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United Way of Frederick County
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| Working together matters in Frederick County |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |
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| FAQs |
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General Questions
| Q. |
What does the United Way of Frederick County do? |
| A. |
United Way of Frederick County (UWFC) is a local, volunteer-managed organization that raises money in direct support of its 23 member nonprofit agencies and indirectly, through donor designations, supports nearly 100 others. |
| Q. |
What is the United Way Campaign? |
| A. |
UWFC runs a donor-driven, open campaign in which donors make a monetary gift to the United Way of Frederick County to be allocated to our 23 member agencies to answer the community's most urgent social needs. Donors can also choose to designate to a UWFC member agency or to any nonprofit of their choice. |
| Q. |
How long has United Way been involved with the Frederick community? |
| A. |
United Way of Frederick County has be reaching out to the community for more than 65 years. Click here to read more of the history. |
| Q. |
What does the term "501(c)(3)" mean? |
| A. |
A 501(c)(3) is a certified nonprofit agency, as recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). |
| Q. |
Which United Ways send designated funds to UWFC? |
| A. |
- United Way of Central Maryland (Carroll, Howard, Baltimore, Harford, and Anne Arundel counties and Baltimore City)
- United Way of the National Capital Area (Montgomery & Prince George's counties, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia)
- United Way of Washington County
- Other United Ways located throughout the region and country
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| Q. |
Who runs UWFC? Does it belong to any other company or agency? |
| A. |
UWFC has a local Board of Directors comprised of individuals who live and/or work in Frederick County. UWFC is local, independent and autonomous. UWFC is not an affiliate or chapter of another organization. |
| Q. |
What is UWFC's relationship with United Way of America? |
| A. |
Whereas UWFC is not an affiliate or chapter of another organization, it does pay nominal annual dues to its trade association, United Way of America (UWA). UWA serves the approximately 1,400 local, autonomous United Ways across the United States, providing training opportunities and a service center for sharing ideas and resources. In addition, UWA negotiates relationships with nationwide corporations, allowing the local United Ways to work more efficiently and effectively, helping local dollars go farther. |
| Q. |
Who serves on the Board of Directors? |
| A. |
The Board of Directors is composed entirely of volunteers. Community leaders and business people - entrepreneurs, bankers, insurance and investment professionals, retirees, and employees of local government, media and academic institutions - donate their time and resources to the United Way in the effort to build a stronger, healthier and more sustainable community. |
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Donation Questions
| Q. |
What are my donation options when I participate in my Employee Campaign? |
| A. |
When you participate in your Employee Campaign, you can choose to make a donation:
- through a payroll deduction,
- by cash or check as a one-time amount, or
- using your Visa® or MasterCard®,
which can be charged annually, quarterly, or monthly with a minimum of $25 per charge. |
| Q. |
How does the payroll deduction work? |
| A. |
When you choose to make your United Way donation through a payroll deduction, an amount that you determine is taken out of your paycheck each pay period. You need to make your own decision about the amount based on your particular financial situation and the significance you place on supporting your community. For many people, $3, $5, $10, or $20 deducted from each paycheck is not noticed. But, we welcome whatever donation you feel comfortable giving. |
| Q. |
If I live in Frederick County but work somewhere else, how can I give to the UWFC through my employee campaign? |
| A. |
You need to designate your donation by writing "United Way of Frederick County, Maryland" in the appropriate space on the pledge card your employer provides. Unless you actively designate your funds to come back to Frederick County, Maryland (there's a Frederick County in Virginia, too), they will automatically go to the county in which the campaign is being conducted. |
| Q. |
How can I make a leadership gift? |
| A. |
Any level of leadership gift can be made through an individual one-time gift, payroll deduction, or with gifts of assets such as stocks, insurance policies, real estate, or a retirement fund. See Ways to Donate or contact our office for more details. |
| Q. |
How do I make a donation to United Way of Frederick County if I work for the federal, state, county, or city government, or the Frederick County Public Schools? |
| A. |
UWFC participates in several combined campaigns through which government and FCPS employees can donate to United Way of Frederick County, Maryland. These campaigns include the Combined Federal Campaigns (CFC) in Maryland, West Virginia, and the National Capital area, and the Combined Charities Campaigns (CCC) for Maryland, the Frederick County Government, The City of Frederick, and the Frederick County Public Schools. Ask your employer for more details. |
| Q. |
Where can I get a Pledge Form and other 2004 Campaign Materials? |
| A. |
We have all the forms you need ONLINE! Either navigate to the Campaign Coordinator's Corner or click here to hyperlink to that page. |
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Community Impact Questions
| Q. |
Where does the money go once UWFC receives it? |
| A. |
Money raised locally by people who live and/or work in Frederick County stays in the county to benefit this community. |
| Q. |
What is the benefit of giving to the UWFC annual campaign? |
| A. |
UWFC provides a unique service to Frederick County, raising funds to benefit 23 agencies that serve the most critical human service needs in our community. Rather than being just a "middle-man" in the fundraising process, UWFC enables donors to multiply their impact on these needs through the Citizens Review Panel process. The panels, composed of volunteers from the Frederick community, review our member agencies annually to develop recommendations on how the campaign dollars are allocated. Through the review period, panel members meet with all assigned agencies, examine their programs and budget information, and become thoroughly familiar with each organization. The Citizens Review Panel volunteers ensure that your donation is being used responsibly and efficiently to address the most urgent needs each year. And, having UWFC do a portion of their fundraising allows agencies to spend more time and effort delivering services and providing programs to their clients. |
| Q. |
How does UWFC determine how much money member agencies receive? |
| A. |
Volunteer-driven Citizens Review Panels review our member agencies annually to develop recommendations on how the campaign dollars are allocated. Through the review period, panel members meet with all assigned agencies, examine their programs and budget information, and become thoroughly familiar with each organization. The Citizens Review Panel volunteers ensure that your donation is being used responsibly and efficiently to address the most urgent needs each year. Please contact our office to learn more about volunteering for a Citizens Review Panel. |
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