Facts About UWGMC

We’d like to give you more information about United Way of Greater Mercer County – a few facts and some of our accomplishments.

Background
We are an independent nonprofit organization that provides a neutral table around which diverse groups can partner and collaborate to produce measurable results in local human care issues in the greater Mercer County area.

We are governed by local volunteers and managed by a professional staff.

Created in 1994 as a result of a merger of Delaware Valley United Way (founded in 1936) and United Way – Princeton Area Communities (founded in 1938), we have a history of service to the community of more than 70 years .

We serve the people who live and/or work in the greater Mercer County area including: Cranbury Township, East Windsor Township, Ewing Township, Hamilton Township, Hightstown, Hopewell Borough & Township, Kingston, Lawrence Township, Monmouth Junction, Montgomery Township, Pennington Borough, Plainsboro Township, Princeton Borough & Township, Rocky Hill Borough, South Brunswick Township, Trenton, Washington Township and West Windsor Township.

We keep operating costs low so that that nearly 88 cents of each dollar raised is invested in programs helping people and only 12 cents is used for administrative and fundraising costs – that is far below the 40 cents per dollar operating cost standard set by the National Charities Information Bureau.

Yearly, we are audited by an independent certified public accounting firm.

top

Resource Investment – Community Impact at Work
United Way plays many roles in its work to address the underlying causes of human problems and to create lasting changes in people’s lives – turning donor investments into results that matter.

In our role as grant-maker, we use our knowledge about local human care needs and services to invest contributions where they're needed most - in local agencies that are successfully addressing those critical issues. We identify and prioritize the human care issues in our area to create a Community Impact Agenda that focuses our energy and resources in three specific areas:

• Helping Children Succeed
• Fostering Self-Sufficiency
• Caring for Seniors and People with Disabilities

This Community Impact Agenda is set by a diverse group of people and organizations from our community who meet to assess community need and to plan for services to meet those needs.

We direct funding to help our most vulnerable populations, including children in poverty who lack resources to prepare for school, youth at risk who drop out of school, low-income families who struggle to make ends meet, and seniors in need of socialization, transportation and medical care.

We fund collaborative projects through local agencies with three-year grants that are subject to renewal each of the three years based upon performance in achieving targeted goals. Volunteers and staff carefully monitor and evaluate all UWGMC funded projects each year to make certain they perform to the highest of standards and produce results.

We have an open and competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process for community agencies seeking program funding through our three-year grants. To qualify, an agency must be a health and human care agency with a 501(c) 3 IRS status, be in existence for at least two years, and serve people in our community in one of our Community Impact Agenda areas. The grant cycle lasts for three years, with the next one scheduled for January 2008.

In our role as community problem-solver, we partner with municipal, County, State and Federal organizations to help coordinate services for:

• Emergency Assistance (Food, mortgage/rent, utilities and security deposits)
• FEMA and disaster relief (housing and food)
• Medi-Cool Summer Cooling Program (air conditioners for seniors/disabled)
• Trenton Homeless Drop-In Center

In our role as community catalyst and facilitator, we provided initial and sustaining grants to Hands on Helpers, an online volunteer opportunity resource; the Latino Vision Council, a leadership and capacity building entity for the Latino communities in Mercer County; and the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, our local plan for ending chronic homelessness.

Last but certainly not least, United Way created an easier way for Mercer County residents to get information about and to access human services. Just by dialing 2-1-1, callers are connected with a trained Information and Referral Specialist who will provide assistance for those seeking help.

top

Resource Development
Total Campaign Results 2006/2007: $9.91 million

• 66% from employees in workplace campaigns
• 32% from corporate donations
• 2% from other individuals and foundations

We developed a customer-sensitive campaign team able to adjust to and meet the ever-evolving needs of companies conducting employee campaigns.

As a service to workplace donors, we process and forward on donations directed to other agencies.

We established the Leadership Giving Society to recognize $1000+ donors and have held annual, informational receptions to honor the members.

We have been elected annually by our peers to manage the New Jersey State Employees Charitable Campaign since its inception ($2.1 million raised in 2006).

In response to the needs of our corporate supporters, we are developing the e-Pledge campaign for local companies and State government employee campaigns.

top