The United Way is a partnership between corporations, public and private agencies, donors and volunteers working together to address critical issues challenging our families and our communities. United Way ensures that health and human care services are available for people in need by collecting and distributing funds and by providing collaboration, coordination, and leadership in the community.

No. United Way of Noble County is an autonomous local organization. Local volunteers make all funding policies and decisions. The organization receives services from United Way of America, a trade organization that assists more than 1,400 local United Ways with market research information, license use of the United Way logo, and helps cultivate relationships with major national employers as well as the National Football League (NFL).

United Way of Noble County is a volunteer driven organization. Its board of directors is comprised of knowledgeable community leaders, all of whom live or work in Noble County. The board establishes policy and allocates resources to assure that the United Way of Noble County is properly managed.

The United Way has one of the lowest fundraising and administrative costs of any voluntary fundraising effort in our community. Seventy-four cents out of every dollar goes to help people in need and provide positive programs for our residents. Twenty cents of each dollar pays for campaign expenses and year-round administration. Six cents are uncollected pledges due to layoffs or job changes. Your United Way donation stays here to work in our community.

Those people who really need help, many of whom are your neighbors, friends and family. Your contribution benefits area residents through the various community partner agencies that received United Way support. We serve all of Noble County.

Yes, gifts to United Way are 100% tax deductible.

UWNC is managed by people like you, concerned individuals who volunteer their time and talent all year long. Volunteers are involved in raising the money, distributing funds to worthy programs, monitoring agency performance and serving on agency boards. Additionally, UWNC is governed by a board of directors made up of 10-15 concerned community leaders, to ensure that your donation is being managed responsibly.

The UWNC volunteers take great care in selecting community partner agencies and funding quality programs that impact our community. However, if you have a personal preference for a community partner agency or their funded programs, you may designate your gift on the pledge card. Our designation policy is as follows:

A minimum pledge of $25 per designated agency is required.

Recipient agencies must meet the 501(c)3 definition of a nonprofit, health and human service organization.

Donors may designate to community partner agencies, other United Ways and non-partner agencies.

Volunteers from diverse segments of the community decide where the money goes. These volunteers are very careful to ensure that your contributions go to programs that positively impact people’s lives.

United Way raises funds for community partner agencies judged important by volunteers serving on allocation panels. These programs serve a wide range of human needs, such as emergency shelter, counseling, mentoring, and literacy instruction. However, if you feel strongly about directing your gift, we suggest you opt to designate your gift to services you most want to support. Your gift will be separated form the community allocation process and forwarded to the agencies you have chosen.

After dues are paid to its state and national organizations, 97 percent of all funds raised stay right here in Noble County.

Since government has decreased its funding, the responsibility for social services is on the back of the local communities. Now it is up to each of us, private citizens and businesses, to do our share. United Way provides a means for meeting this responsibility effectively and efficiently. Through one gift you support a wide variety of vital human services, allowing your gift to have a much greater positive impact on the entire community. Through broad-based participation no one person or business is overly burdened.

The employee campaign is a major part of the UWNC fundraising drive. In the United States, there is a strong tradition of individual giving. To demonstrate the postive impact of holding an employee campaign at your organization, think about this: If a company of 100 employees each gave just $1.00 per week, that would add up to $5,200 per year. Imagine the amount of good that could do for people in need.

No one is immune to the problems of illness, family crisis, or other tragedy. If you were faced with a life changing condition you would be inclined to ask the question, “Where can I turn?” The answer in many instances would be the agencies supported by UWNC. And chances are, even if you have never used any of the agencies, somoe you know and care about has.

UWNC depends on each working person giving his or her share. In a majority of families, both husband and wife are wage earners. We can contribute to meet human needs only if each one of us does his or her part.

We all have our favorite charities that we support, but there are some community problems that cannot be solved by a single organization. A course of coordinated planning can most economically and efficiently meet our community’s total needs.