United Way Case

Introduction The United Way of America and United Way International are part of a federation of nonprofit organizations formed by caring people to serve the needs of their communities. They bring neighborhoods together and facilitate measures toward making a difference to better the world. They have over 1,300 local United Ways in the United States and over 3,000 United Way organizations operating in 45 countries. They raise funds and distribute them to the most effective local service providers, build strong alliances, and coordinated volunteer support among charities. An obstacle that United Way needs to overcome is how many people want to have their donation used in a specific manner. Some people are not interested in giving their money for a general charitable purpose but want to specifically state how they want their money to be spent. If there was a way for United Way to come up with different focus type groups using money is a variety of way, perhaps people would be able to pick the focus group they wish to donate their money to, thereby choosing how their money will be spent.
Situation Analysis Starting in 2000, United Way reached a plateau in the United States. This was due to challenges such as recruiting and keeping qualified fund-raisers. Also a growing focus on large gifts from very wealthy people and celebrities reduced motivation by common people when publicized. The American people wanted to know where their money was going and how much of it was actually going to a charity. They wanted to be able to know that the money they were donating was going to a cause that they supported rather than something that did not mean as much to them. The events of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina were two of the biggest examples because a large number of people shifted their donations to those causes. It gave them the satisfaction of knowing where exactly their money was going and being a part of something bigger than themselves. Situational Analysis