Financial Information

Cedar Valley United Way is dedicated to being a good steward of your money. You can easily access other financial information (including our most recent IRS Form 990 submission), as well as the financial information of any other non-profit/not-for-profit, at either GuideStar or Charity Navigator.

Frequently Asked Financial Questions

How can I be sure my gift is spent wisely and goes to people who need help the most?
Every year trained local volunteers study community needs, review budgets and take a close look at programs and services requesting funding. These programs are scrutinized for effectiveness, efficiency and whether or not they meet the identified needs in our community in order to make sure that donated dollars are used wisely. Cedar Valley United Way adheres strictly to stringent standards of accounting and financial reporting set for health and human service organizations. To see a complete list of grants for 2011-12, click here.

Where do my donations to Cedar Valley United Way go?
In an effort to invest more of your money back into the community, we are committed to keeping our overhead costs to a minimum annually. The majority of the money raised during campaign is granted to programs and services in the Cedar Valley. Only 15% of the dollars that are received are used for administration and management of Cedar Valley United Way (salaries, office, rent, supplies, etc.). 1% goes toward United Way Worldwide, which provides us access to educational opportunities and resource development materials. Of the dollars received, 79% of every dollar goes back to the community to lay the building blocks of a better life for all.

Does Cedar Valley United Way spend a lot of money on events and celebrations?
Cedar Valley United Way is very lucky to have the support of many corporations and vendors who kindly donate their facilities, food, prizes, advertising, etc. free of charge or at a reduced cost for Cedar Valley events and programs. In fact, $103,079 of the $3 million raised for the 2010 campaign was strictly inkind donations. United Way does its best to keep costs down so money can be put to work on programs and services that will make the biggest impact in the Cedar Valley.

What is Cedar Valley United Way's plan for uncollectible pledges?
Whether because of corporate restructuring and downsizing, loss of employment, relocation or any other reason, employees and companies who make commitments in the fall sometimes cannot maintain those commitments through the completion of the pledge payment cycle. Our experience is that we will lose, on average, 5% of those funds annually, or roughly $160,000. We withhold that amount from the distributions we make to local programs so we do not expend more than we collect annually.