FAQ

The first United Way was created in Denver, Colorado in 1887. In Toronto, the first federated fundraising effort for community services was launched in 1918. The name changed several times over the years, ranging from Community Chest to Red Feather to United Appeal.

In 1956, business, labour and community leaders joined forces to found the present day United Way Toronto. Since 1956, United Way Toronto has raised over $1 billion to help the community.

There are 123 local United Ways-Centraides in Canada. Each United Way-Centraide raises money and allocates funds locally to support its community. Each United Way-Centraide is governed by an autonomous local Board of Directors that, with other volunteers and staff, helps build caring communities and responds to a broad range of human needs.

United Way of Canada-Centraide Canada helps local United Ways-Centraides and organizations in the voluntary sector deliver strategic services, such as volunteer development, resource and allocations support, government relations, marketing, training and consultation. Governed by its own national volunteer Board of Directors representing its various constituencies across Canada, United Way of Canada-Centraide Canada is committed to accelerating the evolution of its members and focusing on the future issues facing United Way.

We have changed our name and logo to better reflect the geographic area that we serve and align with the official municipal boundaries of the city. While United Way Toronto runs some campaigns on behalf of other United Ways surrounding the Toronto area, the change to the business name of "United Way Toronto" is more reflective of the majority of our work.

No. Our legal corporate name remains United Way of Greater Toronto. United Way Toronto has been registered as our business name and will be used in the bulk of our marketing and organizational material.

United Way Toronto’s value statement:

• We are personally committed to fulfilling United Way’s mission;
• We care about our customers and strive to meet their needs promptly and effectively;
• We demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism in everything we do;
• We are innovative and creative in responding to new challenges and opportunities;
• We work co-operatively as a team and promote an environment of mutual respect.

Our December 31, 2007 audited financial statements show year-round fundraising costs of 12.6% . United Way Toronto keeps its costs low through the support of more than 20,000 volunteers and by obtaining pro-bono services and supplies (see Q.12). Prior to being approved by UWT's volunteer Board of Trustees, our operating budget is reviewed in detail by our Administration and Audit Committee, comprised of independent business people and specialists from major accounting firms. An Imagine Canada survey reports that the average fundraising cost ratio of charities in Canada is 21.8%.

Wherever possible, United Way Toronto requests donations of goods and services, in order to minimize operating costs. Donations include*:

• Advertising creative by Publicis Toronto.
• Crystal Enterprises licenses from Business Objects.
• Legal services from Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP.
• Auditing services at a reduced fee from KPMG LLP.
• Securicor armored car service.
• Free courier services from Purolator Courier Ltd. during the fall campaign.
• Employees from many organizations are seconded to us for the duration of our fall campaign (Sponsored Employee program).
• Free advertising space and airtime from a number of newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations and outdoor media. United Way does not pay for any advertising space.

UWT also secures sponsorships from companies and charges fees to offset costs for special events.

Through the Gift-in-Kind program, UWT distributes donated materials and equipment, worth more than $1 million annually, to agencies and their clients. This includes items such as computer equipment and office furniture.

UWT recruits professionals, including lawyers, human resources specialists and consultants who volunteer their expertise to help agencies. Agencies benefit from important services that they otherwise could not afford.

*A complete list of donated goods and services can be found in our Annual Report published in May 2007.

Prior to being approved by United Way Toronto’s Board of Trustees, UWT’s operating budget is reviewed in detail by the Audit and Administration Committee. This volunteer committee is made up of independent business people and specialists from major accounting firms.

Staff salaries are part of United Way Toronto’s budget. The volunteer Board of Trustees approves the budget annually. UWT also conducts external salary surveys to ensure that pay levels are consistent with those in the marketplace.

Actually, United Way Toronto spends almost no money on its advertising campaign. Our policy is to have radio, television, newspaper, outside and other out-of-home promotional space donated by various sponsors and our advertising agency volunteers its services for free. We do, however, pay for producing print materials which serve as our primary tools for educating donors. Wherever possible, we try to obtain price reductions for producing these pieces.

United Way Toronto dinners or other similar events are paid for by a combination of corporate sponsorship and/or ticket sales. For example, each of the 1900 volunteers at UWT’s Celebration dinner last year, paid to attend the event. Corporate sponsors helped to defer additional costs.

United Way Toronto itself does not receive government funding. However, most of the agencies UWT funds do receive government grants for specific programs, such as emergency shelter, counselling, health care, crisis intervention, and Meals on Wheels. In view of recent government cutbacks, UWT dollars have become the only stable funding source for many agencies. We continue to work with our agencies to help them cope with this changing environment.

Planned gifts are usually gifts of accumulated assets which have been earned or acquired over a lifetime. Planned gifts take a variety of forms, including bequests, life insurance, charitable annuities, real estate or other property securities (i.e., bonds, RRSPs, etc.) These gifts are placed in a permanent endowment fund where the capital remains intact in perpetuity. United Way Toronto’s endowment fund is called The Tomorrow Fund™. For information on how to make a lasting contribution to the community, please call Lucia Stephenson, Director, Tomorrow Fund™ at 416 359 2071.

Areawide is a partnership involving five United Ways in the GTA to provide better service to large organizations that run workplace campaigns in locations across Peel Region, York Region, Ajax-Pickering, Oakville and Toronto. Campaigns are jointly serviced by these five United Ways, and the money raised is distributed according to a set formula.

United Way Toronto provides funding to 200 agencies in Toronto. UWT funds an additional 133 agencies/programs through the Areawide campaign. UWT’s member agencies receive ongoing funding for their administration and programs, subject to a rigorous review and approval process by a panel of trained volunteers (see Q16). UWT also allocates short-term grants through the following programs:

• Freedom from Violence Grants which provide outreach to isolated women and violence prevention programs;
• Newcomer Grants which fund agency projects to help immigrants and refugees settle and immigrate;
• Success By 6® which provides pre- and post-natal care for at-risk mothers, home visits to new mothers, and parent education;
• Winter Relief Grants which expand emergency services to the homeless during winter months.

For United Way Toronto funding, an organization must:

• Be a non-profit organization that is not connected to any political or religious group.
• Be incorporated and registered as a charitable organization under the Canada Income Tax Act.
• Provide programs and services of a social or health-related nature.
• Meet a vital, local community need.
• Be operated by a volunteer Board of Directors that reflects the community it serves. This board must be responsible for the development, delivery and evaluation of services and the efficient and effective management of the agency’s programs and budget.
• Effectively use volunteers in the delivery of service.
• Be supportive of United Way Toronto, our operating policies and campaign efforts.

Each agency that applies for funding is assessed through United Way Toronto’s volunteer agency review process. Staff and volunteers visit the agencies and evaluate their submissions based on the following criteria:

• Program effectiveness—does the agency meet its mandate and demonstrate positive impact in the community?
• Accessibility—do staff and volunteers reflect the community being served and address any identified barriers to accessibility?
• Resource management—does the agency demonstrate an effective and efficient use of resources?
• Need for UWT funding—does the agency demonstrate a practical need for UWT dollars and present a proposed budget that is realistic?
• Agency support for UWT—does the agency help promote UWT and demonstrate support for our policies and procedures?

United Way Toronto’s primary goal is to raise dollars for the Community Fund. However, we provide donor choice as a convenience to our donors. Donors have the option to direct a portion of their gift to a UWT service area without a fee. Donors can also designate to a specific United Way agency, another United Way or another registered charity in Canada. Every designation to a specific charity is subject to a $12 processing fee and a $25 minimum designation. UWT does not permit the designation of special events revenue or corporate donations.

The $12 designation fee is necessary to cover the costs associated with processing and remitting funds to other charities. United Way Toronto receipts donors for the full amount of donation, including the $12 designation fee.

It costs the same amount to process a $50 designation as it does a $200 designation. This is a consistent, flat fee to ensure administrative and processing costs are covered for donations not contributing to United Way Toronto’s Community Fund.

Agencies charge user fees where appropriate so that individuals unable to afford their services can be subsidized.

United Way Toronto does not provide 100% funding to any of its agencies. All agencies are encouraged to diversify their funding sources. If an agency needs a new building or has some other major capital expense, it may conduct its own capital fundraising drive. This is done after consulting with UWT.

United Way Toronto sends one major mailing in the early fall to donors who contributed by mail in the past, followed by additional reminders. Most donors find the reminder notices quite helpful. If a former donor does not respond to the first mailing, a reminder is sent out approximately 4-6 weeks later. Occasionally, the original response does not reach UWT in time to prevent the reminder from being sent out. This, unfortunately, may result in donors receiving multiple requests.

The majority of United Way Toronto donors contribute through workplace campaigns. All donor names received from workplaces are entered into United Way’s database and cross-referenced against any Direct Response prospecting lists. If, however, a donor’s name is not forwarded to UWT for some reason, or is expressed slightly differently on a prospecting list (e.g., "J.D. Smith" rather than "James Donald Smith") it is possible that he/she could receive a donation request in the mail.

The Imagine Campaign is a national program sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy. Its goal is to increase corporate and individual giving and encourage voluntarism across Canada. It recommends that corporations give 1% of pre-tax profits to charity.

In 1976, United Way Toronto admitted Planned Parenthood of Toronto as a member agency, and in March 1976 the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto announced the withdrawal of Catholic Charities as United Way member agencies. The Catholic Archdiocese felt that these agencies could not remain members of UWT with the admission of Planned Parenthood which, at the time, had generated public controversy as one of the first social service organizations in Toronto to counsel service users on all options related to family planning. Planned Parenthood provides counseling and education on sexuality, family planning, infertility, pregnancy options, and birth control among other topics, operates a community health centre for youth, and runs a Teen Sex Info-Line, a Facts of Life Line and Linea de Vida, an information line taped in Spanish. UWT remains open to reconciliation with Catholic Charities, and a harmonious working relationship does exist between UWT and ShareLife. In fact, in 1998, $156,000 was directed to ShareLife through UWT of Greater Toronto’s Donor Choice Program.

United Way Toronto does not fund abortion clinics, nor does it have a position on abortion. Funded agencies that provide counselling consider all forms of family planning.

United Way Toronto funds several organizations that provide HIV/AIDS education, advocacy, and counselling. UWT also funds respite and palliative care programs for those living with HIV/AIDS, their partners, families, and caregivers.

Yes. United Way Toronto funds some agencies that target a primarily gay and lesbian population. These agencies provide services such as counselling for adults and youth, job training, and drop-ins for those who are homeless.

United Way Toronto does not currently fund organizations which are active in environmental preservation, although we do support their goals. Internally, we have instituted paper, can and bottle recycling programs, and we are always striving to be a more environmentally responsible workplace.

United Way Toronto’s mission is to enhance the ability of members of the community to care for one another. Our multicultural/anti-racism policy is one way in which we try to achieve this mission. Our donors, volunteers, employees, event participants, agencies and recipients reflect all aspects of our diverse community. UWT requires that member agencies develop and implement multicultural, anti-racism and anti-discrimination policies. UWT encourages its member agencies to ensure that services are accessible to people from all backgrounds. Funds are also provided to agencies established to meet special needs of various ethno-racial groups.

United Way Toronto’s policy regarding hunger is that social benefit levels provided by governments must be adequate to meet basic living requirements. While foodbanks and other voluntary organizations have demonstrated responsiveness to immediate needs, they are not the most effective or appropriate measures to ensure that basic needs are met. United Way Toronto recognizes that food banks are a necessary stop-gap measure but does not provide direct funding to these organizations. On the other hand, UWT funded agencies sponsor a number of food-related programs, such as meal programs, community gardens, emergency food distribution and nutrition planning and counselling. These programs ensure that people know how to prepare their own food and maximize the nutritional value of the meals they provide to their families.

Because of increased homelessness in Toronto, addressing hunger and homelessness has become one of United Way Toronto's top priorities. In November 1997, UWT released a report on homelessness, "Beyond Survival: Homelessness in Metro Toronto." Based on the findings of this report, UWT has made this one of its four priorities for increased funding. UWT is focusing most of this increased funding on long-term preventative strategies that help people get off the streets or avoid becoming homeless in the first place. Of course, UWT will also continue to fund emergency services such as overnight shelters, daytime drop-ins, hot meals, and clothing programs. In addition, UWT's former President, Anne Golden, chaired Toronto's Homelessness Action Task Force in 1998 which produced a comprehensive report on homelessness, including 105 specific recommendations.

United Way Toronto funds services that help people get jobs. UWT agencies provide skills training, employment counselling and placement assistance to help people get back in the job market. This training ranges from writing and literacy to computer skills.

United Way Toronto supports a number of youth initiatives focusing on leadership development, community engagement and investment in educational success. In 2006, UWT launched the following collaborative initiatives:

• ArtReach Toronto—engages youth in leadership opportunities through urban art and culture.
• Re-Mix—uses urban music and culture as a bridge to employment, education and training.
• Toronto Sport Leadership Program—provides youth with the opportunity to certify and find employment as lifeguards, swim instructors, soccer and basketball coaches.
• Bridge to Success—helping grade nine students stay in school at North Albion Collegiate.
• Art Access Grants—art access programs targeting youth in high poverty neighbourhoods.

Immigration is vital to Toronto’s cultural diversity and economic strength. Almost 50% of all Toronto residents were not born in Canada. Given this reality, Toronto’s network of social services must include adequate and appropriate services for this important group. While many newcomers become established in their new country quickly, others need temporary assistance in order to become settled and productive. Given Toronto’s large immigrant population, United Way has made settlement services one of its four priorities for increased funding.

The Strong Neighbourhood Task Force, a United Way Toronto and City of Toronto collaboration resulted in the implementation of the Neighbourhood Strategy. This five-year plan began in 2006 to strengthen the social infrastructure of 13 priority neighbourhoods across Toronto. Two initiatives are the Action for Neighbourhood Change (ANC), a resident-led neighbourhood engagement initiative and the establishment of community hubs to facilitate the delivery of programs and services. In addition, 75% of all new funding raised annually from the UWT campaign will be targeted to inner suburban neighbourhoods.

In 2006, United Way Toronto provided agencies with time-limited grants such as:

• Community Use of Schools Grants—supporting high priority communities that have limited programming for youth, school-aged children and newcomer families.
• Newcomer Grants—supporting service coordination and access to employment and settlement opportunities.
• Success By 6® — supporting pre- and post-natal programs, family resource centres and school readiness initiatives.
• Toronto Enterprise Fund—supporting initiatives that create job or training opportunities and community support for people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
• Winter Relief Grants—supporting drop-in services, shelter, food or clothing programs for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness during the winter months.

There a few valuable resources accessible on the Our Member Agencies page under the Who We Help tab. You can:

• dial 211 or visit www.211toronto.ca—a directory of over 20,000 community, social, health and government services;
• download UWT’s Directory of Service, a pdf document listing all of our member agencies with descriptions and contact information;
• browse UWT’s on-line Member Agency List; or
• search for an agency in your neighbourhood using our interactive Member Agency Map.

Volunteering in the community provides a wonderful variety of opportunities to support United Way Toronto. You can get involved with specific events that require a short term commitment like helping with The Enbridge CN Tower Climb for United Way or more substantial activities that may include sitting on a committee or board of UWT or one of its agencies.

To find a volunteer opportunity that’s right for you, explore the following resources:

• United Way volunteer opportunities
• UWT Member agency review panel volunteers
• UWT's member agency Service Directory
• www.211toronto.ca
• www.volunteertoronto.ca

The Youth Challenge Fund is a special purpose charitable trust fund with a three-year mandate that brings together government and privately-raised funds in a common purpose: to improve opportunities for Toronto's young people, particularly in poorly served neighbourhoods in the city's suburban areas. Premier McGuinty announced the Fund in February 2006. A community Board, chaired by Toronto Argonauts head coach Michael Clemons, governs the Fund. United Way Toronto is the trustee of the Fund and will be responsible for providing professional and administrative services to the Board. UWT will be supporting the fundraising activity of the Youth Challenge Fund Board and this activity will be entirely separate from UWT's annual fundraising campaign in the workplace.

Visit www.youthchallengefund.org to find out more information.

United Way Toronto is committed to protecting the privacy of its donors and other individuals about or from whom we collect personal information.

UWT embraces the principles of the Canadian Standards Association Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information to ensure that all personal information is properly collected, used only for the purposes for which it is collected and is disposed of in a safe and timely manner when no longer required.

Privacy is a growing concern for many individuals. Maintaining the highest standard of responsibility to safeguard our donors’ privacy is key to upholding the public’s trust. This is why UWT has decided to accept as much as possible the tenets of the privacy legislation. The primary principles reflecting legislation and embodied in our privacy policy are:

• We are accountable for your personal information.
• We collect, use and disclose personal information only for certain purposes that we identify to you.
• We obtain your consent to collect, use or disclose your personal information.
• We keep your personal information accurate and up-to-date to the best of our knowledge.
• We do not sell your personal information. We share your information with other organizations only with your permission.
• We will keep your personal information only as long as it is necessary to satisfy the purposes for which it was obtained, or as required by law.
• We will protect your personal information by safeguards that are appropriate to the sensitivity of that information.
• We will be open about our privacy practices.
• You may ask us if we hold any personal information about you. You may ensure that it’s accurate and view that information, as provided by law.

If you are not satisfied with our handling of your personal information, our Privacy Officer will respond to your concerns or complaints. You may register a privacy-related complaint by contacting United Way Toronto’s Privacy Officer at 416-777-2001 or privacy@uwgt.org

You can also read our full online privacy policy.