United Way Cautious About Future : Charities: Despite the recession, the organization raised $5.3 million, exceeding its ‘92-’93 goal. It expects another tight year.

Although United Way exceeded its conservative fund-raising goal of $5.1 million in Ventura County this year, the organization may be facing a tough year ahead because of the continuing recession, officials said Wednesday.

“We’re hoping for a better year because the needs remain very high,” said Colleen Hunter-Hancock, president of the organization’s Ventura County chapter. “But we know the economy is still struggling.”

United Way officials gathered in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday for the organization’s annual meeting, where they discussed this year’s accomplishments as well as the outlook for next year.

Despite a drop of $500,000 in contributions in 1992-93--marking the first decline in donations in the last three years--Hunter-Hancock said this year’s fund-raising campaign was successful. The organization raised $5.3 million, compared to $5.8 million the previous year.

Yet, this year’s donations actually exceeded United Way’s goal by $200,000, Hunter-Hancock said.

United Way lowered its expectations this year in part because of the economic slump, which has prompted some county businesses to either trim their work force, shut down or move elsewhere, Hunter-Hancock said.

“We feel good about it,” she said of this year’s fund-raising efforts. “Because of the economy, it was pretty much belt-tightening everywhere.”

The belt-tightening even extended to the United Way’s Camarillo office, where two full-time employees were laid off this year, leaving a staff of 15.

“We cut our own budget, because we wanted to give more money” to charitable groups, Hunter-Hancock said. United Way raises funds and distributes them to 62 nonprofit agencies that provide food, shelter, housing, medical and educational services to county residents.

As a result of the cost-cutting measures, she said United Way was actually able to give some local agencies a little more money than they received the previous year.

Still, United Way officials were reluctant to say what their fund-raising goal would be next year, but said it would probably not exceed the amount collected this year.

“You have to be realistic,” said Ken Macaulay, the organization’s controller. “It serves no purpose to set a goal that is not reachable.”

Hunter-Hancock said if the organization could match its goal this year it would still be doing better than most other California chapters. She noted that several large chapters are planning to scale back allocations to charities, mainly because of the economic slump.

“San Francisco has had to cut back 40%, Sacramento 39% and San Diego 20%,” she said.

Hunter-Hancock said the Ventura County chapter will continue to put more emphasis on money raised in each city rather than countywide. The more money each city raises, the more money local charities receive in donations.

She said this way people can see that the money they are putting in is directly benefiting their community.

“We want to give people the feeling that the United Way is there for them, their families and their friends,” she said.

The two keynote speakers at Wednesday’s meeting were A.A. Bud Milligan, chairman of the board of Bank of A. Levy, and Gordon Binder, chief executive officer of Amgen Inc.

Both firms and their employees were among the largest contributors to United Way this year, with combined donations exceeding $200,000.