Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mission Statement of United Way?
To improve lives and strengthen the communities
of Ajax, Pickering and Uxbridge by inspiring people
to make a difference.
Why should I give to the United Way – no
one I know uses the services they support?
United Way touches the lives of 1 in 3 people in
Ajax-Pickering-Uxbridge. With statistics like that
it is likely that a family member, friend, neighbour
or co-worker has or will benefit from United Way.
Chances are that United Way has already helped someone
you know. Your donation to United Way reaches a wide
variety of health and human care agencies that provide
essential services to children, youth, seniors, women,
men, families and people living with illness or disabilities.
How much of my donation is spent on fund raising
costs?
United Way of APU runs almost entirely on volunteer
power. This enormous community-wide effort has a
volunteer to staff ratio of approximately 80-1. Because of the generosity of our volunteers we are able to put 83% of funds raised back into the community, keeping our administrative costs down to approximately 17%.
United Way is just another layer of administration,
why wouldn’t I just give directly to the service
provider?
United Way raises funds for more than 50 vital programs
and services in our community supporting 29 agencies.
Without the support of United Way, these agencies
would have to hire additional staff to fundraise
in order to maintain their service level. This would
avert the attention from their primary mandate, which
is to deliver services.
How do I know that the money I donate is going where
it is most needed?
Every year a group of interested citizens reviews
the operations of the service providers funded by
United Way to ensure the programs/services delivered
are relevant to our community, are operated effectively
and efficiently and makes recommendations to the
United Way Board of Trustees about appropriate funding
levels.
What are “Gifts in Kind”?
United Way requests donations of services and/or
goods to go to organizations that need things like
clothing, supplies, computers, toys and other products.
Through this program, non-for-profit agencies are
able to acquire items as donations and keep their
operations running in the right direction.
What makes an organization eligible for United Way
funding?
In order to be eligible for United Way funding an
organization must:
- Be incorporated and registered as a charitable
organization under the Canada Income Tax Act
- Provide
programs and services which are of a social, health,
community or related nature
- Meet a vital local
community need
- Be operated by a volunteer board
of directors that reflects the community it serves.
This board
must be responsible for the development, delivery
and
education of services and the efficient and effective
management of the agency’s programs and
budget
- Effectively use volunteers in the delivery
of service
- Be supportive of United Way, its operating policies
and campaign efforts. It is also worth noting
that agencies must apply in order to be considered for
United Way funding.
How are agencies assessed?
Each agency that applies for funding is assessed
through United Way’s Volunteer Review Process.
Staff and volunteers visit the agencies and evaluate
their submissions based on the following criteria:
-
Program effectiveness – does the agency meet
its mandate and demonstrate positive impact in
the community?
- Accessibility – staff and volunteers
reflect the community being served and address
any identified
barriers to accessibility
- Resource Management – agency
demonstrates effective and efficient use of resources
- Need
for United Way dollars – agency demonstrates
a practical need for United Way funding and presents
a proposed budget that is realistic
- Agency Support
for United Way – agency helps
promote United Way and demonstrates their support
for its policies and procedure
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