COUNTYWIDE : United Way’s Goal Increases by 7.5%

United Way of Orange County announced Wednesday that it will try to raise $23 million this fall, despite the weakened economy, by reaching out to smaller companies and by targeting Japanese-owned businesses.

The fall fund-raising goal is 7.5% more than the $21.4 million raised last year to assist Orange County nonprofit organizations.

The fund-raising goal is “very optimistic,” considering changes in the county’s economy, said Roger Embrey, chairman of United Way’s 1991 campaign and general manager of Southern California Gas Co. United Way contributions grew 4% last year while most charitable giving was down 30%, Embrey said.

To achieve the $23-million goal, United Way will try to involve more of the county’s estimated 5,000 businesses with 25 or more employees to participate in the campaign, Embrey said. About 1,500 of them now participate.

United Way has also formed a special fund-raising division, headed by Yoshi Taura, president of Mazda Motor of America Inc., in an effort to triple donations from Japanese-owned businesses in Orange County and their employees, Embrey said. Historically, Japanese-owned businesses have contributed much less than their American-owned counterparts, he said.

United Way conducts a campaign each fall to raise money for the following year. This year’s campaign formally begins Sept. 14 with United Way’s annual sand castle contest in Seal Beach. United Way raises money primarily through voluntary employee payroll deductions and corporate giving.

Besides funding its 113 affiliated organizations, United Way for the second year will allow donors to direct their contributions to a specific organization or to groups serving one of seven social needs.

This year, United Way will be targeting organizations with plans for combatting hunger and homelessness, providing care for the physically and sexually abused, increasing child care, health care, mental and emotional care, preventing and treating alcohol and drug abuse, and bridging problems caused by cultural differences.

A United Way committee decided those seven areas were the most important for Orange County after studying opinion polls, surveys and census data, United Way President Merritt L. Johnson said. Affordable housing and crime prevention were two high-priority issues that just missed making the top seven, Johnson said.

The seven “target care” areas allow any nonprofit social service agency to submit grant requests for programs aimed at solving the problems, even if the agency is not affiliated with United Way. Targeted programs will receive $658,183 in United Way funding beginning in January from money pledged during last fall’s campaign.

United Way hopes to increase donations with the “target care” program by giving residents more control over where their money is spent, Embrey said. As awareness of the program increases, United Way expects more donors to choose particular social concerns they want addressed, he said.

“We will really emphasize donor choice in the campaign,” Embrey said. “That will be a very loud message.”

Targeted donations received about 6% of United Way’s funds from last year’s campaign.