Why give to United Way?

United Way works in partnership with a broad network of community organizations to identify needs and improve the lives of the county’s most vulnerable children, families and seniors. When you make the decision to invest in your community, you may not have the time or resources to research where your charitable dollars would best be spent. When you choose United Way to manage your gift, you are guaranteed experience, accountability and effectiveness. Our management ensures that the nonprofit agencies you support through United Way adhere to sound fiscal policies and aim for results-oriented goals with specific, positive outcomes.

What is the Community Impact Fund?

United Way’s Community Impact Fund is a pool of individual, workplace and corporate gifts collected by United Way of San Luis Obispo County to address specific community needs determined by community volunteers and the United Way Board of Directors. Funds are directed to where the need is greatest in the following targeted areas: Meeting Life’s Basic Needs, Promoting Healthy Lives, Investing in Children and Youth, Supporting Work and Self-Sufficiency, and Strengthening Our Community. Through these five Community Initiatives, United Way uses the information provided in recent ACTION for Healthy Communities assessments and other research to establish community goals and plans that will result in positive change and increase the quality of life for San Luis Obispo County residents.

Why should I give to the Community Impact Fund rather than to a single agency?

United Way strives to make the greatest impact on the critical needs of children, families and seniors in our communities, not from any single issue perspective, but from a holistic perspective designed to produce positive change in the multiple problems underlying these issues. By donating to United Way, you support a network of services that together serve entire families and communities. For example, a homeless family often needs services beyond finding shelter. By supporting the Community Impact Fund, you support a variety of services (rather than a single type of service) that the family needs to make it on their own, such as food, affordable housing, tutoring, mentoring, job training, child care and after-school programs, etc.

How much should I give?

Giving is a personal decision based on individual circumstances. As a guide, many salaried employees contribute 2 to 3 percent of their annual salaries. Hourly employees find that investing even just one hour’s pay per month can make a difference for a SLO County family in need. Every dollar makes a difference. For example:
• $30 gives a child in need a sleeping blanket, sheets and a stuffed animal, too.
• $50 provides counseling for a low-income family struggling to improve life and work.
• $100 funds a scholarship for a single parent working to make a better life through a job training program.
• $500 buys 80 large bags of groceries for hungry families with nowhere else to turn.

How can I contribute?

You can make an individual donation or pledge directly to United Way of San Luis Obispo County by calling (805) 541-1234, or by mailing a check to United Way of San Luis Obispo County, P.O. Box 14309, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406. For more information about planned giving, contact United Way at (805) 541-1234.