🚀 go-pugleaf

>It can't be hard to find a reason to not contribute to just about any
>organization . . .

Roy makes a good point here - and we all need to be sure we're not UW
bashing just to avoid our responsibilities.

However, here's something else to consider about UW in particular -

>organizations which do real good (IMHO, and I guess that's where we differ)
>and many of which can't afford to raise their own cash. So I grit my teeth
>and turn in my pledge card with a goose egg, then quietly contribute to them
>on my own.

At least the way it used to be, this approach didn't do any good. United Way
determined how much budget each member organization "deserved," and then
adjusted their contribution to make that happen. If you, Roy, contributed
directly to an agency, they would have to report that in their budget, and UW
would REDUCE their contribution by that amount.

So that comes full circle, because the only way around that trap for an agency
was to raise funds in some other way, and since UW has a monopoly on corporate
giving, "other ways" were pretty much closed off.

I understand in the last few years that the direct contribution capability
within UW is no longer monitored to reduce other contributions. I don't know,
I don't really trust UW management. I would be happy to be proved wrong.

--
Brian Diehm
Tektronix, Inc.                (503) 627-3437         briand@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM
P.O. Box 500, M/S 19-286
Beaverton, OR   97077