FAQ's

• How do I print this page?
• If I have a question about United Way, whom should I call?
• If I need services or other assistance, whom should I call?
• If I want to volunteer my time, whom should I call?
• How can I make the greatest impact on issues facing our community?
• Does United Way focus its efforts in any particular areas?
• What are examples of United Way making it happen for those that need it most?
• Why should I make my gift through United Way instead of giving directly to agencies of my choice?
• What happened to the member agencies?
• What's the guarantee that money I give to a community impact partner now will be given to them in the future?
• What is the Helping the Working Poor Fund?
• What is United Way of America?
• Does the Boy Scouts of America Catalina Council continue to receive funds from United Way?
• I have heard that United Way has various administrative costs. Why is that?
• I have heard that United Way dollars leave our community. Why does this happen?
• What is United Way’s vision and mission?
• Is my United Way contribution tax deductible?
• Who runs our United Way?
• When my pledge is deducted from my paycheck, where does my money go?
• What happens if I change jobs while giving through payroll deduction?
• If I become unemployed sometime after making my pledge, am I obligated to pay my entire pledge?
• As a contributor, do I have choices about whom my gift will help?
• Can I donate stock and other securities to United Way?
• Do people ever include a gift to United Way when they make a will?
• How can I continue to give to United Way after I retire?
• How much of my gift goes to programs and services?
• Who determines United Way’s professional salaries?
• Does United Way monitor its funded human services partners to ensure that they are using my gift wisely?
• What is United Way’s policy on firms coercing employees to contribute?
• Do United Way contributors and their families have to pay for services from funded human service partners?  

To print this page, please download the PDF file. Click here.    (top)

If I have a question about United Way, whom should I call?
Our phone number is 520.903.9000 and we are located at 330 N. Commerce Park Loop, Suite 200. (top)

If I need services or other assistance, whom should I call?

You can call any agency directly. Or, you can call 2-1-1, a service of Community Information & Referral. (top)

If I want to volunteer my time, whom should I call?
Please call Janet Averitt at 520.903.3949. (top)

How can I make the greatest impact on issues facing our community?
You can make the greatest impact on important issues facing our community by donating to United Way’s Our Community’s Impact Fund. This fund creates long-lasting impacts for those that need it most in our community – children, families and seniors. Your donation to Our Community’s Impact Fund stays in our community.

Your gift supports programs that help ensure local children enter school with the tools they need to succeed; help ensure local families have the resources they need to remain economically self-sufficient and that their members are safe and free from violence; and help our community’s seniors remain active and independent by maintaining their physical, social and economic well-being.(top)

Does United Way focus its efforts in any particular areas?
Based on donors’ desire to have significant impact on the lives of those most in need, your results-driven United Way has narrowed our focus to ensure that we create long-lasting impact for our community’s children, families and seniors.

The Ready to Learn Impact Area works to ensure that our community’s children are prepared to enter school ready to learn and succeed; and are in safe places after-school with caring adults.

The Strong Families Impact Area works to help our community’s families have the resources they need to remain self-sufficient and to ensure that their members are safe and free from violence.

The Independent Seniors Impact Area works to help our community’s seniors remain active and independent by maintaining their physical, social, and economic well-being. (top)

What are examples of United Way making it happen for those that need it most?
United Way makes it happen for those that need it most through its community impact areas: Ready to Learn, Strong Families, and Independent Seniors.

United Way shows its commitment to our community’s children by serving as a strong advocate for family literacy, the development of parenting skills, and quality early care and education. Ready to Learn Impact Area works to ensure that our community’s children are prepared to enter school ready to learn and succeed. Through this community impact area, United Way has implemented a parent development program that provides parents and caregivers with the needed tools to enrich all aspects of their children’s lives. Ready to Learn works with a number of childcare centers to increase the quality of their programs. Additionally, Ready to Learn advocates, as a part of welfare reform, for increased governmental support of childcare to enhance the quality and accessibility of childcare programs for lower-income working families.

United Way also impacts local families. United Way’s partnership in the Assets for Independence Program of Tucson is an example of the United Way system at work. Through this program, United Way, the City of Tucson and other partners help families attain increased education or job training, purchase a home or start a small business by offering qualified residents of targeted Tucson neighborhoods a promising tool to help save, build assets and enter the financial mainstream. United Way’s partnership in the Assets for Independence Program helps empower local families to help themselves.

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Why should I make my gift through United Way instead of giving directly to agencies of my choice?
The United Way system provides you with an easy, effective and efficient method for meeting your charitable goals. It offers something unique, a proven method to join with others to identify the human care issues that matter most, develop a plan and get results. United Way brings our community together to do the things that none of us can alone. Working together, United Way creates community solutions that help children and youth succeed, help build strong, safe families and help seniors remain independent and active.

The focused United Way system offers you an opportunity to meet your charitable goals through payroll deduction - in increments, instead of all at once. Click here to donatate to the United Way today! (top)

What happened to the member agencies?
Under our new impact model, United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona changed the name of the agencies we fund from “member agencies” to “community impact partners.” This was done to reinforce the partnership model necessary to achieve greater impact and improve the lives of children, families and seniors in our community. No one organization or individual can do it alone. (top)

What's the guarantee that money I give to a community impact partner now will be given to them in the future?
The community impact partners funded during fiscal year 08-09 have two-year contracts. To ensure greater accountability to you the donor, their funding for fiscal year 04-05 will be dependent on the dollars available and their progress in achieving results and improving lives. (top)

What is the Helping the Working Poor Fund?
The Helping the Working Poor Fund was established in 1996 by the Arizona Legislature and helps provide working poor individuals with the tools they need to help themselves. Contributions to the Helping the Working Poor Fund may be eligible for a state tax credit. Consult your tax advisor for details. Click here to donatate to the United Way today! (top)

What is United Way of America?
United Way of America provides support services to local United Ways including training, consultation, mediation, national research and assessment tools. United Way of America works with all local United Ways on any issues that impact the public trust and to ensure United Way maintains its role in making it happen for those that need it most. (top)

Does the Boy Scouts of America Catalina Council continue to receive funds from United Way?
The Boy Scouts of America, Catalina Council, does not receive undesignated funds through United Way’s Our Community’s Impact Fund because they did not apply for funding for their troop programs through the most recent Request for Proposal process.

However, United Way’s Board of Directors does believe that the Boy Scouts of America, Catalina Council, provides a variety of programs that enrich the lives of our community’s youth. Therefore, donors may designate their contributions to Boy Scouts of America, Catalina Council, should they choose to do so. As a result, the Boy Scouts of America, Catalina Council, continue to receive thousands of dollars from United Way every year. (top)

I have heard that United Way has various administrative costs. Why is that?
Administrative costs associated with running this year’s campaign is 15 percent. This figure is verified in United Way’s annual financial statements. The percentage is very reasonable when compared to comparable nonprofits. National monitoring agencies recommend that charitable organizations spend a maximum of 25 to 40 percent of funds raised for administrative and fund-raising costs. (top)

I have heard that United Way dollars leave our community. Why does this happen?
United Way stands by its policy of donor designation. Donors have the right to designate their gift to any IRS certified 501(c) (3) organization of their choice. When donors specifically request that their gift go to one such agency, United Way is obligated to send it there regardless of where the agency is located.

United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona also distributes funds for Arizona’s Federal Employees, through the Combined Federal Campaign. United Way is required by Federal law to distribute those employees’ contributions per their request to any qualifying program or services on a national list of agencies that is provided by the Federal Office of Personnel Management. (top)

What is United Way’s vision and mission?
Our mission statement is "Building a Better Community by united people, ideas and resources."  Our vision is for an economically strong, safe and healthy community where southern Arizona residents can live and work. United Way works to achieve its mission of Building A Better Community by promoting increased philanthropy, supporting donor choice and working to achieve long-term sustainable results for those that need it most in our community – children, families and seniors. We remain committed to increasing resources to address and improve local human service conditions. (top)

Is my United Way contribution tax deductible?
Yes, if you itemize. There are certain limitations, so you should consult your tax advisor. United Way will provide a receipt required by the IRS for any donation of $250 or more in accordance with the 1994 tax law. You may also be eligible for an Arizona State Tax Credit of up to $200 when you designate to the Helping the Working Poor Fund. Please consult your tax advisor for details on how you can take advantage of this opportunity. Click here to donatate to the United Way today! (top)

Who runs our United Way?
United Way is run by a diverse, 29-member volunteer Board of Directors. The Board, Finance Committee, and Human Resources Committee meet regularly to ensure that every dollar contributed to United Way is spent wisely, efficiently and accounted for properly. (top)

When my pledge is deducted from my paycheck, where does my money go?
Your firm sends funds deducted from your paycheck to United Way. United Way, in turn, invests these funds in cost-effective programs through Our Community’s Impact Fund or to an agency that you designate. Funds given to Our Community’s Impact Fund or designated to one of the focus areas are allocated to local non-profit organizations through a competitive bidding process to ensure that the best, most-effective organizations receive your funds. (top)

What happens if I change jobs while giving through payroll deduction?
Your payroll deduction stops when you become employed by another company. When you begin your new job, ask for a new United Way pledge form. Many employers provide pledge forms and information about United Way to new employees and transferees. If your new employer does not have a United Way payroll deduction plan, please call United Way at 520.903.9000 to arrange to continue your pledge payment. (top)

If I become unemployed sometime after making my pledge, am I obligated to pay my entire pledge?
No, you are not obligated to pay the balance of your pledge if you become unemployed. While we hope you will not become unemployed, the United Way system is in place to assist you in finding job placement, re-employment training, and other supportive services for you and your family should this occur. (top)

As a contributor, do I have choices about whom my gift will help?
Yes, it’s your pledge, and it’s your choice! You have several choices when you complete your pledge card. Through Our Community’s Impact Fund, you will do the most with your caring by making an impact on the issues affecting our community the most: helping children succeed; building strong, safe families; and helping seniors lead independent, active lives.

You can also choose one or more Community Impact Areas, and direct your gift to specific issues facing our community such as Ready to Learn, Strong Families, or Independent Seniors. Click here to donatate to the United Way today!

Some contributors choose to direct their gift to an IRS qualified organization of their choice. You may choose to designate your gift to any IRS certified 501(c) (3) organization that you personally care about. (top)

Can I donate stock and other securities to United Way?
Yes, United Way welcomes this kind of gift. Each year, several individuals and families support critical community services and often derive tax benefits by making gifts of stocks and other securities. Please call Mary Huerstel at 520.903.3930. We will be happy to answer your questions and will work with you when you are considering making a gift, or an additional gift, this way. (top)

Do people ever include a gift to United Way when they make a will?
Yes, many donors wish to continue their support of United Way. One way to do so is to include United Way in your will. Please call Sharhonda Woods at 520.903.3936 for more information about a broad variety of planned-giving opportunities. (top)

How can I continue to give to United Way after I retire?
Many contributors continue to support United Way after they retire, and we hope you will too. The United Way system maintains life long partnerships with donors through the Continuum of Giving program a broad array of giving options including Philanthropic Funds, gifts of appreciated stock, special gifts and a variety of planned giving opportunities. Your generosity of time, resources, and skills is appreciated. United Way wants to continue partnering with you in making a significant difference in the lives that need it most. Through your continued leadership, United Way makes it happen. Please call Dana Dawson at 520.903.3975 for more information. Click here to donatate to the United Way today! (top)

How much of my gift goes to programs and services?
Approximately 85 cents of every dollar contributed to Our Community’s Impact Fund or Community Impact Areas are used to create lasting change in the lives that need it most today and for generations to come. (top)

Who determines United Way’s professional salaries?
United Way’s volunteer Human Resources Committee, Finance Committee and Board of Directors monitor the salary and benefits for all paid staff including the President/CEO. The Board is responsible for ensuring that salaries and benefits are in line with other positions having comparable responsibilities in the community. (top)

Does United Way monitor its funded human services partners to ensure that they are using my gift wisely?
Yes. Community Impact volunteers review each Funded Partner’s extensive reports and financial audits. Staff and volunteers monitor those partners to ensure that funds are used efficiently and effectively to create lasting outcomes in the lives that need it most. United Way volunteers require their Funded Partners to use client outcomes to measure their success in helping people. (top)

What is United Way’s policy on firms coercing employees to contribute?
United Way actively discourages any form of coercion in the workplace or anywhere else. Employees and other individuals are encouraged to contribute voluntarily. (top)

Do United Way contributors and their families have to pay for services from funded human service partners?
Many Funded Partners charge fees to clients who are capable of paying for part or all of the services they receive. Often, fees are charged on a sliding scale, based on the client’s income. Fees collected help pay for services provided to indigent clients who have no means to purchase services they need. (top)