FAQs

We'd like to give you more information about United Way of Greater Mercer County - a few facts and some frequently asked questions. 

Background
Resource Investment – Advancing the Common Good in Our Community
Resource Development
What is United Way Greater of Mercer County (UWGMC)?
Why give to UWGMC?
What is the Community Impact Agenda and why do you have one?
How do you measure results?
How do I know that my contribution will be well spent?
How much of my investment goes to people who really need help?
Why should I invest in UWGMC rather than to a single agency?
What if I already give to other organizations?
How do I know UWGMC handles its finances the way it should?
What communities does UWGMC serve?
How can I get help from UWGMC?
What is UWGMC's Non-Discrimination Policy?
How do issues at other United Ways and other nonprofits affect UWGMC?
How does an organization apply to receive funding from UWGMC?
What is United Way of America?
Does UWGMC meet United Way of America’s Membership Requirements?
What is United Way of America’s Standards of Excellence?
Is UWGMC in compliance with the USA Patriot Act? 

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, Township of Robbinsville, Trenton, and West Windsor Township. 

We keep operating costs low so that that nearly 80 cents of each dollar raised is invested in programs that help people, and only 20 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. 

One of our biggest accomplishments has been to change the perception of our business as being an "Agency" to being a "Community Impact Leader." Our business model, and our philosophy, have been adopted by many United Ways around the country. 

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 neighborhoods. 

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 partnerships 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: 

Education - Helping Children Succeed

Income - Fostering Self-Sufficiency

Health - 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 four years, from 2008 through the end of 2011. 

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

Transportation

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. 

Total Campaign Results for 2009/2010: $5.6 million 

66% from employees in workplace campaigns

31% from corporate donations

3% 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 ($1.6 million raised in 2009). 

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

UWGMC is a local, independent nonprofit organization that prides itself on being a proactive community leader. Through a combination of in-depth research and consultation with community leaders, UWGMC identifies the most critical community problems and funds local programs that will best meet those needs. Donations made to UWGMC's Community Impact Agenda ensure that resources are available to address critical human care issues. 

UWGMC is a community partner and problem-solver. It is a force for change in the community. No other local organization can leverage business, government, and community resources and leaders like UWGMC. UWGMC uses local volunteers to assess and to prioritize the most critical local needs and funds only those organizations proven to get the job done most efficiently and effectively. Moreover, staff and volunteers monitor these local programs twice a year to ensure that your contribution makes the greatest impact. UWGMC also convenes key stakeholders in the community and forms coalitions that stretch your investment. In this way, UWGMC turns your investment into measurable results that change lives in your community. 

The UWGMC Community Impact Agenda focuses the community’s energy and resources in three specific human care areas: 

Education - Helping Children Succeed – “The Cornerstone to the Future”

Income - Fostering Self-Sufficiency – “Education is the first step to a good job”

Health - Caring for Seniors and People with Disabilities – “Health and happiness emerge with a good job and a solid future”

By focusing on the underlying causes of problems and engaging the community to work together on creating lasting changes that prevent those problems from happening in the first place, we are able to get results that no one can accomplish alone. 

We measure results through ongoing community assessment and program monitoring. We analyze the numbers of changed lives and improved neighborhoods in each of the specific target areas that we fund. In the target area of Income - Fostering Self-Sufficiency, for example, we measure the numbers of people who receive Emergency Assistance in terms of food, rent, mortgage, utilities and security deposits, and who are thus able to stay in their homes. 

UWGMC is a benchmark for fiscal responsibility and effectiveness. We rigorously study, personally inspect, and re-qualify every organization we support, every year, using community volunteers as well as staff to ensure objective oversight. Moreover, we keep our overhead costs low (averaging around 20%) so that more of your dollar goes directly to help the community. 

We take the business of investing and managing your gift very seriously. We assess the bottom line, reducing administrative costs as much as possible. Our administrative and fund raising costs average about 20%, which is far below the National Bureau of Charities guidelines cap of 40%. Our extremely low overhead ensures that the vast majority of your money goes to people in need. For more specific financial details about UWGMC, click here. 

Your gift to UWGMC helps more people in more ways than a gift to a single agency. UWGMC regularly assesses community needs, targets those areas that are most critical, and continuously monitors its grants to ensure that goals are achieved. By contributing to UWGMC, you are investing in a network of services that together serve entire families and neighborhoods. UWGMC encourages collaboration and coordination of services, which ensures that people receive all the service they need, and allows programs to evaluate and improve services. 

When you choose to invest in your community, you want to be sure that your charitable dollars are well spent. When you choose UWGMC, you can be confident that you will receive a good return on your investment – a healthier, safer and stronger community. 

There are many organizations that we individually support: our alma maters, churches, schools, environmental organizations or personal charities of choice. At UWGMC, we respect those commitments and ask that you consider the rest of the community where needs continue to grow year in, year out. 

A certified public accounting firm audits UWGMC annually. Results, along with recommendations for improvement in controls, are reported to the Board of Trustees. In addition, UWGMC completes the required filing with local, state and federal authorities. For a copy of our latest audit, please email your name and mailing address to webmaster@uwgmc.org. For a copy of our latest Form 990, click here. 

The Accountability page will appear in a separate window. Just close the window and you will return back to this page. 

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, Township of Robbinsville, Trenton, and West Windsor Township. 

Just dial 2-1-1 from any landline telephone, or 877.NJ2114U (877.652.1148) from your cell phone. You may also visit the 2-1-1 website by clicking here. 

As a community-based independent organization whose mission is founded upon improving the quality of life for all who live and work in greater Mercer County, UWGMC and its Board of Trustees embrace diversity and inclusiveness. Our Non-Discrimination Policy is: 

Agencies seeking and receiving grants from UWGMC are required to have a policy approved by the governing board of the agency and demonstrate a practice of non-discrimination, as it relates to service delivery on the basis of race, color, creed, age, religion, gender, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, or veteran status. 

This policy does not prohibit any agency from operating specific programs based on age, gender, health, disability, or other characteristics designed to meet the specific needs of targeted populations. However, the program must be open to all people in those targeted populations. 

Each one of the 1,800 United Ways in the country is autonomous and managed by local volunteers. UWGMC's volunteers, a diverse group of qualified community and business representatives, are involved in and oversee every detail of UWGMC operations, from fundraising to fund distribution to financial management. Therefore, issues at other organizations do not directly affect our organization. 

UWGMC has an open and competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) application process for agencies seeking program funding. Every three years, we issue and publicize our RFP. To apply, an organization must be a health and human service agency with a 501 (c)(3) IRS status and in existence for at least two years. The program(s) for which the agency seeks funding must serve people in our area and meet our criteria in one of three Community Impact Agenda Issue Areas – Education: Helping Children Succeed, Income: Fostering Self-Sufficiency, and Health: Caring for Seniors and People with Disabilities. 

Volunteers and staff in each Community Impact Agenda Area evaluate the applications for funding, interview agency staff and volunteers, and make on-site agency visits to review the specific program(s) requesting funding. These careful evaluations form the basis for their funding recommendations. The Resource Investment Cabinet oversees the entire process and takes the final funding recommendations to the Board of Trustees for its approval. 

United Way Worldwide (UWW), based in Alexandria, Virginia, is the national membership organization for more than 1,800 independent local United Way organizations across the country. Each United Way is autonomous, governed by its own local board of trustees. Our UWGMC is a member of the national organization, and we can access national research, advertising, training and many other services essential to our operation. 

Yes, we are a certified member of United Way of America, meeting the 14 required membership standards. Annually, UWGMC’s Board of Trustees certify that we are in compliance with these requirements and submit documentation of meeting the membership standards to United Way of America. 

United Way of America is committed to establishing the highest level of performance and impact possible for the United Way system. As one of nearly 1,800 United Ways nationwide, UWGMC is striving to meet the Standards of Excellence. 

Yes, UWGMC is in compliance with the USA Patriot Act. Each agency receiving grant funding from United Way submits certification of compliance with the USA Patriot Act annually. Copies of the compliance form are on file at UWGMC and open to inspection.