United Way of Iredell County officials made a wise decision to finally end the 2008 community campaign.
Though the agency fell $500,000 short of its initial goal of $1.8 million, the United Way's professional staff and its legion of volunteers should be congratulated for every penny that they raised during this tough economic climate.
Based on the recommendations of community members who served on allocation committees, the United Way was forced to reduce the allocations it makes to member agencies like the Rescue Squad, Fifth Street Shelter and Habit for Humanity. It appears the cuts were carefully considered and made with regard to minimizing the impact on life-saving and emergency services.
The decision by United Way employees to accept pay cuts through furloughs and increase their out-of-pocket insurance expenses also shows the administration is in touch with the economic realities facing local businesses and workers.
The United Way's next challenge will be trimming its operational budget to ensure that a higher percentage of contributions winds up in the hands of its member agencies.
This year's operational budget is $298,232, or 22.5 percent of the $1.3 million raised. That means more than one of every five dollars given to the United Way won't make it to the agencies who actually deliver services to those in need.
In order to do the most good, United Way officials must find a way to better leverage every dollar given. If the agency's overhead continues to consume more than 20 percent of its total budget, the United Way will have a tough time convincing would-be donors that giving directly to individual agencies won't generate a better return on their charitable investment.
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