We all either know or have experienced the stories. The “managers” try very hard to get as much in contributions as possible. Even if you don’t want to donate, they still want your contribution card/form back saying that you aren’t donating. In my experience, they are pretty insistent on getting them back, and will hound you (almost) to death.
What accouts for this universal groupthink in Corporate America regarding the UW?
I won’t attempt to analyze the why of that phenomenon, just offer a bit of personal verification that it works the way you say. In two separate jobs I had the misfortune of being virtually forced to support United Way and Jerry’s Kids. I managed to escape both threats (don’t recall exactly how – maybe by lying that I was giving something) but it was heavy pressure.
My guess (and that’s all it is) is that the UW and whatever outfit backs Jerry Lewis’s tearjerk, offer major kickback to the companies for their pressure on their underlings. There’s also that “community spirit” look that companies go for. If they can fly the banner of “We Support <fill in the blank>” it tends to make them look good to the city fathers at tax time and in other ways like that.
I’m not cynical or anything but it stinks!
Ditto that such solicitation practices are in place (at least at my company). It is rather odd, IMO.
In the thread that I think spawned this question, I posited that corporations and other firms that use this solicitation approach use the United Way’s recognition gift (usually a ranking in a publication) as a benchmark by which to compare themselves to other corporations or fims in their field. When Recruit A comes by for an interview, and all things being equal find Corporation X to be more civically minded than Corporation Y, they go with Corp. X.
The United Way provides a very available and convenient comparison point. When Corp. X supports the Civic Ballet and Corp. Y supports the City Orchestra, it’s difficult to compare them. But when Corp. X has 98% employee giving and Corp. Y has 87%, that says something (what, I’m not sure). I’m sure there are also Chamber of Commerce reports that would integrate such rankings as well.
I have read this on more than one occasion here. I have been lucky enough to never encounter it. They do solicit through our company, but there has never been the slightest bit of pressure for me to donate. 'tis a mystery.
In one job I had, the owner/boss was a hardliner about UW. At my current, I just signed a “not interested in giving at this time” card. Quietly awaiting the possible backlash.