Our Campaign

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” Sir Winston Churchill

Workplace Giving Program
The United Way workplace campaign has been called one of the greatest social inventions in American history. Why? It’s convenient, consistent, and it makes a difference.

For decades, people on the Central Coast have conveniently given a little bit each paycheck to United Way and other causes close to their heart. Working together with more than 100 employers and even more volunteers each year, United Way of SLO County encourages working folks in businesses both large and small to help their neighbors and communities in need by consistently providing an ongoing donation, all year long. When individuals contribute to United Way – or designate to any other charity of their choice – their contributions grow stronger when added to those of their co-workers.

With your colleagues, you can all make a difference. We invite you to be part of this effort!

On this page there would be a box or list to the right with the following choices:

Getting Started
Partnering with United Way of SLO County provides companies and their employees with a way to invest strategically in the communities where they work and live. Your employees can conveniently support services and programs that they or their co-workers might someday need, and they will be provided with several opportunities throughout the year to unite and make a difference through community volunteer activities and participation in special events. We invite you to join more than 100 local companies in supporting United Way through an employee giving campaign, corporate sponsorships and volunteerism. Giving is good for business!

So how does this work? A typical campaign is run during the same time every year, whatever is most convenient for each company or organization. Employees are provided with the opportunity to have a small deduction taken from each paycheck (or they can make a one-time cash donation) and the company forwards those contributions to United Way on a monthly or quarterly basis, whichever it prefers. For as little as $2 a paycheck, employees are empowered with the ability to give in a convenient and cost effective way.

The most successful results come when the company’s CEO and managers are supportive, as well as by having an energetic volunteer on site that acts as the Employee Campaign Coordinator (ECC) or Team Leader. This is the point person that works with the United Way representative to tailor the campaign specifically to employee interests and the work environment. The ECC helps promote the campaign, arranges for presentations or activities, distributes materials and helps collect the results.

Each campaign is specifically tailored to each company. We can provide a “soft touch” experience for your employees, educational presentations, fun competitions and incentives, short-term or long-term campaigns, one day events … whatever you decide. Outside of the annual campaign, we communicate with our business partners continuously via our monthly e-newsletter and other means so you know what United Way is doing with its donors’ investments and what other opportunities for community involvement are available.

Contact Horace Morana, Resource Development Coordinator, at United Way of SLO County today, at (805) 541-1234 ext. 15 or hmorana@unitedwayslo.org. He will help guide you and assist your company in keeping its investment of people, time and resources to a minimum. He will work with you to make your annual campaign a success and good experience for everyone. Click here to view a list of other companies and organizations that partner with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is United Way of San Luis Obispo County?
Why should I give to United Way’s Community Impact Fund?
Where does my money go?
Who benefits from United Way?
Why should I support United Way as opposed to other nonprofits?
Who makes the decisions on how United Way funding is distributed?
Can I designate my gift to a specific nonprofit organization through United Way?
How do I make sure my gift doesn’t go to an agency or program I don’t wish to support?
How much of my donation goes towards paying administrative costs?
United Way is a big organization; how much money do you send to the national organization?
Is my United Way contribution tax deductible as a charitable donation?
I am already on a tight budget. How can I afford to make a donation?

What is United Way of San Luis Obispo County?
United Way of SLO County is an independent local nonprofit organization governed by a Board of local volunteers. By encouraging our community members to give, advocate and volunteer, we work to highlight critical health and human service issues and focus support and contributions where the need is greatest. United Way of SLO County is working to advance the common good by focusing on education, income and health. We are committed to supporting programs that focus on prevention and act as a safety net for local agencies through professional guidance and emergency funding.

When we say we are “working to advance the common good,” it means we are less about helping one person at a time and more about changing existing systems in order to help everyone.  By taking this approach, United Way recognizes that we are all connected and interdependent, and that it takes a collective effort (just like in the workplace) to create solutions.  United Way is focused on prevention, much like a well-run business.

Why should I give to United Way’s Community Impact Fund?
Giving to United Way is the most effective way to build a stronger, healthier, more compassionate community in San Luis Obispo County. When combined with other contributions from businesses and individuals, your donation is leveraged and therefore more effective. United Way provides each of us with the power to advance the common good. Through our active involvement—when we all LIVE UNITED—we change lives.

Where does my money go?
Your donation goes back into our local community. Funds are directed to where the need is greatest in the following targeted areas: education, income and health. Through special initiatives and annual grants awarded to local nonprofits, United Way helps make SLO County a better place to live. Below is a partial listing of our most recent achievements:

• $170,000 was awarded through Community Impact Fund grants
• $75,000 was awarded through the Community Collaboration Grant
• United Way helped administer $297,973 in federal funds to our county through the Emergency Food & Shelter Program
• The first Born Learning Trail was established in Mitchell Park in downtown San Luis Obispo and Born Learning resources were made available to local families; a second Trail has been opened at Oceano Elementary School
• The FamilyWize prescription drug discount program was launched, saving SLO County residents over $250,000 in its first year
  
• The first Youth Board was established, engaging 13-19 year old students in leadership, teambuilding and community service opportunities; members learn how nonprofits and their board of directors function, and what it means to give back through volunteerism and philanthropy
• Community service events such as Make a Difference Day, Share A Tree and Stuff the School Bus were held, providing local individuals and families with unique volunteer experiences
• The Nonprofit Collaboration Forum and Collaboration Summit were held, with workshops and speakers that provided training and assistance to local nonprofit leaders and volunteers

Who benefits from United Way?
We all benefit from United Way because today's United Way focuses on what matters most to our community. Whether it's fighting hunger and homelessness, ensuring that children receive quality care and education or helping nonprofits do what they do better, programs supported by United Way’s Community Impact Fund create powerful and lasting change that can be felt throughout the entire community – individuals, families, seniors, businesses and nonprofits.

Why should I support United Way as opposed to other nonprofits?
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 as determined by community volunteers – just like yourself. When you give to United Way of SLO County, your contribution stays local unless you specify otherwise.

With over 1,000 nonprofits to choose from in SLO County, individuals and businesses are continually asked for their support. United Way strives to make the greatest impact on the critical needs of those living in our local community from a holistic perspective. One of our most appealing characteristics is that we are here for everyone and are not limited to a single issue or population; we are uniquely positioned to work with, and on behalf of, a variety of groups by collaborating with other nonprofits, businesses, service and faith-based organizations, governments, neighborhoods and individuals. 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 that the family needs to make it on their own, such as food, affordable housing, tutoring, job training and access to health care, child care, and after-school programs. Giving to United Way, when combined with the contributions of others, goes a long way to helping our community.

Who makes the decisions on how United Way funding is distributed?
All our grant funding decisions are made through a rigorous community volunteer process based on criteria that ensures accountability and capacity for delivery. We encourage practical collaboration and problem-solving innovation. Grant proposals and emergency funding requests are reviewed by a diverse group of community volunteers and approved by our local Board of Directors.

Can I designate my gift to a specific nonprofit organization through United Way?
Absolutely. Mark your designation and the amount you’d like to designate at the bottom of the pledge form or your personal check. Please note, in accordance with IRS guidelines, you may not designate your gift to programs or accounts where you have budgetary signature authority, and your charity of choice must be a 501(c)(3) organization.

• In 2008-2009, over $477,000 was allocated to over 100 different nonprofits through donor-advised contributions

How do I make sure my gift doesn’t go to an agency or program I don’t wish to support?
If there is an agency or program you do not wish to support, simply note it on the pledge form or your personal check. We will also make sure to make note of your request for future donations until you specify otherwise.

How much of my donation goes towards paying administrative costs?
To cover the cost of program and campaign materials, researching and monitoring recipient nonprofits and administering donations, the United Way of San Luis Obispo County retains 18.83% of your contribution (Source: 2008 UWSLO Audit). We are proud to say this is well under the 35% as suggested for nonprofit organizations by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.

This necessary expense also allows us to do all the other work we do throughout SLO County – raising funds, program delivery, volunteer coordination, emergency funding, long-term disaster relief, advocacy, employing a team of professional individuals and providing resources for our local nonprofit agencies. So when you give directly to us or designate your gift, you are supporting our overall work and the important work of other nonprofits for a very minimal cost.

United Way is a big organization, how much money do you send to the national organization?
United Way of SLO County is a member of United Way Worldwide but operates as an independent organization governed by a local Board of Directors. Our annual membership dues are 1% of our overall fundraising, which in 2008-2009 came to $4,838. We are known as a ‘Metro 5’ in the United Way system, meaning we are a smaller-sized United Way which raises under $1 million annually. In return for our dues to UWW, we receive numerous benefits including access to free trainings, materials, marketing tools and consultants, resources for program development and advocacy, inclusion in the National Corporate Leadership Program and of course, name brand recognition.

United Way of SLO County is a small organization of five full-time and one part-time staff members. We are thankful to have modest office space at a reasonable price in our convenient downtown location. Much of our services, equipment and office furniture come to us at a reduced price, or as in-kind or gently used donations. We do not have company cars or an expense account for meals and mingling. Our paid staff makes a modest income in comparison to the private sector and cost of living in SLO County. You can be assured that our staff and volunteers utilize donor investments carefully and wisely. We believe in the mission of United Way so much, that 100% of our staff donate to United Way through our own workplace giving campaign.

For more information, you can view our Independent Auditor’s Report and Form 990.

Is my United Way contribution tax deductible as a charitable donation?
Yes, your contribution is fully tax deductible; see your tax professional for more information. If you pledge through payroll deduction, your paycheck stub is your receipt. Contributions made by credit card, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or a personal check will be documented on your credit card or bank statements.

I am already on a tight budget. How can I afford to make a donation?
Even a modest designation such as $2, $5, $10 or $20 per pay period can help to meet the most critical needs in our community. By investing through payroll deduction you can spread your investment out over the coming year. Most of our donations come through the workplace and most of our donors give annual gifts of $100 or less. This is the true power of workplace giving.

Campaign Toolkit
Welcome to the United Way of SLO County online Campaign Toolkit. Here you will find tools to run a successful campaign and year-round communication program at your workplace.

Comming soon: links to useful documents including:

Best Practices
Ideas from other workplace campaign coordinators in SLO County
Success Stories
Inspirational stories resulting from the Community Impact Fund
Messaging
Communicate our message effectively
Templates
Samples of CEO letters of support and other tools
Brochures, Flyers & Posters
Promotional materials that you can print, display and distribute
E-Postcards
Send out invites and reminders to your co-workers
PowerPoint
Another way to communicate with remote employees
Videos and PSA’s
Promote your workplace campaign with these messages
Pledge Forms
Our standard pledge form for workplace donors
United Way Store
Help us save donor money when your company purchases fun incentives
Get Involved
Volunteer opportunities for everyone

Seven Steps To Success

1. INVOLVE THE BOSS
   Whether you’re the boss or someone else is, the boss’s leadership and enthusiasm are contagious. Ask your boss to:
   • Send a signed letter or email to employees encouraging their support through payroll giving
   • Speak at employee meetings about his or her own commitment to United Way’s vital role in the community
2. GET HELP!
• Recruit a campaign coordinator and educate them about United Way – what it is and what it does. (Your United Way Campaign Coordinator can help you with this!) They can serve as the “go to” person with questions or ideas.
3. CUSTOMIZE YOUR CAMPAIGN
   • Determine the type of campaign best suited for your organization (group meeting, one-on-one solicitation or a combination of the two)
   • Ask employees who have used United Way services to tell a personal story about their experiences
4. PUBLICIZE YOUR CAMPAIGN
   • Ask for permission to use office e-mail to publicize the United Way campaign
   • Use your employee publications for stories and photos explaining United Way
   • Promote the campaign with posters, banners, goal thermometers and informational displays (your local United Way Campaign Coordinator can provide these)
5. HOLD AN EMPLOYEE GROUP PRESENTATION
   • Schedule an employee meeting and follow up with absentees (United Way staff and volunteers are available to speak to your employees or help you do the presentation)
   • Distribute pledge forms and United Way brochures at the beginning of the meeting
6. REPORT CAMPAIGN RESULTS TO UNITED WAY OF SLO COUNTY
   • Submit your completed pledge forms to your United Way representative
   • Submit Payroll Deduction pledge forms to your company’s Payroll Department
7. SAY THANKS TO YOUR EMPLOYEES
   • Giving to United Way makes people feel good about caring; it also makes them feel good when their generosity is acknowledged
   • Send a letter from the boss to all contributors
   • Announce campaign results in the break room or on the company bulletin board
   • Display a thermometer poster bearing final results in a visible work place location

Leadership Giving
We believe it is important to recognize our valuable corporate and individual donors and have established a program to do so. Whether someone gives a dollar or is a Tocqueville Society member, we appreciate their support and will put that contribution to good use. While some donors choose to remain anonymous or request that their donation be best served without recognition or gifts, we are committed to providing an option for everyone’s desire. Below is a description of our acknowledgement practices.

View Emerging Leaders Circle Information

Tocqueville Society
Only 26 years old when he came to the United States in 1831, Alexis Charles-Henri de Tocqueville traveled extensively, recording his observations of life in the young nation. Though he only spent nine months in the United States, he gleaned an insightful view of American society. His observations, readings and discussions with eminent Americans formed the basis of Democracy in America, a detailed study of American society and politics.

Alexis Tocqueville recognized, applauded, and immortalized American voluntary action on behalf of the common good. He wrote: “I must say that I have seen Americans make a great deal of real sacrifices to the public welfare; and have noticed a hundred instances in which they hardly ever failed to lend a faithful support to one another,” eloquently capturing the essence of personal philanthropy that persists almost three centuries later. The observation on philanthropy made by Tocqueville in 1831 is true today; Americans understand that advancing the common good means creating opportunities for a better life for all. It is in this spirit that United Way of America established the United Way Tocqueville Society in 1984. Today, the Society is one of the world’s most prestigious institutions for individuals who are passionate about improving people’s lives and strengthening communities.

Membership in the Society is granted to individuals who contribute at least $10,000 annually to United Way. National Society membership is granted to those that contribute $100,000 or more per year, and partnership with the Million Dollar Round Table is limited to individuals that contribute $1,000,000 or more per year. For more information contact Charlene Rosales, Chief Operating Officer, at United Way of SLO County today, at (805) 541-1234 ext. 14 or crosales@unitedwayslo.org.

California State Employees Charitable Campaign
The California State Employees Charitable Campaign (CSECC) was established in 1957 to provide a single charitable fundraising drive in the State community, and is an employee benefit for those who would like to donate to charity through the convenience of payroll deduction. 2009 marks the 53rd year of the CSECC, providing California State employees the opportunity to support charitable organizations they feel passionate about, for as little as $2 per month. The California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board (VCGCB) provides oversight of the CSECC, and the enabling regulations for the campaign are found in the California Administrative Code. This year’s CSECC Chair is Karen Baker, Secretary of Service and Volunteering

Although the CSECC is commonly referred to as if it were a single entity, it actually encompasses 31 regional campaigns throughout the state. In 2008 these campaigns solicited more than 280,000 California State employees through the CSECC. Thanks to the generosity of State employees, thousands of nonprofits are currently being supported by more than $8.7 million pledged that year.

During the fall, each state employee is given a payroll deduction pledge form and access to the Donor Resource Guide, which lists some of the participating nonprofits. The VCGCB screens these nonprofits to ensure their eligibility but does not endorse them in any way. State employees may also choose to donate to any 501(c)(3) nonprofit, even if it is not listed in the Donor Resource Guide by utilizing the “Write-In Organization” section of the CSECC pledge form.

Annually the VCGCB approves a number of nonprofits to coordinate each workplace giving campaign in the 31 regions. These organizations are known as Principal Combined Fund Drive (PCFD) organizations, and are traditionally local United Ways. The VCGCB authorizes these PCFD’s to deduct the administrative and fundraising costs incurred while managing the campaign.

United Way of San Luis Obispo County is the PCFD in SLO County. With over 20 State agencies, there are almost 9,000 State employees working at some of the largest entities in California such as Atascadero State Hospital, Cal Poly State University, and the California Men’s Colony. Last year, SLO County State employees pledged over $179,000. Of that, over $57,00 was designated to United Way of SLO County and more than $122,000 was designated to over 300 other nonprofit charities. United Way maintains an overhead of 6% to facilitate the campaign, process pledge forms and assist campaigners and employees with the CSECC; an additional 5% covers the administrative fees for the VCGCB, the State Controller Office and United Way of the California Capital Region (Sacramento).

2009 Participating Agencies:

For more information on the California State Employees Charitable Campaign visit www.csecc.org or www.boc.ca.gov/csecc.

National Corporate Leadership Program
In partnership with 125 major corporations and more than 1,300 individual United Ways, the National Corporate Leadership (NCL) Program provides expert advice and resources to strengthen corporate involvement and increase companies’ capacity to improve lives and strengthen communities. Combined, National Corporate Leadership companies operate in over 40,000 locations and contribute over $1 billion to creating lasting changes in people’s lives and in the communities where they live and work.

The NCL Program manages the national relationship between United Ways and companies all throughout the United States, providing a strategic, national voice for the United Way system and providing opportunities to strengthen corporate philanthropic partnerships in communities across the country.

National Corporate Leadership Goals & Criteria:

• Increase corporate philanthropic commitment and engagement
• Use the workplace to increase the philanthropic commitment and engagement of individuals
• Company runs a national workplace giving campaign
• Company has 10,000 or more employees
• Annual corporate and employee contributions total at least $2.5 million with at least 50% of contributions invested in United Way’s community impact work
• Engage local United Way partners to impact communities by building strong philanthropic relationships with national and global corporations
• Company partners with United Way beyond the workplace giving campaign

United Way of SLO County partners with a number of NCL companies throughout the year to help support our local community. Some featured companies include the following:

• United Parcel Service (UPS) continues to raise the bar in terms of generosity and an unwavering commitment to community through their employee workplace giving campaign. "Even in this tough economy, the spirit of giving is alive and well at UPS," said Scott Davis, the company's chairman and CEO.  "The support of our employees is unwavering because we all recognize that the United Way's efforts to improve lives and communities are more important than ever." The San Luis Obispo UPS location continues to be our largest workplace campaign with almost $23,000 in pledges and a generous corporate contribution of over $5,000, a match of 15 cents on every dollar pledged by its employees.
  
  
• AT&T feels strongly that the workplace campaign focus should be on meeting the most critical needs of their local communities. Since United Way is a premier federation for support of local community, education, income and health needs, funds programs with proven results and has one of the lowest administrative costs in the nation, employees in SLO County have been loyal contributors to the United Way Community Impact Fund for many years. Employees pledged over $7,800 last year and United Way received corporate donations of $5,500.
  
  
• In 2008 Costco gave its members the option to make a donation to their local United Way online. Costco corporate and its San Luis Obispo employees collectively pledged $7,630 to United Way last year which corporate matched to the tune of $3,815.
  
  
• Bank of America has a long history of partnership with United Way. In 1999 it made a pledge to provide $50 million to Success By Six, the national United Way program to develop and enhance early childhood initiatives. Locally, all of its branches throughout SLO County run workplace campaigns and this year, the Bank of America Foundation contributed $5,000 the Community Impact Fund and awarded United Way with a $10,000 grant to expand our Earned Income Tax Credit program.
  
  
• This past holiday season, our local Target store in Paso Robles donated three beautiful decorated holiday trees to United Way of SLO County through the Target Share A Tree program. United Way volunteers delivered Target’s trees to local families in need to help brighten their holidays.

2009 Participating Companies (not all have locations in SLO County):

For more information, visit www.liveunited.org/ncl

Click here to view United Way of America’s “Goals for the Common Good.”