Our Mission Statement:
The St. Joseph County United Way serves as a central resource in planning and providing community-wide services. Our goal is to raise funds for a wide variety of health and social services, and distribute those funds effectively, based on the community’s needs.
It is our objective, in order to be successful, we must communicate with the public to broaden the understanding and knowledge of human service needs and the resources required to meet those needs.
Our Policy against Coercion:
Fundraising should always be conducted in a voluntary manner; coercion creates animosity, hinders communication and understanding, and eventually leads to decreased support. We discourage the practice of seeking 100% participation in a campaign, as that may inadvertently encourage coercion.
To underscore our conviction about this policy, United Way of America’s Board of Governors adopted the following policy statement:
The Board of Governors of United Way of America believes that the most responsive contributors are those who have the opportunity to become informed and involved. A well-planned campaign with an effective communications program, conducted by committed volunteers, will ensure responsible contributors. While we have always been unalterably opposed to coercion, we do recognize a responsibility to state our beliefs formally, as freedom of choice is a basic tenet of our democratic society.
Giving is a personal matter and decision: no form of coercion is acceptable to United Way of America.