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YouTubeIs this expected at anyone elses work? They have their annual charity drives and if u dont give money you get an email from your manager? You have to have X dollars dubtratced from each paycheck for the next year. They also give you the recomended amount to donate, my work and my father's'work both do this, and it is so irritating. I have enough bills without forced charitable donations.
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Q&A
Forced Giving
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mikegetsit
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Posted 2 years ago # -
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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United Way.
I think it's a scam.
But yeah, your company has to cough up so much money, this goes down the management line with each one having a quota.It's definitely a shakedown.
On the other hand, it's one of the few non-profits you can work for and make over $1 million as a regional manger.
Posted 2 years ago # -
drew
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Ugh. Is that even legal?
I've been in work situations where there was some indirect pressure to participate in their charity fundraisers, but nothing like what you described. I participated on occasion, declined on others, but never felt good about feeling coerced into putting my charity dollars towards their preferred cause (especially when I felt more strongly about the money being used for something else).
Posted 2 years ago # -
mikegetsit
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Yes united way, it does feel like a scam and yes there is a goal of.5 million or so, i forget, it is a shakedown.
Posted 2 years ago # -
mikegetsit
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That was 5 million not .5 typo. I dunno my father said he gets the same thing, and they dont force u to donate its like "if u decide not to donate please just sign up at the donation website". But they are telling you to donate.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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They don't force you to donate..... But, the managers are also expected to get a percentage participation. They even post each groups participation numbers.
You don't HAVE to donate, but it's hard not to.
The companies goal is 100% participation and you get pretty frequent emails if you don't sign up. They keep track of the people who don't sign up. So you have pressure and your boss knows exactly who stopped him from making his numbers, and his boss, and his boss.....
It wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't such a littany of convictions from missuse of funds.
Posted 2 years ago # -
TaraK
probably at the coffee shop
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Hmm. I work for a non-profit that receives part of it's funding from United Way. We receive the option of donating to United Way (paycheck deduction) and I do. My organization doesn't waste money and non-profit funding is important.
Still, giving should never be forced.
Posted 2 years ago # -
joev
Merion Village
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Non profit funding is very important. United Way has proven again and again that they are not the best route to prudent charitable giving. If you are passionate about a cause (and with so many non-profits out there, there has to be at least one that resonates with every American) donate directly.
Posted 2 years ago # -
groundrules
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united way has also chipped in to a number of causes that I'm sure plenty of you find near and dear. and I say that because they've been discussed here before
Posted 2 years ago # -
joev
Merion Village
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groundrules wrote >>
united way has also chipped in to a number of causes that I'm sure plenty of you find near and dear. and I say that because they've been discussed here beforeWhich is great - but why does charity need a middle man? Seems like United Way has bullied itself into getting between people and charities, and has somehow enlisted companies to do all the heavy lifting for it. Nice deal. It's not like it's United Way's money - it's the donors' money being directed by United Way.
Posted 2 years ago # -
mikegetsit
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Exactly, i choose to give my money to the church because i like the causes they use it for. While i can choose any number of charities on the united way website to which donate my money the big charity that our company stresses our money go towards is not 1 i would ever give money too. In fact our campaign is called "united way /......." I will leave out the name of the affiliated group, but it is annoying.
Posted 2 years ago # -
groundrules
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misskitty
Columbus
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I will say that one thing I enjoy about Donating to the United Way is that you can select where your funds go. In addition, it comes out of my check so there is no chance I would forget. I do donate privately as well with UW. It’s just hard to remember if you donated or not when it comes to private charities.
Posted 2 years ago # -
TaraK
probably at the coffee shop
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Tenzo wrote >>
My apologies if I implied that ANY other non-profits are run this way. I prefer to give my tithe directly to the organizations that do the work, and I do.Oh, no offense taken. I don't claim to know all the reasons behind how nonprofits work the way they do, but receiving funding through United Way can mean that they get the most effective fundraising possible. Our NP wouldn't exist without them. I can't claim that anyone is w/o flaw, but I'm not going to criticize an organization that I've directly seen only good from. It's just my personal position that I've only seen/experienced benefit.
Giving directly to a specific charity is always awesome, but some people may not have a favorite or want to do the research to figure out where their money goes best. United Way has an option to give to your own community fund and see that the money goes where it's needed in the community, which is what I choose.
Posted 2 years ago # -
alison
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It sounds like the problem of "forced giving" is coming from the employers, not United Way.
Or are you saying that United Way is somehow threatening your bosses, who in turn lean on you?
If employers felt so strongly about charitable donations, perhaps they could begin to match employees donations.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Analogue Kid
5th by West-Northwest
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alison
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Actually, I just noticed a flyer in my mailbox about the United Way campaign. Columbus City Schools are holding drawings for gift cards for Target, Best Buy, Lowe's and gas for people who donate. That's not as good a matching donations, but it is motivator for some.
And a lot of companies big and small *do* match charitable donations -- just a matter of getting people to give in the first place.
Posted 2 years ago # -
ernesto
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I worked for a non-profit that asked its employees to donate $ back to the NP. I believed in the cause and since leaving I have volunteered some 50 hours with them but I could not give them money while I worked for them. Drove me nuts when the 'annual staff giving campaign' was launched and emails started flying asking for money.
Posted 2 years ago #
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