In a harsh economic climate, Mecklenburg agencies serving the county's most urgent needs were largely spared significant United Way cuts today. Programs serving less-critical needs took most of the hardest hits.
"We are underinvesting on things that are long-term solutions to the problem in exchange for dealing with the problem," United Way chairman Carlos Evans said yesterday in advance of releasing the cuts. "Unfortunately, we're in crisis mode."
The hardest-hit programs/agencies, in dollars:
-$358,299: Boy Scouts of America, Mecklenburg Council, outreach/special initiatives (-60.1%)
-$327,428: YMCA Strong Kids (-50%)
-$310,829: Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs (-45%)
-$299,463: YWCA Mecklenburg Neighborhood Youth Programs (-45%)
-$254,892: Metrolina Association for the Blind (-57.1%)
Hardest-hit programs/agencies, by percentage lost:
-100%: Substance Abuse Prevention Services, Adult prevention program, (-$83,198)
-79.4%: Sandra & Leon Levine Jewish Center, leisure, (-$83,174)
-77.8%: Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, legal services for elderly (-$7,000)
-70%: YMCA, Strong Communities Latino outreach, (-$23,254)
-60.1%: Boy Scouts of America, Mecklenburg Council, outreach/special initiatives (-$358,299)
Programs/agencies with an increase or no cuts:
+4.9%: Salvation Army Center of Hope shelter for women and children (received $824,000)
0.0%: MedAssist of Mecklenburg (received $233,996)
0.0%: Charlotte Community Health Clinic, chronic disease management (received $129,308)
0.0%: Crisis Assistance Ministry Free Store (received $82,600)
(Here's a PDF of all the funding allocations for the United Way of Central Carolinas, including agencies in Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Union counties - and the Mooresville-Lake Norman area. Here's a searchable database.)
A couple of caveats: United Way listed its 2009 allocations by larger agencies' programs or smaller agencies as a whole. Although the Boy Scouts of Mecklenburg outreach initiatives program took the largest single program cut of $358,299, other agencies received more total cuts. The largest: YMCA of Mecklenburg lost a total of $531,329.
Also, not included above are agencies which lost 100 percent of their money because they are no longer United Way members.
United Way officials tell us a number of factors went into decisions made by the Citizen Review Process, the volunteers who analyzed the programs asking for money.
The CRP took into consideration whether an agency had other financial support (which would include larger agencies, such as the Boy Scouts, YMCA and YWCA, that received some of the biggest cuts).
Another factor: Officials didn't want to cripple smaller agencies, because needs remained and the startup costs to address those needs are significant.
The biggest apparent factor: "We said this year it's critical needs and it's more short-term oriented," said Andy Elliott, Regional Community Investment Committee Chair.
That means shelters such as the Salvation Army's Center of Hope shelter for women and children and the Uptown Shelter emergency facility (12.9 percent cut) received far less than the average 35 percent cut. Also spared were some agencies and programs that provide urgent medical needs, such as MedAssist and the chronic disease management program at Charlotte Community Health Clinic.
United Way defined critical programs as those meeting needs for "basic services to sustain life." The next tier - "pressing" - were programs meeting needs that, if not met, could become critical within six months. "Important" programs provided indirect services or met underlying needs not expected to quickly become critical.
Critical programs received an average of 20.3% in cuts today. Pressing programs were cut 32.8%, and Important programs 43.3 percent.
Are you involved in a program that was cut? Let us know what it means for your agency - or you personally.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Who took the hardest United Way hits (and who didn't)
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15 comments:
I appreciate the list. I see one that I will make a contribution to directly since I no longer give the the United Way
Obviously a sort of triage mode right now. Don't know that there is any other approach to take.
YMCA and YWCA should get nothing! Period! YMCA pays their top four or five people about $1 million dollars a year. The few hundred thousand that UW gives them (from hard working contributors) goes to pay their inflated salary. This is a travesty. I urge everyone to not give to UW when they give to agencies like this.
Please UW. Tell us why this is happening. Help us understand your logic.
If United Way didn't pay the inflated salaries to the top brass they would still be receiving donations from working people. I don't trust them and would not give them a dime.
People need to realize that there are plenty of great, effective, efficient,etc. programs that are not getting any UW (or ASC) money and never have, because they are too small or they don't focus on health, arts, etc.
So let's not focus only on UW and ASC cuts and agencies. Even if UW/ASC agencies are getting reduced funding it is still ALOT more than many groups get.
I would like to see the .PDF explained in regards to "Allocation + Designation Received"vs. "Adj Designation" vs. "Allocation Recommedation". It is a little confusing.
The UW has become a joke. It was run by incompetents. The citizens lose and the fat cats get fatter. Just get them to STOP harassing and bullying hard working employees on furlough, please! We can each give directly to the beneficiary of our choice without the middle man taking a cut.
For the idiot that "urges everyone not to give to UW when they give to agencies like the Y", please do your homework before you comment!!! Go volunteer at the Y like I do and see how hard everyone works with their salaries cut and cut again. Talk to the families that would not have anywhere for their kids to go while they are working. Get off the blog you 'hard working contributor' and DO SOMETHING to help.
I think that they should remove the YMCA and the Salvation Army because both of their national organization have enough resources to do their own fundraising campaign. They charge for services at all of their facilities and thrift store. They don't need UW to raise money for them because these institutions have been around forever and they have the marketing and resources to do that themselves. UW should be trying to help smaller agencies ONLY that don't have the budget or resources to raise money to help fund their community programs. Bigger organizations like the Salvation Army, The Goodwill, The Red Cross and the YMCA and YWCA should be removed from the UW roster completing. They have the money to fund their own programs, especially if they get their Executive Directors pay decreased, they could easily find the money to fund any cuts they received.
to Anon @ 1:57: The YWCA is a completely separate entity from the YMCA. The YMCA shares no funding with the YW. The only thing the two organizations share is that they both receive UW funds. I encourage you to learn more about the difference.
Way to go Gloria! The youth in our area suffer while you live the life of luxury. I will find out how I can make a payroll deduction to the BSA and avoid the middle man-criminals!
I'd say GPK took the biggest hit, thrown off the gravy train and no future "donations" to her retirement. poor thing.
This is a sad day for these critical agencies that serve our County. The United Way needs to publish a list of those idiots who served on their Board and approved that ridiculous salary and benefit package for Ms. King. Perhaps Ms. King and the Board would like to make up the shortage!
The YMCA should get nothing. It is nothing but a country club for the top employees (look a ththeir saleries sometime) and members. The YMCA should put money into ministry and quit building fancy gyms and waterparks.
Good Morning Peter,
Good listage'.
Miss the Squeeze, your previous blog gig, not the girl who still has my original pressing of Born to Run in vinyl.
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