Countywide : United Way Revs Up Fund-Raising Plans

The United Way of Orange County is feeling the crunch of the sluggish economy and is stepping up plans to try to reach its fund-raising goal of $21.5 million by February.

“We figure we’re about 10% behind,” said Bill Yingling, chairman of United Way of Orange County and chief executive officer of Thrifty Corp.

The 1992-93 campaign has been a test of resolve because of the poor economic conditions that have had an adverse effect on charitable giving, Yingling said.

Workplace contributions, which are the United Way’s main fund-raising mechanism, are down from last year in part because of a shrinking work force, Yingling said.

“Workplace cutbacks have meant there are fewer employees able to contribute,” he said.

To offset the decline in businesses that have traditionally collected contributions from employees, the United Way is fervently trying to sign up new companies for the fund-raising campaign, he said.

In addition, several big events will be held after the first of the year in an attempt to supplement the workplace fund-raising campaign. These will include cooperative programs with United Way-funded agencies, selling coupon books and payroll inserts.

With the tough economic times comes an increase in the number of people who need assistance, Yingling said. In 1991, about 800,000 people received help through United Way-affiliated agencies in Orange County.

“That’s one in three people in Orange County who depended on an organization supported through the United Way,” he said.

Earlier this year, the United Way of America was embroiled in scandal when it was reported that the organization’s national president, William Armory, charged pleasure trips to the charity, among other things.

Revelation of Armory’s $463,000 annual salary shook United Way charities across the nation, prompting many to temporarily withhold their dues to the national organization, including the Orange County chapter. Since the induction of a new national president and changes in spending at the executive level, local United Way organizations are again sending in dues.

“There’s no denying it was a terrible blow to the organizations,” Yingling said. “But I don’t think it had a major impact on contributions.

“I found in talking to people that they understood that the United Way of Orange County is a local agency and was well respected,” he said.

In addition to meeting this year’s financial goal, Yingling said he hopes that the fund-raising events will also raise people’s awareness of what the United Way is about.

“We’re here to help people, and in these tough times, there are more people to help than ever before,” he said.