# Fuck United Way! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 21, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612 "2006-09-21T20:38:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/41 "2006-09-22T17:15:21Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Just say: “I can’t donate through United Way, _it’s for religous reasons_. I am sure you understand.” [/QUOTE] NOW I can’t wait for the personal “no-pressure” donation request. 😃 This one I can pull off around here. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/42 "2006-09-22T17:17:17Z")
**934spe** , most large charities pay their Chief Executive well, but considerably less than market rates for a Chief Executive of a comparable for-profit firm. Giving to UW to give to another charity, such as Red Cross (RC), is counter-productive. Let’s assume each consume 10% (made up) in administrative costs. You give $10. If you give through UW, UW takes $1 and then sends $9 on to RC. RC will then consume $0.90 in administrative fees, so only $8.10 buys medicing and food for refugees. If RC farms work out to other charity organisations, this can repeat. Giving directly to RC, RC takes $1 for administrative fees, and then has $9.00 to spend on aid. Because UW works as an aggregator, and generally hooks right into payroll, it helps to collect a much larger amount than the charities could on their own. But if you wish to conscienciously give to a certain charity, you help the recipients more by taking away the middleman and giving direct. ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/43 "2006-09-22T17:25:39Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Tell them you already donate on your own. I refuse to donate to UW after a pitch they gave, where the guy was talking about this kid that had been molested and put in a foster home, where he was molested _there_, and how that was a good thing, because it moved him to the top of The List and they could help him. 😕 :eek: :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Holy fucking shit. We got the same freaking speech here. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/44 "2006-09-22T17:34:49Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Just say: “I can’t donate through United Way, _it’s for religous reasons_. I am sure you understand.” [/QUOTE] It doesn’t even have to be a lie. Just say to yourself “Holy shit! What in God’s name are they thinking? Jesus fucking Christ on a Wheat Thin, no way am I donating!” ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/45 "2006-09-22T17:37:30Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] And while it’s true that I could give money directly to one of the UW agencies, saving them the administrative skim off the top, you guys need to come to grips with how lazy I am. Without UW making it pathetically easy for me to give, those agencies would get nothing from me. [/QUOTE] So they’re kind of like the corner check-cashing/Lotto ticket/smoke shop of charitable organizations, then? Giving to the United Way is like feeding pigeons; it just encourages them to breed and crap all over the place. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/46 "2006-09-22T17:58:44Z")
[QUOTE=Count Blucher] I know I’ve been away a long time, but the last time this subject came up, I remember being crucified for not giving. [/QUOTE] Wow. Every UW thread that I can remember is just a giant bag session on the UW and workplace giving. Dishing on the UW is one of the few annual traditions that brings joy to my cold, bitter heart. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/47 "2006-09-22T18:11:53Z")
[QUOTE=Count Blucher] I know I’ve been away a long time, but the last time this subject came up, I remember being crucified for not giving. Of course part of the reason was that the first time I ever saw them come around asking, I was in a prior career and was Severely under paid, as was everyone with me. The UW rep pulled up in a 7-series BMW, stepped out with better than $2000 worth of clothes on and one of those expensive designer hand-bags. If I knew shoes, I would have bet they were big $$$ designer items also. Head to toe, she put the entire wardrobe of ‘sex in the city’ in all of its seasons to shame. She was the one who gave the presentation about how they needed money and wanted 100% compliance, when I knew that every person forced to sit through it with me had brought in a bagged lunch because they had to. About a million and one UW apologists jumped me for judging Imelda Marcos harshly for asking the working poor for money. [/QUOTE] I would have backed you up. I hate those parasites. They are the lowest of the low, making big money off of Charity. Most Police organization that call are the same way, 10% goes to the cops and the rest god knows where. I give to my local police and 97% goes to their charity that way. The police ones in NJ have actually gotten obnoxious on the phones, they sounded like Goombas or at least extras from the Sopranos. Jim ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/48 "2006-09-22T18:28:15Z")
[QUOTE=hajario] Wow. Every UW thread that I can remember is just a giant bag session on the UW and workplace giving. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I must have missed that one. I would have defended you otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/49 "2006-09-22T18:42:32Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] The police ones in NJ have actually gotten obnoxious on the phones, they sounded like Goombas or at least extras from the Sopranos. Jim [/QUOTE] You’re surprised by this? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/50 "2006-09-22T18:48:02Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] You’re surprised by this? [/QUOTE] He’s 100% spot on. I tell them to send things to me in writing anymore because they sound like Grifters. If it is a Grift, too bad. If its not, I hope somebody re-vamps their approach. Of course, I can’t say I never fall for scams. I bought a chance on Mustang on the Wildwood Boardwalk just this summer. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/51 "2006-09-22T18:56:58Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] You’re surprised by this? [/QUOTE] Surprised? No, just disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/52 "2006-09-22T19:21:07Z")
[QUOTE=Count Blucher] I bought a chance on Mustang on the Wildwood Boardwalk just this summer. :smack: [/QUOTE] Didja win? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/53 "2006-09-22T19:23:42Z")
> [@](#): > > The United Way of America has changed its pension plan to bar lump-sum payouts, after reporting that it had made a $1.5-million pension payment to its former chief executive, Betty Stanley Beene, when she departed after four years in the job. Brian Gallagher, United Way’s chief executive, said the organization’s board felt the payment reflected Ms. Beene’s 27 years of service at local United Ways and at the Girl Scouts, and was fair. [Source](http://philanthropy.com/free/articles/v15/i24/24002701.htm) Too little, too late. ```php [United Way: Brian A. Gallagher President, CEO Compensation $439,323 **% of Expenses 1.18%** ](http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/4629/print/1.htm) ``` Also, I’ll at least not be completely negative against the United Way when ALL the chapters stop supporting the [Boy](http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A187300) [Scouts](http://atheism.about.com/b/a/051385.htm) of America. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/54 "2006-09-22T20:08:01Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] We’re trying for 100% compliance this year. You’re a team player, aren’t you? [/QUOTE] I was never prouder of my husband than when his department at work had 100%compliance with NOT donating to the United Way Strong-Arm Campaign. You go, boys! I’ve worked in charity fund-raising myself, and I will seriously consider leaving a job before I will be strong-armed/guilted into donating to the UW. A corporate environment that supports those kinds of tactics for a charity as highly questionable as the UW is not an environment I want to work in. And another thing - are you guys getting tax receipts for your donations through work? Cause as far as I know, your employer is. Everything you donate that your employer submits gets them a nice, juicy tax receipt. Yet another reason to pick charities that mean something to YOU, and donate to them directly. ---
**Author:** ![galt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/55 "2006-09-22T20:21:07Z")
I have to say I don’t understand why people object to people like the CEO of United Way making a lot of money. The CEO is not the charity, the CEO _runs_ the charity. They have to hire a good one, and they have to pay a lot for a good one. I’m sure the programmers building the UW web site get paid just as much as other web programmers, because they have to pay competitive wages in order to hire talent. Don’t expect that everyone working at a charity is doing it because they are interested in making every sacrifice possible towards that charity. They’re doing it because it’s their job. Now, the fact that their job is at an organization that makes them feel warm and fuzzy because it’s a nonprofit is probably a factor for many of them, but it doesn’t count for nearly as much as the fact that they get paid. Otherwise, they’d be called **volunteers**. UW still sucks though. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/56 "2006-09-22T20:28:00Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] I was never prouder of my husband than when his department at work had 100%compliance with NOT donating to the United Way Strong-Arm Campaign. You go, boys!.. [/QUOTE] A few years ago corporate decided to try get and many employees as possible to donate. Store Managers got bonus if they had high compliance. Our office manager had to ask every associate to donate. Her responce? Over the course of a week she called everyone into the office asked “You don’t want to _give up_ part of **every** paycheck to United Way, do you?”. She talked the few (3) people who said yes out of it. In the end our SM was the only one signed up and he didn’t get his bonus 😃 . ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/57 "2006-09-22T20:42:32Z")
[QUOTE=stpauler Also, I’ll at least not be completely negative against the United Way when ALL the chapters stop supporting the [Boy] ([Boy Scouts and United Way Agree to Disagree: Despite calls for a boycott, local reaction muted to split between United Way and Boy Scouts - News - The Austin Chronicle](http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A187300)) [Scouts](http://atheism.about.com/b/a/051385.htm) of America. [/QUOTE] Actually, one of the reason I don’t support the UW is that too many branches don’t support BSA. **galt** - I certainly expect the CEO of UW to make a decently high wage and get good benefits. But “a $1.5-million pension payment to its former chief executive, Betty Stanley Beene, when she departed after four years in the job” is just far too fucking much. No way anyone deserves 1.5 million for 4 years work. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/58 "2006-09-22T20:45:51Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder] [This is true](http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/973910/posts), or at least was at the time of **Boyo Jim** ’s thread, listed above. The preferred group gets only what the UW’s budget allocates to them, and nothing more even if a ton of people decide to support them via the UW in this manner. [/QUOTE] Actually, according to the article you linked, this is only the case for some UW regions: > [@](#): > > Nationally, only about one-third of larger-city United Ways, those that raise more than $9 million, handle donor choice as Milwaukee does. The rest maintain two separate pots of money, one for designated donations and the other for undesignated gifts. The agencies in those cities make their allocations, then add the designated donations on top. I still dislike United Way, though, and love the periodic threads about their strongarm tactics. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/59 "2006-09-22T20:46:32Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Actually, one of the reason I don’t support the UW is that too many branches don’t support BSA. **galt** - I certainly expect the CEO of UW to make a decently high wage and get good benefits. But “a $1.5-million pension payment to its former chief executive, Betty Stanley Beene, when she departed after four years in the job” is just far too fucking much. No way anyone deserves 1.5 million for 4 years work. [/QUOTE] Even if the person did deserve the money, not from a non-profit. I would rather not support a non-profit large enough to have to run like a large corporation. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612/60 "2006-09-22T20:50:52Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Actually, one of the reason I don’t support the UW is that too many branches don’t support BSA. [/QUOTE] Yeah, it’s a damn shame that there isn’t more hate around. Ass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-united-way/373612.md?page=4)