United Way to distribute $34.6M from campaign

Community agencies that rely on United Way of Central Indiana funding will receive less this year as a whole, the Indianapolis-based not-for-profit said Monday morning.

United Way will give 106 local organizations a total of $21.7 million, or 3.6 percent less than last year, and $3.2 million to education programs. Donors designated another $7.3 million to specific organizations.

In addition, United Way’s funding plan dedicates $2.4 million for services provided by its Nonprofit Training Center, Volunteer Center and its Youth As Resources program, as well as for community planning and research.

All told, United Way will distribute $34.6 million during the fiscal year that started July 1.

United Way's 2010 campaign raised $38.2 million, falling short of an ambitious $41 million goal. But donations nearly matched the 2009 total, down just 1.5 percent from the previous year.

The decline caused United Way to cut operating expenses 6.2 percent and the amount it provided to agencies this year 3.6 percent, United Way CEO Ellen K. Annala said in a prepared statement.

United Way gets more than 98 percent of its nearly 76,000 donors from on-the-job fundraising campaigns. It lost more than 6,000 donors from 2008 to 2009—likely as a result of layoffs during the economic downturn.

The challenging economy is “spurring United Way volunteers to redouble their efforts to attract more and more people to the Live United movement,” Annala said.

Unveiled in late 2008, Live United is a movement encouraging the public to give, advocate and volunteer to make changes happen.

For a list of United Way agencies and their funding amounts, click here.