United Way is here. Your thoughts?

whether it be to feed the poor children, OR save the earth, OR save the animals, etc. etc.! Just remember that it is to the advantage of the charity to tout a "problem" (that may or may not exist) to extract funds from you----to pay their exhorbitant salary!
Keep your Charitable giving close to home! A $100 bill to a single mom you know to help her make ends meet is going to be used right. A $100 donation to a charity may be used in ways you wouldn't agree with, if you knew!

at 3 different jobs, and then when I was forced to retire with a disability from a job that I loved due to getting rear-ended by a 16 year old on a cell phone in a pick-up truck with MINIMAL insurance coverage. After I had exhausted my auto insurance on medical expenses, I called the local branch of United Way and was told they couldn't help me! Gee, thanks a bunch! I was trying to get help to pay for medication I need just to get through each day.
I did tell the lady that I had contributed to them for years, but I will be sure to spread the word about the kind of help they DON'T offer!
I had NO idea they have such shady practices, thanks for posting that! Now I feel dirty for contributing! From now on I will only contribute to Danny Thomas' hospital that treats kids with cancer regardless of their ability to pay for care; they also help the parents with living expenses while their kids are being treated.

What if instead of money I donated my time and educational literature (The Revolution: A Manifesto)? These kids would be market gurus in no time.

of having the corporate boss push the United Way on us. The region was expected to have a certain percentage of employees participate.

I did the first year....Then decided I to discontinue. I was not a very popular person (not that I care). I think it's not right to pressure employees to participate in "voluntary" stuff that is completely unrelated to the job. All so the big company can advertise how charitable an organization they run!

I give my charity dollars locally....But did give extra during Katrina/Rita thru a couple of professional organizations to which I belong.

Bottom line: If YOU want to give to UW, do it.....If not, then don't. It's your money and no one else gets to make that decision for you.

when they did their full court press on the Boy Scouts. Now I donate directly to the BS of America, and donate nothing to UW. I was a Boy Scout growing up, and trust them more than the United (Nations), I mean Way.

Their CEO has his own private jet, gets paid close to $400,000, they support things like abortions, corporate welfare, and a whole batch of things they never advertise. They say they help "reeducate" the unemployed, but its mostly felons who are going for police officer jobs.

A converse example is the salvation army that pays its CEO around $12,000 and is much more effective in giving care where its needed.

The United Way is a charity monster that says it does all these great things, but it doesn't and you'll just be paying the CEO's salary and killing babies.

They come in acting all high and mighty and act like your money really belongs to them and you should be thankful they're leaving you some.... when I tried to stop them from deducting from my check I had to go through a lot of red tape... rudest people I've ever encountered.

Instead, donate to dvds4delegates... it will be way more worth your while!

Your comment about peer pressure is telling.
Several people I know work at a Department of Energy managed
nuclear facility and say the same thing, donate/participate or your carrier is
in jeopard.
Thanks for the info on who they are affiliated with.

I've never trusted the 'national' charites....look at all the missing $$ the Red Cross lost after huge donations after 9/11. They also screwed up at Katrina. Local churches use the funds and volunteers at a faster pace and with better results. Find something in your home town that may appeal to your own interests...like a battered womens shelter, an animal shelter, or perhaps a school that needs help. Forget the Big Names. Tell the United Way people, that you already give to better run organizations.

This is for "national" United Way, local chapters may vary (look them up separately)
http://www.charitynavigat...

Just tell 'em you already donated your maximum to Ron Paul! ;-)

The UW is a very liberal org, supporting a few private, but mostly taxpayer funded (mixed) liberal orgs. None that I have ever chosen to support privately. I have never supported the United Way for that reason. If there are one or two orgs on your local UW agency list, at least here you can choose to have your donation go to those orgs only.

I make my own charitable decisions. You could take the forms and info and say I'll look it over. Or, no thank you, not at this time.

The people at the top make big bucks. The money comes from donations.

if you don't donate to us, then we'll get the money from taxes. I've wondered how I can work that idea into my own sales presentation.

I support voluntary donations, but the intimidation tactics are something that has always left a sour taste in my mouth.

_________________________________________
"An economy built on fiat money is a society on its way to ashes."

I remember years ago when I worked for UPS, they'd come around close to Christmas every year with the UPS management. No direct threats were ever made, but you got the message pretty clear. Donate, or else. I also remember that there was a huge scandal with the CEO of United Way's huge compensation package and "three" count 'em, THREE Private jets! I'd say screw em. If a corporation wants to donate to a charitable cause fine. I have no problem with that. Just don't expect your employees to share in your philanthropy. They have a right to their own.

Things are only impossible until they are not.
-- Jean Luc Picard

"A wise man judges all things".

Personally, I think they are not worth my money.

Any organization that needs to lay the "heavy hand" on people to "encourage them to donate" is not going to get my money.