Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who decides where the money goes?
   People just like you and me. Local businessmen and women from all walks of life combine to determine where your money goes. There's nobody better to determine what the needs are in our community than people who live and work there. Therefore a 15-member committee from the Schuylkill United Way Board of Directors meets to review the programs and financial requests of each of the 16 member agencies to determine their allocations.                                                                         
                                                                                    
2. How is the annual campaign funded, including the promotion prizes awarded?
   The annual Schuylkill United Way campaign is funded largely by sponsorships from local businesses that share our commitment to providing as many services to our community as possible. From banks to corner stores, the Schuylkill County community joins together each year to make the United Way campaign the most successful it could be.All prizes awarded during the campaign are donated by generous businesspeople in the area, enabling the United Way to instill pride and enthusiasm throughout the county.
                                                                                                                                                                                  
3. Why should I give to the United Way and not directly to an agency of my choice?
   By giving to the Schuylkill United Way, you are supporting programs in 16 different agencies throughout Schuylkill County that help people during troubled times—whether it's providing emergency shelter, health care, family counseling, youth programming, drug prevention, or disaster relief. This wide array of programs helps to solve the multiple challenges facing a person during difficult times—challenges that one agency alone may not be able to meet. Therefore, it is important that all agencies receive adequate funding.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
4. I tried to get help from a United Way agency and they denied service to me.
   No one wants to ever deny a service to anyone in need. Unfortunately, in many cases the total costs for those services well exceeds the dollars that the United Way can provide. This means that sometimes a service cannot be provided as often as needed, unless there is another funding source to cover the costs. Usually those additional funding sources come in the form of federal and state funding, but with cutbacks it has only complicated the situation.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
5. I've been giving to the United Way for years, but when I went to an agency for help, they made me pay for the service.
   In most cases, agencies are multi-faceted organizations that provide a multitude of services to meet a multitude of needs. Funding from the United Way could only fund a small portion of those services, so costs must be met elsewhere from other sources. Agencies may ask for their clients to help meet those costs so that no services are lost.
                                                                                                                                                                                            
6. How do I know that when I designate my contribution to a particular agency, the money goes where I asked?
   At the Schuylkill United Way, every dollar that comes into the office, whether it's from corporations, employees or individuals, is handled by the Schuylkill office staff. Therefore, we know where every dollar is spent and designated and we can guarantee that all contributions go to where they are requested.