United Way Contributions Lag for Fifth Year Running

Officials with United Way of Orange County said Monday that they fear that the charity will fail to meet its fund-raising goal--for the fifth consecutive year--if the rate of giving continues to lag at its current pace.

Even though many employers are reporting increased levels of United Way giving this year, overall pledges are below the goal, officials said.

The agency has set a goal of $20.5 million this year, a 10% increase ever the 1988 pledge total of $18.6 million.

However, at midpoint of the fund-raising campaign, only an estimated 43% of the goal has been met, according to an agency report.

“We’ve witnessed some reductions in the size of companies that have been traditional United Way campaign supporters,” said campaign chairman Ronald L. Merriman, managing partner of Peat Marwick Main & Co.

The United Way helps support 121 organizations in the county, including the Salvation Army, the American Cancer Society, the Red Cross and other health and welfare groups.

The agency’s primary means of support is through payroll deductions. Officials said that because of corporate belt-tightening, several companies have fewer employees from whom to solicit funds.

Particularly hard hit have been computer, communications and aerospace firms, Merriman said.

Despite the pessimistic prediction, Merriman said that there has been no falloff among companies that traditionally support the agency and that other crises such as the Bay Area earthquake have not hindered fund raising.

But this year’s campaign carries the familiar baggage of past efforts. Despite increases in overall giving, the campaign has failed to meet its fund-raising goal in each of the last four years, falling about $600,000 short last year.

Officials are concerned that county corporations still contribute far less per capita than in comparable areas.

According to the 1988 Orange County Survey, residents gave just $8.34 per capita to charity last year--a 30% decline from 1987--compared to a national average of $18.79.

The United Way also does comparisons, grouping cities according to population and other factors. Of six similar areas--Boston, Baltimore, San Diego, Atlanta and St. Louis--Orange County ranks last in amount raised per capita.

“It touches every organization if you have a community that doesn’t give, and wae are not immune to that,” Merriman said. “But we tend to forget that this is an area with a high cost of living, and that is played out in maybe not the same level of giving as other areas.”

The county has also gained notoriety of late for a less-than-accepting attitude toward programs aimed at helping the poor.

However, community leaders said they are reluctant to attribute the United Way’s woes to a charity backlash.

“The United Way funds pretty established things, so I don’t think they would suffer” from a backlash, said Jean Forbath, chairwoman of the Orange County Human Relations Commission and executive director of Share Our Selves, a Costa Mesa-based relief group.

“Unfortunately, I think it is a reflection of our community becoming more self-centered and inward-looking,” she said.

Forbath also said many people may have doubts about the efficiency of charitable groups, believing that most of the money goes to overhead and not to the people who most need it.

Fund-raising costs for the United Way are among the lowest of any charity, spokesman Jeff Rocke said.

He added that 82 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to local agencies for services.