How and where can I donate my gift?
You can join fellow co-workers by donating a part of your check each payday or make a one-time gift to United Way. You can contact your local United Way in your community to make your gift or you can designate your gift to another community through your local United Way.

How can I find the local United Way that services my community?
You can click on the button "Find a United Way" in our web site, and then you can select by county or by city to locate the local United Way in your area. You can also call the Michigan Association of United Ways at (517) 371-4360 for assistance.

Where does my money go?
Monies are distributed through an allocation process. Volunteers of local United Ways sit on panels which meet with agency leaders in their community to assess where the dollars are most needed. Agencies must meet strict standards of accountability in order to be considered for funding. After visiting agencies, reviewing funding requests and examining community needs, recommendations are made to the Board of Directors. Upon approval, dollars are distributed.

Why is there a local, state and national United Way?
Local United Ways are independent, autonomous organizations, owned and operated by local volunteers. Your local United Way determines what community problems it wishes to address with United Way resources. Local United Way dollars stay in local communities to address the most critical needs in that community. The state and national United Ways serve as trade associations and assist local United Ways in a number of ways, including training of staff and volunteers and sharing information about what local United Ways are doing best in their respective communities. Additionally, the state United Way monitors state legislation and advocates on behalf of local United Ways. The national United Way does the same thing at the national level.

Are all United Ways alike?
All local United Ways are owned and operated by local volunteers. Most use the trademark name "United Way", others use other names such as Community Chest and United Fund. All are similar in that they run annual campaigns to raise local funds and they distribute those funds to local agencies to meet local needs. What agencies are funded to meet which community needs are determined by local United Way volunteers. All local United Ways, in order to use the name and logo, must meet minimum standards set by the United Way of America.

How does an agency become a United Way member?
More and more local United Ways are funding specific programs or services within an agency. This process is expanding the number of agencies that are receiving United Way funds, and allowing local United Ways to more closely target funds to meet specific needs. Agencies receiving funds from local United Ways meet standards established by that local United Way.

Typically, these standards include:

• the organization is overseen by an active volunteer board of directors
• the organization is providing local health and/or human services
• the organization is a charitable organization and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501c(3) not for profit entity
• the organization is registered with the State of Michigan as a charitable organization
• the organization has an independent audit completed annually that is shared with the United Way
• the organization participates in a financial and programmatic revue by United Way volunteers that will indicate how United Way funds will be used, as well as how previous United Way funds have been used.

Standards and requirements of funded agencies vary from one local United Way to another.