Frequently Asked Questions

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United Way of Williams County is a locally-based, volunteer-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to funding quality human care services and programs that meet county residents' basic needs and improve community conditions.

United Way focuses on improving our community’s quality of life. Its strength comes from working together with local businesses, government, and nonprofits, making a greater difference than any one organization or person can when working alone.

The United Way system includes more than 1,300 community-based United Way organizations in the United States and around the world. Each is independent, separately incorporated and governed by a local, volunteer Board of Directors.

Because of the unique conditions in diverse communities, the issues United Ways address are determined locally. United Way of Williams County is unique in that it is dedicated to addressing the most pressing community needs and issues facing all areas of Williams County (Alvordton, Blakeslee, Bryan, Edgerton, Edon, Holiday City, Kunkle, Montpelier, Pioneer, Stryker, and West Unity).

Yes, each year an independent CPA firm audits the books and provides an audit and management letter to United Way's Board of Directors. Independent auditors also audit funded agencies.

Our audit is available online under the "About Us" tab --> "Accountability" section.

There is one full-time person and one part-time person at United Way of Williams County. The staff is responsible for the coordination of volunteers who work to fulfill United Way’s mission.

Supporting the work of volunteers, United Way staff:

1) Secure the necessary resources, including more than $300,000 annually, to support needed community programs and services that meet residents basic needs and address pressing community issues.

2) Coordinate United Way’s efforts tackling chronic community problems, like Financial Stability.

3)Participate in various community collaborations aimed at addressing critical community needs and improving the provision of health and human services, including the Williams County Family and Children First Council, and others.

Your United Way is an important funding source and community builder. United Way is a local community-managed, non-profit organization. Volunteer committees oversee all major functions of the organization and a small professional staff administers the day-to-day operations.

United Way is dedicated to effectively investing the community's financial and human resources to make a better community for us all.

United Way raises funds and invests them in health and human service programs in 32 local agencies. United Way works with local volunteers, community agencies, and others to find solutions to our community's most pressing problems.

People in need--your family, friends, neighbors and you. Your local United Way is supported by and helps provide health and human services to everyone who works or lives in Williams County. People who live and/or work in Williams County may access services through the programs and agencies United Way supports. Last year United Way of Williams County, through its member agencies, provided 17,000 units of service within our county.

United Way Worldwide is the organization dedicated to leading the United Way movement in making a measurable impact in each community. United Way of Williams County pays dues of less than one penny of every dollar contributed, or less than 1% of money raised.

Some of the services provided by United Way Worldwide to your local United Way include: training credits, affiliations with the National Football League, advertising, materials discounts, market reports, fund raising reports and data, access to national organizations with coordinated fund raising, staff and volunteer training programs, group purchasing discounts, networking opportunities and national lobbying efforts.

The value of benefits received from United Way Worldwide is always far more than is paid in dues and helps keep our local costs down.

NO. Though United Ways share a logo and have similar missions, each United Way is independently incorporated and is led by local staff and volunteers. The work of each United Way is determined by its community needs.

Each United Way organization is completely autonomous; locally governed, organized and operated.

A volunteer board of trustees governs United Way of Williams County. It is made up people who live and/or work within our county. This board is independent and makes policy and funding decisions for our United Way. You can view a listing of board members by clicking on the “About Us” menu item and choosing the “Volunteer Leadership” item.

Each year local volunteers evaluate each agency that applies for United Way funding. Each agency must be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) health and human service nonprofit organization, be governed by a volunteer board of directors, be audited annually by a CPA firm, annually present and defend their entire budget to the volunteers, and operate at a reasonable cost

Yes. United Way financially supports programs providing numerous emergency services. These services include help with food, shelter, clothing, utilities, medical needs, victim support, crisis counseling and financial assistance. Individuals can also access a database of more than 5,000 programs through referrals given by 2-1-1. Additionally, United Way convenes the local board of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) and determines the distribution of these federal funds to local nonprofit organizations to supplement emergency food and shelter programs.

In February, 1992, a Washington Post article outlined lax management and lavish spending by United Way of America President William Aramony. Intense pressure from local United Ways prompted Aramony's retirement announcement less than two weeks later. Mr. Aramony and several other former United Way of America senior managers have since been convicted of mismanagement and misuse of United Way of America's funds, and served time in jail. A new president, new financial control systems, six new oversight committees and an expansion of the number of representatives of local United Ways at the board and committee level have corrected the problems.

It is important to note that no local dollars were lost or at risk during this time.

No. At United Way special events and meetings, corporations and/or individuals are asked to pay for the cost of attending.

United Way contributions come from individuals like you and from companies throughout Williams County.

United Way of Williams County raised $328,665 in last year's campaign (Campaign 2009). This represented 99.6% of our $330,000 goal.

Your gift to United Way of Williams County stays in Williams County, unless you designate it elsewhere. United Way of Williams County is the largest non-governmental funder of local community programs and services in Williams County. United Way dollars are targeted to meet critical community needs in the county not funded by other sources and invest in long-term solutions to top social problems. Currently, United Way funds programs at 32 different agencies.

Volunteers. Individuals like you, who represent a broad spectrum of the Williams County area serving on the United Way board. The United Way of Williams County is a local autonomous organization making local decisions on how monies are raised and how monies are spent. We are not governed by a national organization, or do we follow mandated policies and procedures.

Each year, all services and programs currently funded by United Way are reviewed by volunteers, who are trained in analyzing budgets, program efficiency and effectiveness. Organizations seeking funding present written proposals to United Way and its volunteer teams. Funding decisions are based on dollars available, community need and on the ability of the applicant to meet that need.

More than 75 cents of every dollar donated to United Way of Williams County supports local services and programs that meet basic needs, improve community conditions and help get to the root causes of some our most pressing problem. United Way of Williams County’s overhead cost of just 24.2 cents per dollar raised is below the standard of 35 cents recommended for charities by the Better Business Bureau.

Charitable giving is a personal and voluntary decision and the United Way of Williams County encourages you to do what is most comfortable to you. A gift to United Way of Williams County is an investment that benefits the entire community, not just one program, issue, or population.

There are many valuable non-profit organizations in the area you may care about. United Way provides an opportunity for your one gift to support a variety of local needs. If everyone designated their gifts to their favorite agency, many services to those in need would not be available to the community. Through one gift to United Way, you can accomplish so much good!

You can also be assured that your gift to United Way of Williams County goes directly to fund programs that help people most in need. United Way conducts periodic needs assessments to ensure donor dollars are addressing the most pressing community needs. We also monitor funded programs and initiatives annually to make sure they are efficiently and effectively improving people's lives and making a positive impact. United Way of Williams County volunteers ensure that contributions are doing the most good in the community.

Finally, contributing through United Way guarantees agencies funds they can rely on every month rather than depending on sporadic contributions.

Though you have the opportunity to designate to any of the funded agencies of United Way of Williams County, and other United Ways across the country, please consider giving to the United Way Community Care Fund, which supports all of the agencies.

United Way of Williams County believes that charitable giving is a personal and voluntary decision. We encourage each spouse/partner to participate in his/her employer's United Way workplace campaign. The combined total of both gifts may qualify you for leadership giving recognition.

YES! Giving to United Way is strictly voluntary. United Way does not use or approve of coercion. Education about how United Way agencies help people is the best way to encourage contribution.

Not every agency appeals to every donor, but all agencies have met the meticulous standards of our United Way and the programs we fund meet needs within our community. If you like, you can designate to any one agency that fits your charitable goals.

About 99 cents of every dollar raised stays in Williams County.

Chances are, you or someone you know will use a United Way member agency service or program in your lifetime. When you consider the tremendous range of services provided by United Way funded programs, you or a family member will probably use one of the services at some point in time. Perhaps your son will become a Boy Scout or your daughter a Girl Scout. Or perhaps a family will need other services our agencies provide. Whatever the occasion, United Way funded programs meet the needs of thousands of people in our service area, assuring all of us a better place to live, work, and play.

Payroll deduction is by far the most convenient method of contribution. A small amount is taken from your paycheck per payday, allowing you to make a small contribution each week that can make a big difference in the course of a year.

One of the benefits of contributing to the United Way is that you know where your money goes. The volunteers serving on the United Way's Community Investment Committees monitor "where the money goes" from a budgetary standpoint, as well as programs and services. you have specific concerns, please call the United Way office at 419-636-8603 to answer your questions.

Your tax dollars do support many social services in the community. Unfortunately, we have seen dramatic reductions in Federal and State support of social services over the past 10 years and we expect that trend to continue. Local services are perceived to be the responsibility of the local community. That is why we need your help to continue these important services.

If you live in another town or city, remember that you can direct gifts to United Ways serving your own community through the United Way's donor choice program.

Yes. In order to maintain the integrity of the United Way Community Investment process and to make sure that the safety net of services is available, United Way retains a fee of 15% of agency designations. This fee goes to the General Fund which benefits all agencies. United Way pays agencies based on the amount raised, not the amount collected, which allows them to receive more dollars.

Designations to other United Ways are charged a minimal fee (usually 7.5%). Many United Ways all across our region have agreed to this fee, including Defiance, Fulton and Henry Counties. Based on United Way Worldwide guidelines, we can charge up to our full overhead costs. We have chosen to charge this lower rate in the spirit of cooperation with others. United Ways that have not agreed to the lower fee charge much higher rates to us when sending donor designated funds to our community.

Yes. Designated funds are not taken into consideration when volunteers make their annual funding decisions. For example, if an agency receives $1,000 through the funds distribution process and designations totaling $1,000, the agency will receive a total of $2,000.

Your gift is tax deductible to the full extent of the law, as long as you itemize deductions.

It depends on the amount of your gift and how it was made. If you made your gift through payroll deductions, a receipt is not necessary. (And in fact, because your gift goes through your employer, who then makes monthly or bi-monthly payments to United Way, we would be unable to provide a receipt because those payments are not broken down by individual donor amounts.) Should you need a receipt for itemized tax purposes, you can use your December 31 paystub or your W-2 if your employer shows that information.

For gifts of $250 or greater paid in cash or individual payments, receipts are mailed at the end of January. Per tax law, this receipt also confirms that the donor did not receive any goods or services in exchange for their gift. Gifts less than $250 do not, by tax law, require a receipt from the charity that receives it.

If you used a three-part pledge card, please keep the pink copy for your records.

By giving a small amount each pay period through payroll deduction, most working people can afford to contribute. Even a small contribution will help someone who might not otherwise receive help. For example, if every working individual donated just $1 each week, that would equal $1 million for our community needs.

United Way agencies must meet strict guidelines. An agency must demonstrate that it is performing an essential service to the community. It must be a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation governed by a volunteer managing board whose members are elected. Its operations are to be conducted by a trained, professional staff where appropriate. It must undergo an independent annual financial audit or equivalent evaluation and must meet reasonable standards of financial responsibility and efficiency.

No service provider is completely funded by United Way dollars. Organizations may depend upon service or membership fees, endowments, or grants for financial support. Frequently, organizations offer sliding fee schedules so that people are charged, where appropriate, based on their ability to pay.

Any registered not-for-profit agency that provides health and human services to the people of Williams County and meets identified critical community needs and priorities may apply for United Way funding. Agencies must submit detailed financial statements, a certified audit, as well as information on programs and services to be provided. Volunteers review all applicants and make decisions about funding. For more information about applying, contact United Way staff.

No individual or family is turned away deliberately. Usually when people are unable to receive help from a non-profit organization, it is because limited funds necessitate long waiting lists or because the organization does not offer the specific services individuals or families are seeking.

United Way of Williams County support provides only part of the operational expenses of our funding partners. In other words, United Way dollars fund specific programs and initiatives of each funding partner. United Way does not fund the entire agency.

All funding partners agree not to solicit through payroll deductions at the workplace and not to solicit gifts during the United Way campaign (August 15-October 31). They can fundraise in the community outside of this time period to help support programs and operating expenses. If you are already supporting the United Way campaign, you know you are already making a significant contribution to the community and assisting that agency's mission.

No, United Way of Williams County does not currently fund Planned Parenthood or any other organization that renders abortion services.

Yes. United Way of Williams County historically and currently invests in the Boy Scouts of America, Black Swamp Council.

There are some organizations that provide some human care programs that are religiously affiliated. United Way Worldwide prohibits the direct support of churches but does allow us to assist church-sponsored organizations that are providing social services. United Way funds are directed to those programs of the organizations that serve the community. In fact, many churches themselves support United Way.

Agency programs are available to anyone regardless of race, creed or religion.