United Way of Charlotte County

HOW CAN I HELP?

Volunteer
There are many ways to volunteer, either with your United Way or with agencies funded through United Way. VolunteerWay is a cutting edge, 21st century volunteer initiative of the United Way of Charlotte County. Today, volunteering is central not only to health and social service delivery, but also to many other segments of our community. Charlotte County now joins more than 360 other communities across the country where a Volunteer Center helps create efficient, satisfying relationships at agencies where volunteers are needed most.

Click Here to discover 100 Ways you can Volunteer!

Donate:
Some of the many ways you can donate to your United Way are:

Donate online
Payroll deduction
Cash, check or credit card donations
Donation of securities, property, or life insurance
Planned giving such as lead or remainder trusts, or remembering United Way in your will

There are so many problems facing our communities today -- drugs, homelessness, illiteracy, poverty, worries about care of children and the elderly to name a few -- and its not always easy to figure out how to help. So many groups are asking for our support, and we want to be sure that the time and money that we give is really making a difference.
That's what United Way is all about.
United Way is one of the best ways to build strong communities and help people who are in need. It's a system based on the principle that united, we are stronger than we can ever be alone.

Each of the over 1,300 local United Ways raise funds for community needs. In many campaigns, you can designate where your contribution will go. Given a choice, most contributors prefer to have people who really know the community helping to decide how their dollars will do the most good. At each United Way, experienced volunteers from all walks of life work to make sure your money is well spent. They select and monitor critical human care services that address the needs of their own communities -- agencies and programs that make a real difference in people's lives. Money given locally works locally.
You give to United Way, United Way funds a wide variety of programs and services, and these services help people in your community all year long.
And United Way isn't just a fund-raising organization. Local United Ways work in close partnership with private businesses, governments and non-profits to pinpoint and address critical community issues. United Way builds and maintains human service support structures that create healthier and stronger communities.
United Ways are committed to keeping costs low, with much of the work being done by volunteers. That way, you can be sure that your money is being used efficiently and effectively -- that nearly all your contribution is getting to the people who need your help.
United Way works because of the generosity of people like you, who give their time and money to strengthen their community. To the volunteers, contributors, and to anyone whose interest has led you to our site, Thank You!

Making Sure Your Money Is Well Spent

At your United Way, experienced volunteers and staff members are working to make sure that almost all your contribution gets to the people who need your help.

They do this by:

Assuring the accountability and service quality of the agencies and programs that it funds
Reviewing the financial situation of community charities and funding those that can best use the money
Regularly assessing the problems of the community
Distributing money to address the most critical needs
Providing funds to small, less known agencies that cannot afford to do their own fund-raising and might not exist otherwise
Raising money on behalf of other charities at less cost than if each raised the money independently

Who Contributes To Local United Ways?

Locally, contributions raised by local United Ways come from:
Employee-Based Campaigns 50%
Corporate Giving 22%
Local Government Employee Campaigns 11%
Federal Employees 5%
State Employees 6%
Individuals and Professionals 3%
Fundraising Events 6%

How Much Of The Contributions Reach Community Charities?
The real advantage of United Way is its ability to raise money for the organizations it funds and bring together collaborations to assess and facilitate health and human service improvements for Charlotte County far less expensively than they can ever hope to do themselves. The United Way keeps fund-raising costs low, allowing nearly all of your contributions to go directly to community charities. On average, local United Ways nationwide distribute to community charities approximately 85% of the dollars raised compared with only 70% or less for other charities. The Administrative Expense of the United Way of Charlotte County is a low 10.8%!

United Way of Charlotte County Inc. 17831 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte FL 33948 Tel: (941)627-3539