United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties has compiled a list of questions asked most often.  For more information, email Becky Gauthier, Director of Community Solutions, at: bgauthier@unitedway-bfco.com.

-What is the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties?
-Who runs the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties?
-How did United Way select the programs it is currently funding?
-In the 2008-09 Campaign, United Way raised over $4.3 million and distributed over $3.3 million.
    Where do the funds that are not distributed go?
-Why is the United Way a better choice than giving directly to an agency?
-What safeguards are in place to ensure accountability for the United Way funds?
-What is Community Solutions?
-Why is United Way doing Community Solutions?
-How is United Way going to create solutions to our community problems?
-How will Community Solutions affect United Way's Investment and Funding Process?

Q.  What is the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties?
A. 

Q.  Who runs the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties?
A.  A volunteer Board of Directors comprised of 50 local community leaders governs the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties.  Board members are selected to represent the diversity and interests of our community.  Eleven full-time and one part-time staff are employed by United Way to manage the organization, raise funds, and provide services to our community, including bringing the community together to identify community priorities, developing solutions to pressing needs, and coordinating efforts to deliver services efficiently in the Tri-Cities.

Q.  How does United Way distribute funds in our community?
A.  Members of the Community Solutions Committee of the United Way Board reviewed the performance of programs and measured them against the Community Solutions Plan priorities selected in last year’s two-year funding process. They also took into consideration the amount available as a result of the 2008-2009 Campaign and then made recommendations to the United Way Board. The United Way Board of Directors made the final determination on how much funding each program received during the May 2009 Board Meeting.

Q.  In 2007, United Way raised over $4 million and distributed over $3 million.  Where do the funds that are not distributed go?
A.  These funds go to 4 areas:
          1.  Uncollectible pledges are less than 6%.
          2.  Fundraising and community education costs are 10% or less.
          3.  Administrative costs are 7% or less.
          4.  The rest goes to services provided by United Way, such as facilitating the development of
               Community Solutions and the Our Babies Can't Wait initiative, providing oversight
               and coordination of 2-1-1, serving as administrator of the Emergency Food and Shelter program,
               community needs assessment and planning, etc.

Twenty percent of gifts designated to specific agencies are withheld in order to share these costs.

Q.  Why is the United Way a better choice than giving directly to an agency?
A.  There are several reasons why supporting the United Way is the best way to help the most people in our
 community.  These reasons include: 
- United Way takes the guesswork out of giving.  Donors do not have to choose where to direct their donation
   because United Way does the important homework for them.  United Way supports programs across
   the spectrum of human care issues based on how effectively they meet specifically identified community
   needs.
- Community volunteers carefully review each United Way-funded program on an annual basis.  Their
  oversight ensures agencies adhere to sound fiscal policies and that contributions are invested in programs
  that do the most good.
- Giving through United Way reduces costly and time-consuming fund-raising efforts for the agencies
  providing programs.  This enables them to better spend their time helping people.
- When donors give through their workplace campaign, their gift can be spread out over the course of a year
   through payroll deduction, making it easier to support the human care needs of our community.
- When donors give to the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties, their gift is invested with the
   contributions of others to help provide a continuum of care for those most in need. Even if donors
   designate a portion of their gift to a specific service or agency, they are asked to consider investing
   part of their gift to the United Way Community Solutions Fund. This enables donors to partner with United Way and improve the lives of our families, friends and
   neighbors. The bottom line is that gifts to United Way stay local and get results.

Q.  What safeguards are in place to ensure accountability for United Way funds?
A. 

Q.  What is Community Solutions?
A. 

Q.  Why is United Way doing Community Solutions?
A. 

Q.  How is United Way going to create solutions to our community problems?
A.  ’s lives. Their hard work has resulted in the first-ever community-wide health and human services plan and the first initiative called “Our Babies Can’t Wait.” Businesses, organizations and individual volunteers are enthusiastically supportive of this initiative as well as hundreds of local parents who have benefitted. While continuing their work on the Our Babies Can’t Wait Initiative, Community Solutions Team Members and Blue Ribbon Advisors are now working on identifying additional ways to build a better community through the next Community Solutions Initiative.

Q.  How will Community Solutions affect United Way's investment and funding process?
A.  Since 2008, United Way has aligned its funding priorities with the key focus areas of the Community Solutions Plan created by over 200 community leaders. For the first time in many years, United Way pursued an open application process to ensure that United Way funded programs will deliver the best outcomes possible. United Way funded service providers have been involved with the design of this process. As a result of this new investment and funding process, a total of 49 programs operated by 22 agencies have been awarded United Way funding, providing services in the areas of education, health, safety and self-sufficiency.