FAQs

How will my gift to United Way be invested?

Your gift to United Way of the Bay Area’s Community Fund joins thousands of other contributions to form a single, powerful financial resource committed to changing the odds for the one in five Bay Area families who cannot make ends meet. Each year, through your generosity, we are able to provide vital grants to poverty-fighting Bay Area programs that are making real, lasting change in the lives of struggling Bay Area families. We also provide fundraising assistance to thousands more.

Our experienced staff and volunteers invest your contribution in top-performing local programs that provide pathways out of poverty for Bay Area families:

• Survival: ensuring families and individuals can meet all of their basic needs.
• Stability: helping families and individuals build their own pathways out of poverty.
• Success: empowering the next generation for success.

Regardless of size, each of the programs supported by the Bay Area Community Fund also has access to United Way’s expertise in strategic planning and program development to ensure its sustained effectiveness.

What is 211 ?

211 is a toll-free, easy-to-remember phone number that connects people with important community services, such as child care, flu-shot information, employment assistance, volunteer opportunities, counseling, food, shelter and more. Available 24 hours a day in more than 150 languages, 211 is an integral component of disaster-response infrastructure, directing callers to food, shelter, and evacuation routes.

What is the difference between United Way of the Bay Area, other local United Ways and United Way of America?

Although part of a national movement focused on measurable community impact, United Way of the Bay Area is an independent nonprofit organization serving the seven-county Bay Area. We pay dues to the national organization, United Way of America, in return for which we receive membership as a United Way organization and other benefits such as training and NFL advertising. We operate autonomously— with the flexibility to support the most effective programs that meet the specific needs of the Bay Area—while having the ability to draw on the best ideas of United Ways throughout the country.

Do you accept tangible donations?

United Way is unable to accept tangible donations such as cars, property and jewelry. Please call 211 for information about giving help – from volunteering, to donating blood, to finding organizations that accept tangible donations.

Can I make a contribution to my favorite nonprofit through the United Way of the Bay Area campaign?

Yes. You can make a contribution to any 501(c)3 organization of your choice by writing the name and address of the organization on your contribution form in the space provided. To keep costs as low as possible for our contributors, we require a minimum gift of $48 per agency.

Economies of scale help us effectively fundraise on behalf of thousands of nonprofits across the seven-county Bay Area. Giving through United Way reduces costly and time-consuming fundraising efforts for agencies, so their time can be spent helping others.

Has United Way processed my gift? How can I get information about my contribution?

Contact our Customer Service team at 1-800-273-1779 or email contact@uwba.org.

What’s your overhead?

United Way of the Bay Area’s overhead expense ratio is 21.31%, excluding non-recurring pension expense, based on our FY2009 IRS Form 990 tax return. For nonprofits, the Better Business Bureau suggests this ratio be no more than 35% of each gift.

We keep our expenses low through a commitment to organizational efficiency, a high level of volunteer participation and leadership, in-kind services provided by our partners and responsible investments. In addition to supporting United Way of the Bay Area’s community impact, giving and volunteer programs, our overhead expense also enables us to distribute of donor–designated contributions to over 2,200 nonprofit agencies throughout the Bay Area and United States.

What if I feel pressured to give?

United Way has a clear non-coercion policy, and does not endorse or support coercion in any form. Our community impact is made possible because so many people give voluntarily. Any semblance of pressure (whether real, implied or perceived) is contradictory to our operating standards. If you feel that you have been pressured to give, please contact your Employee Campaign Chairperson to express your concern, or contact our Contributor Services team at 1-800-273-1779.

Why doesn’t United Way of the Bay Area fund the Boy Scouts?

We do not contract with any agency that engages in discrimination, defined as denying service to a potential client or member on the basis of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, religion or presence of a disability. Unfortunately, the Boy Scouts of America do not meet our long-standing policy of non-discrimination.

How can my nonprofit receive a grant or funding from United Way?

We provide financial support to nonprofits in two ways:

• Through our annual workplace campaign, we offer contributors the opportunity to direct their gift to the nonprofit organizations of their choice. [See above "Can I make a contribution to my favorite nonprofit through the United Way of the Bay Area campaign?]
• Through our Bay Area Community Fund, our experienced staff works side by side with community leaders and volunteers to research community needs and invest in top-performing local programs. To be eligible for a United Way Bay Area Community Fund grant, your organization/ program must be aligned with our focus areas and serve the seven-county Bay Area.

What is my agency’s designation code?

A code is not used for gifts directed to specific nonprofit agencies through our annual workplace campaign. Please note: Agency codes are required for the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) as those employees are not allowed to write in agencies. For more information, contact Customer Service at 1-800-273-1779 or email contact@uwba.org.

How can I get information about the status of contributions directed to my nonprofit through the United Way campaign?

Contact our Customer Service team at 1-800-273-1779 or email contact@uwba.org.

How can my nonprofit be included in the online agency search tool?

As a resource for contributors who would like to direct their gift to specific nonprofits through our campaign, we provide a searchable, online listing of nonprofits on our website. To be listed, your nonprofit must be a United Way grantee or have completed our Community Campaign Certification process. To request information about the Community Campaign Certification program, contact us at contact@uwba.org.

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