Charitable giving and corporate social responsibility are central to a modern workforce and corporate strategy. Many small and medium sized corporations and private foundations, however, lack the infrastructure or resources to strategically manage this work.
United Way is in the business of making sound social investments. We have a rigorous review process and we manage investments with accountability and reporting procedures. In 2016, we began partnering with local small and medium businesses, private foundations, and individuals who want to strategically help people in their own back yard.
We are also the trusted advisor to trusted advisors. Charitable giving may form part of a financial plan for clients, but where can lawyers, accountants and wealth managers/financial planners direct their clients? The United Way helps individuals get the most out of their donation.
STEP 1: MEET WITH UNITED WAY ADVISOR
United Way’s Executive Director meets with you to understand your motivations and charitable interests. Then recommends social investment options from a portfolio of high potential opportunities.
STEP 2: DEVELOP IMPACT PLAN
You select the project(s) that best fits your interests. You can sponsor an entire project or invest in parts of multiple projects. Single-year and multi-year options are available.
STEP 3: MONITOR, WATCH THE RESULTS!
The United Way manages your investment, sets target outcomes with the selected project, and ensures your gift is optimized. To maintain accountability, the gift is made to the United Way and disbursed to the funded partner. Twice a year, the United Way will provide you with program updates and progress on targeted outcomes.
“Each year we receive many requests to support local charities and our donation strategy was very broad, we did not feel we were making enough of a difference in our community. With the help of the United Way advisory services we have decreased the valuable time spend on the decision making and have a focused donation strategy; helping reduce generational poverty. Each year we select projects that fit best with our corporate and employee interests and contribute to the reduction of generational poverty. The best part is the United Way is providing us with progress reports that include stories and statistics we can share with our employees and customers. We can now see the measurable difference our charitable gifts are making, for the first time.” – Jessica DeLong, Saint John Energy
“Many years ago, my father established a small private foundation. Today, family members continue to operate the foundation, which I am fortunate to chair. Making the disbursement decisions each year can be as challenging as it is rewarding. The United Way provides a structured way to compare projects to make the best decision. We then choose the one that fits best with our interests. It gives me confidence to know that the United Way staff are working directly with the charity to ensure everyone succeeds.” – Ann MacMurray Cox, of the MacMurray Family Foundation