.  The funds that an agency awarded through the allocations process are funds that that agency does not have to go out and raise themselves.  We also believe that when the conversation about admin/overhead rates comes up, it is a great idea to talk about outcomes and what it takes to get there.  There are some great resources online including "The Overhead Myth" and the Ted Talk by Dan Pallotta.  Both are excellent ways to start a dialogue about how we talk about charitable giving.

 

Q:  What agencies do you fund? 

A:  United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties funds programs through our reviewed Funded Partners.  In addition, we work with even more nonprofits in our community.  To those we offer everything from support with volunteer engagement to one-time limited grants through our Women United affinity groups, Emergency Food and Shelter Program, and Community Foundation. 

 

More coming soon!