FAQs
Where does my money go?
Hundreds of United Way volunteers invest your Community Impact Fund contributions in local programs that are designed to make our community stronger and safer and help people live better lives. Those programs include quality, affordable child care for working parents; emergency response when safety nets have failed; access to affordable, quality health services for families; and preventing substance abuse from destroying lives.
Who directs the work of the United Way?
United Way of Chester County is led by a dedicated local Board of Directors. All funding decisions are made with active citizen involvement from all walks of life. The Board is supported by a team of professional staff, and an army of volunteers and other community partners.
Why give to the United Way?
Leverage - Your contribution has more impact when pooled with those of other donors. When you give to United Way, you build support for a Campaign that raises over $5 million per year in voluntary giving. United Way is most powerful when we bring communities and funding partners together around a set of issues that can only be addressed collectively.
Network of Care - Giving to a single agency targets one type of problem. You help a child, but you don’t help the parent. Or you find someone a job but you don’t help them with day care. United Way funds a network of services so that the needs of the whole family can be met and sustained.
Community Impact - United Way provides a safety net for individuals in need and measurable initiatives to tackle the root causes of critical issues. By giving through United Way, donors can make a difference on problems they care about as well as those that fall outside the course of their daily lives. United Way’s broader reach touches people whose lives we can only begin to imagine.
Results - United Way provides oversight for donors because we understand that most donors do not have the time to be personally involved with a non-profit agency in order to monitor the use of their charitable gift. United Way staff convenes community leaders to research needs, selects the most effective approaches to dealing with particular problems, and identifies agencies best qualified to do the work.
Why Choose the Community Impact Fund?
Hundreds of United Way volunteers invest your Community Impact Fund contributions in local programs that are designed to make our community stronger and safer, and help people live better lives. Those programs include affordable child care for working parents, emergency response when safety nets have failed, access to affordable quality health services for families, and preventing substance abuse from destroying lives.
Who decides how the money raised is allocated to local agencies?
The money is allocated by community volunteers who serve on Community Impact Teams. Last year, close to 60 Chester County volunteers dedicated more than 2,400 hours evaluating each member agency and its ability to manage community needs, the effectiveness of its programs and its fiscal accountability.
Can I give directly to my favorite agency?
Through our specific agency designation program, it is possible to direct your gift to one or more agencies that request United Way funding or to another United Way. We encourage unrestricted giving to our Community Impact Fund which addresses the most pressing needs right here at home.
How do I know that United Way handles its finances and my money responsibly?
A certified public accounting firm audits United Way of Chester County annually. Results and recommendations are presented to the Board of Directors. Copies of our financial summaries are available by calling 610-429-9400.
Our most recent 990 is always available by logging on to www.guidestar.org.