Corporate donations to United Way have been very strong this past year. But she also said 90 percent of the United Way’s fundraising comes from workplace campaigns and the majority of that money comes through weekly payroll deductions. Look form more details to follow in The Republican and on MassLive.com
September 30, 2010 - Springfield - Staff photo by Michael S. Gordon - Editorial meeting with officials from the United Way of Pioneer Valley at The Republican Thursday. This is Dora D. Robinson, president and CEO.HOLYOKE – United Way of Pioneer Valley has $6.1 million in donations committed through its 2011 fundraising campaign, beating its stated goal of collecting $5.9 million and nearly matching the $6.2 million raised in 2010.
“In spite of the economy, in spite of unemployment, in spite of underemployment and all the challenges we face, this is fantastic news,” said Dora D. Robinson, United Way of Pioneer Valley’s president and chief executive officer.
She corporate donations to United Way have been very strong this past year. But she also said 90 percent of the United Way’s fundraising comes from workplace campaigns and the majority of that money comes through weekly payroll deductions.
“Some people are giving less. But more people are giving,” Robinson said. “People see the need from their friends and neighbors. They see the need in their communities. There is a basic human response to give.”
Robinson announced fundraising results Thursday morning at United Way of Pioneer Valley’s annual victory Celebration at The Log Cabin Meeting and Banquet House in Holyoke.
The announcement comes as United Way is moving to a more results-based means of allocating funding to its various member agencies. Those agencies have been promised level funding through December 2011.
But next year’s funding will be based on United Way’s core strategy of addressing youth and education, health-care and disease prevention and financial security for children and families. Agencies will have to show the United Way outcomes, not just numbers of people served in order to get more money in the future.
“We’ll ask the question: So what?” Robinson said. “Our decisions will really be based around showing that you have moved that needle.”
Raymond Berry, United Way of Pioneer Valley senior vice president for finance said 20 percent of the money raised through the campaign goes to overhead including administration and fundraising costs. But the overall organization brings in some money from other sources, so the overhead portion of its total budget is lower than 20 percent.
Robinson said United Way of Pioneer Valley serves 156,000 people in 2009. It supports 100 programs in 44 separate organizations.