Employer really pushing for United Way. Why?

I’m all for charity and volunteering and such, but my employer’s recent activities confuse me. Can somebody explain all of this?

The company has always encouraged employees to give to the United Way. It goes so far as to donate matching funds equal to 125% of employee contributions. We are supposedly the largest contirbutor in the city. This is all well and good.

However, over the last several years, the requests for donations have become more frequent and shrill, transitioning from a table and thermometer sign in the cafeteria to near daily emailed reminders to give. Lately, things have gotten somewhat…unusual. Apparently several days ago all of the managers (several hundred people) were ‘invited’ to a presentation given by the CEO and several other upper management types, including the universally feared head of HR. It is not known what was said there, but for the last 2 days the rank and file workers have been getting emails from several layers of managers, including our direct supervisors. The tone of the messages is borderline threatening, with thinly veiled references to a round of layoffs earlier this summer and fairly explicit statements that we are lucky to have jobs and not need charitable help. It is made verpy clear that ‘they’ know exactly how much everyone has given.

It seems clear that the company really wants us to give. Moreso than in the past. So much so that they are attempting to motivate us with fear. Why do they care so much? What is different now?

The optimistic view is that I’m imagining the threats and our corporate officers are good and noble people, who recognize the greater need for charity in these difficult times. They are merely reminding us to do our bit for society.

The neutral view is that this is just more corporate dick-waving. Our corner office guys want to stick it to their golfing buddies who work for the competition by showing them that they can better motivate the proles. Meanwhile, the company gets a charitable deduction and a nice newspaper photo of the CEO holding a giant cardboard check.

The cynical view is that there is some kind of kickback to our management based on how much is brought in, or that they have friends who work for United Way who receive similar remuneration.
Am I paranoid?

I’d suggest reading this thread, one of my favorites of all time.

Post #9 leads me to believe that something about workplace United Way giving induces people to type ‘dick’ and ‘golfing buddy’.

Damn that’s freaky, I swear I didn’t read that thread before you pointed it out.

Companies that make charitable contributions, like private citizens, get to claim it on taxes. I have often wondered if (since it presumabely comes out of your check directly), the business is able to claim the entire amount as their donation?

minor hijack

Would you be working for a large data processing company, formerly owned by Ross Perot, then GM, and now by itself?

/minor hijack

Holy shit, we work for the same company. I think I’ve deleted four e-mails [del]forcing[/del] encouraging me to give today, not to mention the “GIVE OR DIE!!!” flyer that was in my snail mailbox. Enough already.

It’s corporate dick-waving. Give to the charities that you personally support, and never mind all the United Way hoopla bullshit (United Way is NOT on my list of acceptable charities - google “United Way Scam” and “United Way Scandal” for more information).

That would drive me absolutely nuts! I consider my charitable choices to be my own business, and I don’t need it automatically extracted from my paycheck. I’ll give what I want when I want to organizations of my choice.

Fortunately, being a federal employee, while they can encourage me as much as they want to give to CFC, they can’t get nasty about it.

It’s especially insulting for them to be demanding that you GIVE NOW OR ELSE at the same time one is working at a company which permanently cut salaries, eliminated benefits, zeroed out bonuses, and laid off large parts of the company, all within the last year. Of course everything’s couched in terms of “Hey, at least you’re not living in a trash dumpster, so give now, asshole!”

The United Way claims to frown upon pressure tactics like this. Maybe it would be worth forwarding some of these emails to them (make sure you do it anonymously, though), and suggesting that they look into it.

Of course, despite their claims to frown on it, i wouldn’t be surprised if they really don’t give a fuck, because the more pressure the corporate suits put on their employees, the more money UW gets.

I volunteered for the combined charities campaign this year. If one defines “volunteer” as someone who was asked by his boss using a phrase without a question mark at the end of it.
I really don’t like the United Way. I like some of the charities involved in the United Way conglomerate. I’ve given to some of them directly. But I really really hate the United Way.

Our goal this year is $500,000 total for around 4,500 people or around $110 per person. That seems a tad high to me but apparently we’ve reached those numbers for several years running. Problem this year is that we’ve not only had a hiring freeze, not only a freeze in salaries (i.e. no raises), but a 10% reduction in workforce. So this should be a fun way to boost morale…
United Way’s taking an 11% cut on it. So if we reach our goals, we’re basically cutting them a check for $55,000.

Oh, and here’s the part which simultaneously titilates and disgusts me. The major way in which people can donate is through a straight percentage donation on their paychecks. They can donate anywhere from .5% up to 2% by checking a box on a form I’ll be passing out to everyone in my department.
Now, these forms are tailored to the individual employee. Which means that not only do they have the percentage as part of the checked off box, they’ll also have the dollar value associated with it. To put that in layman’s terms, as of this Friday I will know exactly how much every single person in this department makes. That just seems so wrong I don’t know where to begin but damned if I’m going to complain about the information.

I doubt there are kickbacks. I worked for a multi-billion dollar company and my managerial performance review form included what percent of my crew were signed up. I passed out the fliers but refused to push it. and it never was actually mentioned during a review.

But the key was just that the big boss founder was on the their committee, roped into sponsoring the charity ball each year, and the first tier below him were suck ups who knew a way to impress him besides doing their main jobs.

Yeah, I hate the CFC. I give to charities listed in their book, just on my own.

A few years ago, they had a video with signing Federal employees, warbling about how great it was to contribute through the CFC. I hope somebody put it on YouTube, it was hilarious!

Despite your CIA-level obfuscation, I’m going to guess that you’re referring to EDS. If so, you should be aware that it’s now owned by Hewlett-Packard.

DOES the United Way offer kickbacks? Prizes for the boss if he gets 100% participation?

We had a superintendent whose financial skills were…well, let’s just say that if he’d stayed, he would have run the school district into a financial brick wall at 120 mph. (He no longer works here.)

He was a nut for United Way, but only one year. I always suspected he got something big…like a trip or a car or something.

It’s a lot easier for a teacher to say no, so I feel sorry for anyone in corporate, for example. The threats of layoffs are downright scary.

Seriously?

Weird.

There are no kickbacks. The business cannot deduct what you give.

Other than a nice plaque and bragging rights, there’s no reason for it.

However, in the corporate world, that’s enough. After all, usually it costs them little and gets them good PR.

I worked for a company that did this and hated it. Repeated emails, visits at your desk to personally drop off and pick up donation cards, huge banners everywhere, meetings and all of it.

I love my current company. They offer a variety of charitiable giving deductions that you can take advantage of, but there is zero pressure. We receive one email letting us know and there is a website you can go to to make your donation if you choose. No other pressure and I’ve never even heard a manager mention it.

Well as long as you don’t run into the Parade of Hope you will be ok

“The toughest of all the charities”

The agency I work for pushes UW heavily every year. We are also a RECIPIENT of funds from UW. The agency wants us to request that UW give the agency the money.

Screw that. I’m NOT giving my company a donation out of my paycheck.

They had a campaign like this in my old company. This was about the time that William Aramony, former CEO of the United Way was revealed to be making a $1M a year salary. Yes, the contributions from wage slaves was making this guy rich.

I took great pleasure in saying “no thanks”.

My new company has a page on the intranet where you can donate, but other than that there is no mention of anything like that. No campaign, nothing.