# Guess where some of your United Way contribution goes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 28, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794 "2014-10-28T20:41:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/1 "2014-10-28T20:41:53Z")
While some of your contributions are going towards making sure children get well-needed vaccinations, some of it is going towards [the exact opposite-The National Vaccine Information Center](http://www.unitedwaynca.org/pages/charity/national-vaccine-information-center1). That’s right, those anti-vaxing yahoos get some of your United Way contribution. ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/2 "2014-10-29T00:09:06Z")
Sigh. While I had already decided not to for-real donate to my workplace’s United Way drive, now I even regret the $2 ice cream sandwich I bought from it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/3 "2014-10-29T02:46:25Z")
I wonder how many other like-minded groups United Way sponsors? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/4 "2014-10-29T02:58:24Z")
I gave up giving to UW a long time ago, but to be fair, the UW at my work has an option of allowing the donor to give excursively to whatever programs UW offers. Still though, that’s fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/5 "2014-10-29T03:17:25Z")
I am not surprised, but then, I already refuse to give to anyone who ambushes me in my workplace. Just last week I set up a rule to block all emails containing the phrase “United Way.” ---
**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:** [October 29, 2014, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/6 "2014-10-29T03:28:13Z")
I was going to guess “Al Qaeda.” ---
**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:** [October 29, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/7 "2014-10-29T03:29:28Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I gave up giving to UW a long time ago, but to be fair, the UW at my work has an option of allowing the donor to give excursively to whatever programs UW offers.\ That still screws the smaller charities out of donated money, because instead of getting your $20 donation, they get a smaller piece after UW takes their pound of flesh. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/8 "2014-10-29T04:52:50Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That still screws the smaller charities out of donated money, because instead of getting your $20 donation, they get a smaller piece after UW takes their pound of flesh. At an old employer I donated through UW overwhelmingly to a place that I volunteered at (with a little to another local charity I specifically picked). I could have just dropped some cash in the donation bowl when I was volunteering… but my employer had a partial match on employee contributions. The net effect was a bigger donation than me donating directly. Without that I’d stay away from UW and donate directly. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/9 "2014-10-29T05:15:56Z")
It looks like only the United Way of the National Capital Area contributes to that anti-vaccination group. So if you live elsewhere in the country, your money isn’t going to them. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/10 "2014-10-29T05:21:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > It looks like only the United Way of the National Capital Area contributes to that anti-vaccination group. So if you live elsewhere in the country, your money isn’t going to them. That sure changes the scope of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/11 "2014-10-29T05:50:42Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > It looks like only the United Way of the National Capital Area contributes to that anti-vaccination group. :smack: I should have caught that possibility. One of the years my volunteer organization was affiliated with UW I was part of doing the paperwork. It was strictly a regional sub-organization that listed us as a supported charity. There can still be other weird organizations that make it through for anyone else’s area. That’s a useful point from the OP. The paperwork was pretty intensive to justify getting funding but apparently one woo-tastic organization made the cut. There may be other organizations listed in other areas that would make most here grind their teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/12 "2014-10-29T06:19:06Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I was going to guess “Al Qaeda.” I was going to guess “ISIL.” The OP seems rather anti-climactic in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/13 "2014-10-29T12:48:04Z")
I stopped giving through UW decades back for extensions of all these reasons. It’s the McDonald’s of charity, easy and convenient and heavily promoted… and third rate. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/14 "2014-10-29T13:27:40Z")
The NVIC wants to celebrate Halloween by having parents pass out candy with anti-vax stickers: > **[Anti Vaxx propaganda in Halloween candy.](https://www.mamamia.com.au/anti-vaxx-propaganda-in-halloween-candy/)** > > NOPE. My mother’s generation campaigned for the March of Dimes. My generation campaigned for Greenpeace. My daughters are apparently supposed to drop the UNICEF boxes and pass out this shit instead. Because nothing says fun like polio or pertussis! ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/15 "2014-10-29T13:41:59Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > The NVIC wants to celebrate Halloween by having parents pass out candy with anti-vax stickers: Hmm… free candy from somebody trying to bring back contagious and potentially deadly diseases. Seems legit. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/16 "2014-10-29T14:17:24Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I was going to guess “ISIL.” The OP seems rather anti-climactic in comparison. That’s why it was posted in MPSIMS, instead of Great Debates or The BBQ Pit. I just found it interesting that United Way monies were going towards anti-vaxers. And thanks to those that have pointed out that only that local area would be paying for it, because I didn’t know it worked that way. Is there a way to get a list of groups my local United Way supports to see if they do anything similarly skiffy? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/17 "2014-10-29T18:08:36Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > That’s why it was posted in MPSIMS, instead of Great Debates or The BBQ Pit. I just found it interesting that United Way monies were going towards anti-vaxers. And thanks to those that have pointed out that only that local area would be paying for it, because I didn’t know it worked that way. Is there a way to get a list of groups my local United Way supports to see if they do anything similarly skiffy? If you are in a workplace that does UW, the materials should include a list of local agencies they support (in part because as above, you can designate the recipient of your donations). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/18 "2014-10-29T19:01:44Z")
United Ways are different in different areas; ours does not include NVIC. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/19 "2014-10-29T20:44:25Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > While some of your contributions are going towards making sure children get well-needed vaccinations, some of it is going towards [the exact opposite-The National Vaccine Information Center](http://www.unitedwaynca.org/pages/charity/national-vaccine-information-center1). That’s right, those anti-vaxing yahoos get some of your United Way contribution. I think you might be over-reacting. The United Way acts as a go-between for a lot of donations. If you want to do a payroll deduction, it often goes to United Way and is then flagged to end up at whatever charity you choose.Imagine a company that allows charitable payroll deductions having to send the contributions to a hundred different charities. They can avoid that hassle by sending all the money to the United Way and allowing UW to divvy it up. That’s what the Designation Code is for on that web page you linked to. For designated giving like this, the United Way is not choosing what money goes there, the people giving the donations are. It’s not an endorsement by the United Way, or necessarily someone that would receive money from the UW’s general funds. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794/20 "2014-10-29T21:17:02Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I gave up giving to UW a long time ago, but to be fair, the UW at my work has an option of allowing the donor to give excursively to whatever programs UW offers. The problem with that is that UW usually doesn’t support small local charities. The [United States Humane Society](http://www.humanesociety.org/) isn’t your local Humane Society and the local one probably doesn’t get a penny from them. RL horror story ensues: Our small 401C rescue group wasn’t eligible for UW money. We also never got a penny from the USHS. One day, the director got a frantic call from a person who had an elderly cat on her hands, wanting us to take said cat. The owner had left everything to the USHS AND wanted her elderly cat to be taken care of. The USHS was there to sell everything off and planned to take the cat to the pound. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That still screws the smaller charities out of donated money, because instead of getting your $20 donation, they get a smaller piece after UW takes their pound of flesh. Even though I refuse to sign up with them for many reasons, I do kinda see the point of pay check deductions. Most people will drop 20 bucks in the donation box if they are there, they usually aren’t there every couple of weeks, so the while the smaller charities get less per donation, they do get more money overall. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-where-some-of-your-united-way-contribution-goes/702794.md?page=2)