FAQs
ABOUT US
What does United Way do?
What social issues does Orange County United Way address?
How does United Way deliver their mission?
What geographic area does Orange County United Way serve?
What makes United Way special?
What does it mean to advocate or volunteer?
GIVING
Why support Orange County United Way when I could just give money directly to one of United Way’s agencies?
How does my donation to Orange County United Way’s Community Impact Fund benefit local nonprofits?
Why donate to Orange County United Way if I already support other charities?
Why should I give to Orange County United Way if I never use agency services and don’t know anyone who does?
Does my donation to Orange County United Way’s Community Impact Fund go to agencies in Orange County ONLY?
Don’t tax dollars take care of the less fortunate?
Can I use my credit card to make a donation?
I feel as if I’m being pressured to give to United Way.
Is my Orange County United Way contribution tax deductible?
I don’t wish to help those who won’t help themselves.
I heard about someone who didn’t get help when they needed it.
I know Orange County United Way is a local organization, but don’t some of the dollars go to United Way Worldwide?
How can we give when our businesses and families are struggling?
What happens to my gift if the agency I selected cannot be located?
FINANCES
Who oversees the operations and finances of Orange County United Way?
What is included in Orange County United Way’s overhead costs?
COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND AGENCIES
How do I know that agencies supported by Orange County United Way will use the funds responsibly?
Why does United Way support some agencies and not others?
Does United Way support religious agencies?
Can I give to some but not all of Orange County United Way’s agencies?
Can you tell me about agency allocations?
I heard an agency’s funding was cut. What happened?
VOLUNTEERING
How can I volunteer with Orange County United Way?
If I volunteer, should I give?
About Us
What does United Way do?
Orange County United Way is a nonprofit organization that works to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of Orange County to strengthen OUR community. We do this through our Community Impact Fund, which focuses on the Building Blocks—Education, Income, and Health—investing in Orange County children, families, and individuals, helping them meet their most basic human needs for food, shelter, and medical care, while creating pathways to self-sufficient futures through education and training.
In short, we help people help themselves.
What social issues does Orange County United Way address?
United Way works to advance the common good by focusing on education, income, and health. We consider these the Building Blocks for a good life—a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family through retirement, and good health.
We support the delivery of results-driven programs that target needs in these three focus areas:
Education—Helping children and youth reach their potential:
- Readiness to succeed in school
- Academic achievement
- Productive and engaged youth
Income—Promoting financial stability and independence:
- Develop job skills
- Increase income
- Build savings
- Gain and sustain assets
Health—Supporting healthy lives:
- Essential food and proper nutrition
- Safe shelter and secure housing
- Basic health care
How does United Way deliver their mission?
United Way delivers our mission by working with community partners to:
- Assess our area’s most pressing health and human service needs.
- Invest your contribution in proven programs that meet these critical needs.
- Deliver results in terms of lives improved and United Way’s direct impact on key issues that strengthen OUR community.
The best way to change the issues affecting OUR entire community is through a gift to Orange County United Way’s Community Impact Fund.
What geographic area does Orange County United Way serve?
Orange County United Way serves all 34 cities in OUR community: Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Dana Point, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, La Habra, Lake Forest, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda.
What makes United Way special?
- Our unique ability to convene, collaborate, and direct resources where most needed
- Our ability to concentrate on those issues that no single agency can solve on its own
- Our commitment to efficiency, transparency, and accountability
- The thorough research that supports our community investments
- Advocacy for favorable public policy that benefits those in need of health and human services
- Compassionate and knowledgeable volunteer leadership
- Our partnerships with leading nonprofit service providers who are providing life-changing services to those most in need
- Our ability to leverage individual and corporate giving to have the greatest impact in our community
What does it mean to advocate or volunteer?
“LIVE UNITED“ means that you’re involved with United Way beyond your donation. It means you’re also involved with advocacy or volunteering, in order to make the most impact on OUR community.
Advocacy can mean anything from encouraging your coworkers, friends, or neighbors to give to Orange County United Way to writing your legislator in favor of stronger early childhood education programs. Volunteering can involve service to Orange County United Way, one of our partner agencies, or volunteering for any cause you care about.
GIVING
Why support Orange County United Way when I could just give money directly to one of United Way’s agencies?
A gift to Orange County United Way is the most powerful option for investing in your community. It targets more than 100 community programs focused on the Building Blocks of a good life—Education, Income, and Health—to change the lives of those who need your help most.
Why?
- We’re committed to delivering results that matter. Orange County United Way assesses critical community needs, invests your contribution, and delivers measurable results.
- We do the research for you. Orange County United Way determines which needs in our community are the most pressing and which programs offer the best results in these areas of need.
- Needs are not one-dimensional. Orange County United Way funds a strategic network of programs that address the layered issues that accompany different social service problems, such as homelessness, low graduation rates, financial independence for the working poor, and much more.
- Better accountability. Volunteer oversight assures that Orange County United Way partner agencies adhere to sound fiscal policies and provide quality services.
How does my donation to Orange County United Way’s Community Impact Fund benefit local nonprofits?
It brings attention and resources to the issues and communities they serve every day.
It supports a network of partner agencies that are needed to meet the complex needs of families in crisis.
It provides benefits beyond the dollars. Funding supports capacity-building training and leadership for critical community concerns.
Agencies can focus on helping people. Giving to Orange County United Way’s Community Impact Fund reduces costly and time-consuming fund-raising efforts for our partner agencies, allowing them to devote more resources to programs.
It provides more impact for agencies. Orange County United Way affiliation enables agencies to leverage more public and private dollars in addition to their United Way funding. This multiplies the effect of your contribution.
Why donate to Orange County United Way if I already support other charities?
Orange County United Way is much more than a collector and distributor of money for charitable organizations. Orange County United Way exists to help Orange County residents come together to identify and work on the most pressing issues in our community. We focus on those issues that are bigger than any single agency can handle. Our goal is to not only meet the immediate needs in our community but to create long-lasting changes that prevent problems from happening in the first place.
By working together and combining our monetary donations, we leverage contributions from individual donors with matching funds from other sources to create a larger impact. Each and every day, your funds are focused on addressing the most critical needs in our community. From child care to job placement programs, Orange County United Way makes a difference with your help.
Why should I give to Orange County United Way if I never use agency services and don’t know anyone who does?
There are three major reasons to donate to Orange County United Way’s Community Impact Fund:
- You never know when you or someone you know may need the assistance of an Orange County United Way partner agency. Job loss, illness, accidents, loss of a loved one, disabilities, family problems, natural disasters, mental health disorders, and the problems of growing up and growing old can affect anyone, regardless of ethnicity or income level.
- It is the right thing to do to help our neighbors in need.
- Improving the lives of our neighbors in need helps create an Orange County where every neighborhood from Santa Ana to San Clemente thrives and every person has access to a successful and self-sufficient future.
Does my donation to Orange County United Way’s Community Impact Fund go to agencies in Orange County ONLY?
Absolutely! United Way organizations are independently incorporated and led by local volunteers. If you wish to direct your gift to another charity or a United Way in another city you may do so, but the purpose of the Orange County United Way campaign drive is to collect resources to benefit community programs in Orange County.
Don’t tax dollars take care of the less fortunate?
No, government-funded social services programs are unable to meet our community’s vast health and human service needs. Orange County United Way connects people to the resources they need thru 2-1-1, a free comprehensive information and referral service, while also funding programs and working with agencies that help those receiving assistance to be more independent. Additionally, Orange County United Way is one of the largest nongovernmental funding sources for health and human services in Orange County.
Can I use my credit card to make a donation?
Yes. You can donate by credit card through your workplace giving campaign (if the company offers this as a donation option) or online 24/7 by clicking here.
I feel as if I’m being pressured to give to United Way.
United Way believes that giving is a personal choice. Exerting pressure or coercion to give to Orange County United Way is in direct opposition to our philosophy of giving, which is based on donors making informed personal decisions based on the “case for giving” representing the local children, families, and individuals who stand to benefit from your personal support.
Is my Orange County United Way contribution tax deductible?
Your contributions to Orange County United Way may be tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor for more information and assistance.
I don’t wish to help those who won’t help themselves.
Most of the clients served by our programs truly want to help themselves but are unable to for some reason. There are many individuals who are incapable of helping themselves, such as abused children, handicapped children, the mentally ill, the elderly, and others. We believe in “a hand up, not a handout.”
I heard about someone who didn’t get help when they needed it.
Orange County United Way funded programs can't always provide the help requested, but will do everything they can to help people in need identify the resources that do exist. In fact, Orange County United Way partners with 2-1-1 Orange County, a free information and referral line that helps connect people to available services. Please feel free to refer people in need to this resource.
I know Orange County United Way is a local organization, but don’t some of the dollars go to United Way Worldwide?
Yes, a small portion (less than 1%). In return, Orange County United Way is a member of United Way Worldwide. As a member we benefit from receiving national advertising, research, access to best practices, advocacy efforts, government relations, and continuing education. While a member of United Way Worldwide, Orange County United Way is a totally autonomous agency, governed by local volunteers.
How can we give when our businesses and families are struggling?
Orange County United Way understands that some people are feeling a strain on their finances. At the same time, there is an increased need for health and human services. For those with the resources, now is the best time to give, when demand for services is so high. Your gift to Orange County United Way is appreciated more than ever as thousands of Orange County residents and many nonprofit agencies depend on Orange County United Way to meet increased community needs.
What happens to my gift if the agency I selected cannot be located?
Orange County United Way makes a reasonable effort to locate and make payouts for all designated agency gifts. If the agency cannot be identified or located, Orange County United Way staff will make every effort to locate the donor and request a new agency and/or clear agency information. However, not all donor gifts come with employee information because of corporate employee privacy policies; therefore, gifts from those employees who cannot be identified/reached will be designated to Orange County United Way.
To ensure accurate pledge payouts, we ask that corporate campaign staff review all pledge forms for correct designation information (complete address/contact information) and work with the donor to obtain accurate information prior to submitting to Orange County United Way or corporate offices for processing.
FINANCES
Who oversees the operations and finances of Orange County United Way?
The financial operations of Orange County United Way are audited by an independent accounting firm and carefully reviewed by volunteers who serve on the Orange County United Way Finance Committee and United Way Board of Directors.
Orange County United Way is governed by a local volunteer board of directors whose members are respected community and business leaders. Although we conform with guidelines set forth by United Way Worldwide, all policy and funding decisions are made locally.
The community volunteers who lead Orange County United Way reflect our community’s diversity and represent a wealth of professions. A knowledgeable professional staff works closely with these volunteers handling Orange County United Way’s daily operations.
What is included in Orange County United Way’s overhead costs?
A percentage of operating costs go to support staff who work diligently to research the needs of the community, evaluate programs available to meet the needs, and verify that the agencies running the programs are accountable. Staff also train agency partners on measurement tools so we are able to report outcomes to our donors and the community and work with partners on ways to collaborate and consolidate to make programs most effective. Orange County United Way is proud to operate at 17.2%. We keep our expenses low by committing to organizational efficiency, continuously looking at ways to reduce costs and eliminate waste, and relying on volunteer support and in-kind contributions from partners.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND AGENCIES
How do I know that agencies supported by Orange County United Way will use the funds responsibly?
Volunteer and staff oversight ensures that Orange County United Way partner agencies adhere to sound fiscal policies and provide quality services with measurable results. As part of our program funding agreement with any agency, the agency reports back to us on its results every six months.
Why does United Way support some agencies and not others?
In the last funding cycle we received applications for $10 million in funding, when we had $4.5 million available. Clearly some difficult decisions as to who received funding had to be made. To have the most impact on our community, Orange County United Way invests donor dollars in the programs that meet our 25 standards of accountability, receive solid scores on their applications, and demonstrate they can make a long-term impact in one or more focus areas: Education, Income, and Health. The Community Impact Grant is open to any local 501(c)(3) health and human service organization. Not all agencies choose to apply for funding. We also support and partner with many agencies in other ways. For example, we are partnering with 10 high schools in Orange County and supporting program delivery to ensure at-risk students graduate from high school both college and career ready.
Does United Way support religious agencies?
United Way doesn’t provide direct support to churches, but we do fund church-sponsored programs, such as The Salvation Army, that meet health and human service needs. Orange County United Way will honor donor designations made through its campaign to any religious organization or place of worship that is classified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is Patriot Act compliant.
Can I give to some but not all of Orange County United Way’s agencies?
The best way to exclude certain agencies from receiving your donation is to direct your dollars to one specific organization. But please realize that a gift to Orange County United Way is the most powerful option for investing in your community. It targets more than 100 programs focused on the Building Blocks of a good life—Education, Income, and Health—to change the lives of those in our community who need your help most.
Can you tell me about agency allocations?
At Orange County United Way, we're committed to investing your donation in programs that we believe are meeting the most pressing health and human service needs of our community. We don’t invest these dollars in agencies; we invest them in programs managed by reputable agencies. When applying for grants, each agency starts at zero—our volunteers only consider funding based on the needs of our community; they don’t consider what the agency got last year or the visibility of the agency (in other words, volunteers don’t recommend funding based on the fact that an agency is large or well known).
Our 2011–2013 Community Impact grant cycle will support selected agencies for three consecutive years to create deeper impact in the community and provide agencies with funding stability. The selection of agencies was guided by more than 40 volunteers who spent more than 400 hours reviewing, evaluating, and making funding recommendations. We invested approximately 20% of our Community Investment Grants in Education, 20% of our funding in Income, and 60% in Health.
These grants were made possible through gifts to Orange County United Way’s Community Impact Fund. However, if you wish to designate your gift to a particular agency, you are welcome to do so. Orange County United Way will honor that pledge and ensure your money is directed to the agency of your choice.
I heard an agency’s funding was cut. What happened?
First, it is important to note that no agency gets a ”cut“ in funding from the Community Investment Grant process. This is because all agencies start from $0 in funding. Our volunteers only consider funding based on the needs of our community; they don’t consider what the agency got last year or the visibility of the agency (in other words, volunteers don’t recommend funding based on the fact that an agency is large or well known). These grants are made through our Community Impact Fund, and that’s why we recommend that you as a donor direct your gift to that fund—so that your gift can do the most good in our community.
VOLUNTEERING
How can I volunteer with Orange County United Way?
Please visit our Volunteer section for information on ways to volunteer with Orange County United Way and our partner agencies. It’s an excellent way for you to really get connected to what Orange County United Way is doing in OUR community.
If I volunteer, should I give?
Absolutely! Volunteers have the chance to witness the true needs that our work is meeting. Giving takes a number of different forms: time, talent, and money. Many of the agencies could not exist if it were not for the hundreds of volunteer hours given each year. Keep in mind, however, that basic overhead (water, electricity, space, and staff) cannot be paid with “in-kind“ contributions. That is why cash contributions are also vital to the survival of critical community services.
Give | Advocate | Volunteer
LIVE UNITED
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