ORANGE COUNTY IN BANKRUPTCY : County Layoffs Could Cost United Way : Charity: O.C. employees have been biggest local donor group. But with many losing jobs, pledges could be hard to fulfill.

County of Orange employees have traditionally been staunch supporters of the local United Way campaign. And the latest drive was no exception, as county employees made pledges last October and November to give nearly $876,000 this year--more than any other donor group.

But now it remains to be seen how many of the employees, more than 1,000 of whom are facing layoffs, will be around and able to fulfill their pledges, which are collected through twice-monthly payroll deductions.

“In any campaign, there’s always what’s referred to as ‘shrinkage,’ ” said Sue Gordon, assistant coordinator of the county employee fund-raising effort. “And I do believe that is a concern of United Way of Orange County.”

“But our employees have been so committed to this,” Gordon emphasized. “Those who have given, I’m sure will continue to give throughout the year.”

The worry, she said, is about the fate of employees who have been or will be laid off during the county’s financial crisis. “We’re concerned about them as individuals,” said Gordon, a staff analyst with the Integrated Waste Management Department.

More than 56% of the employees supported the campaign, Gordon said. The average pledge was $92, and 53 employees gave more than $1,000 each.

The United Way has come to rely heavily on county employees, who have steadily increased their giving over the years. In 1979, when employees first supported the campaign, $75,000 was pledged. The total had grown to almost $700,000 by 1990, and set a record again this year.

“The county is our biggest supporter in terms of employee dollars, and has been consistently,” United Way spokesman Jeff Urbaniec said.

“One of our biggest concerns is that the pledge total is based on the commitment of employees,” Urbaniec said. “And the difficulty becomes collecting those pledges should the employees lose their jobs.”

Overall, the campaign drew $19.5 million in pledges for this year, about 80% of it from individual employees in government and the private sector. The campaign total represents a 2% gain over 1993-94, but is short of the $20.2-million goal.

Urbaniec said that, in light of the county financial crisis, the United Way feels fortunate to have a 2% gain in contributions this year. He noted that the United Way of Los Angeles County predicts that its contributions will be flat this year, and that San Diego County expects a 2% drop.

At a campaign wrap-up breakfast Thursday at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, the United Way presented county employees with a Dimensions in Caring Award for overall excellence in giving.

Gordon said the award should provide a badly needed morale boost.

“It’s a positive thing for the employees right now,” said Gordon, who expects that it will be “a lot more challenging” to raise funds next year among county employees who are worried about losing their jobs.

“But I anticipate the employees will still rally around United Way, as they have since 1979,” Gordon said.

United Way campaign chairman Roy Brown said the annual fund-raising drive has become increasingly important, given the sharp cuts proposed in social services provided by the county. The United Way supports hundreds of nonprofit health and human service agencies in the county.

“I believe that private business will have to step up and fill that gap” in social services, said Brown, area managing partner for the Ernst & Young accounting firm. “We’ve got to do it. The need doesn’t go away, unfortunately.”