Donor Policies

DONOR INFORMATION & POLICIES

For United Way of the Greater Capital Region

Table of Contents:

I.    Privacy and Confidentiality
II.    Pledges
III.    Campaign Processing
IV.    Tax Deductibility and Recordkeeping
V.    Donor Designation
VI.    Overhead Costs

I.    Privacy and Confidentiality

Due to the nature of fundraising and programs that United Way of the Greater Capital Region, Inc. (UWGCR) administers, we collect various pieces of personal information either from you and/or from your employer. The types of personal information we collect depend on the services you have with us. Some of this information can include but is not limited to:

  • Your Name in part or in full
  • Your Personal Address Information - Street Address, City, Email Address(es)
  • Your Personal Phone Numbers - Home, Cell
  • Your Pledges, Donations, Payments
  • Your credit or debit card account number
  • Your Employer
  • Your Membership in a Labor Union (if self-disclosed)
  • Your Business Mailing or Email Address
  • Your Business Phone including extension

Personal information may be collected when you:

  • Return a paper pledge card to us
  • Use our e-Pledge system
  • Register to attend networking and special events
  • Donate on our website
  • Submit any form on our website
  • Send us an email
  • Call us
  • Text us
  • Your employer provides your name and email address for using our e-Pledge system or for personalizing a pledge card

By submitting information to us you acknowledge, consent and agree that UWGCR may access, read, preserve and disclose the personal information you provide to us as a donor, along with usage history, submitted messages or data and similar information regarding your use of the website in order to: (a) comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request; (b) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues; (c) respond to your requests for customer service; (d) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of United Way of the Greater Capital Region, Inc., its visitors, or the public; (e) where we sell any or all of our business assets; or (f) as otherwise set forth herein.  

UWGCR does not trade or sell your personal information with third parties.  In addition, we do not share your personal information to third parties unless they are carrying out business activities, operations or functions on our behalf, and only if they comply fully with our donor privacy policy.  Further, we do not send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations. With your prior consent, we may also publish your name to acknowledge your support in our annual report and provide your personal information to an agency you may have designated as the recipient of your generosity.

UWGCR uses security measures that comply with industry best practices, and where applicable, federal, and state requirements. These measures include computer access control, multi-factor authentication, antivirus protection, SSL protected websites, spam and phishing protection, email encryption, storage encryption, patch management and delivery systems, Payment Card Industry (“PCI”) compliance when you opt-out of marketing-based emails.

II.    Pledges

There are several ways pledges can be received:

  • Hand-delivered paper pledge cards which may include future payroll deductions or fully paid gifts
  • Paper pledge cards received through the mail which may include future payroll deductions or fully paid gifts
  • Spreadsheets with pledge results which may include future payroll deductions or fully paid gifts
  • Electronic campaign pledging (e-Pledge) through our donor database, which may include future payroll deductions or fully paid gifts
  • Campaign pledge results from Third Party Processors
  • Fully paid or recurring credit card payments through our website
  • Fully paid payments for or during events
  • Fully paid payments through the mail
  • Payments for Invoices sent
  • Stock gifts

Some companies may have an arrangement with UWGCR where their employees can continue or carry over their previous campaign year's pledge to the most current campaign year, as well as into a new calendar/tax year (if a payroll deduction pledge).  UWGCR’s annual campaign year runs according to our fiscal year, which is July 1 – June 30. For employee donations that are “rolled over” or are deemed to be Evergreen, UWGCR will not presume that a donor had the same designation intentions and will therefore leave their contribution as undesignated. Undesignated funds will be added to UWGCR’s Community Care Fund. In part, these funds are used to grant to partner agencies in our community through our Community Impact Investment Review process.

Pledge results may or may not be received from other Third-Party Processors outside of the United Way network. Therefore, if pledge results are not available, UWGCR will use payment detail from Third-Party Processors to record campaign pledges.  However, the best way to ensure contact, pledge, and designation information are all entered correctly is for donors to complete a new pledge annually, whether online or via a paper pledge form.  It ensures we are getting the information directly from the donor each year.

III.    Campaign Processing

Pledges may be received from companies headquartered in our area that have locations outside of our service area. For these campaigns, employee gifts will default to the United Way that covers the work or home zip code, unless the donor designates otherwise. All other parts of the processing of out-of-area designations are processed the same as any other
designation (see Donor Designation section).  

Periodically, UWGCR will run non-workplace related “micro-campaigns” to raise funds for specific needs, i.e. a school supply drive. If we receive donations for a micro-campaign that is no longer running, the donations will be automatically designated to UWGCR’s Community Care Fund.

IV.    Tax Deductibility and Recordkeeping

UWGCR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and as such contributions to UWGCR are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

The IRS requires that all individuals who itemize deductions on their federal tax return should have documentation to substantiate all contributions, regardless of amount.  In January of each year, UWGCR sends tax receipts to all donors who made payments of at least $250.00 in the prior calendar year, through any method other than payroll deduction and securities.  For donors who paid less than $250.00 through any method other than payroll deduction and securities in the prior calendar year, a receipt will be issued upon the request of the donor.

Whichever method a donation is received, the date of the gift is the date UWGCR becomes the true owner of the donation for income tax purposes.

V.    Donor Designation

Undesignated gifts make the biggest impact in our local community.  Funds are directed to local programs that address our community's most significant needs in the areas of Early Childhood Success, Youth Success, Health and Well-being and Financial Security. 

However, UWGCR agrees to offer donor designation processing as a special service to our donors and our corporate customers.  If no designation is chosen, contributions will default to UWGCR’s Community Care Fund. UWGCR’s processing of any designation is not an endorsement of that charity. UWGCR serves only as a processer of the donor’s wishes.

UWGCR will honor designations under the following conditions:

  1. UWGCR operates under the “First Dollars In” policy for donations given for partner agencies or programs.  “First Dollars” refers to the practice of maintaining Community Investments Review Committees to make funding decisions by first applying donor gifts to the total amounts designated with partner agencies before using UWGCR funds.  In other words, donor designations are not treated as a separate stream of dollars over and above what the agencies receive through the investments process. This methodology provides a fixed amount of funds without the fluctuations generated by donor designations.
     
  2. Designations will be honored to any United Way or to any non-profit organization which is registered by law for charitable 501(c)(3) tax status and have a signed Counterterrorism Compliance form on file with us.  If a donor chooses an agency that does not meet these qualifications or the specific designated agency is not clearly written or delineated, UWGCR will attempt to contact the agency and/or donor. If a response is not received from the agency or donor within 30 days, the designated funds will be directed to UWGCR’s Community Care Fund. 
     
  3. UWGCR will charge a 10% processing fee on all designated payments.
     
  4. Designations will only be processed on individual pledges of $52.00 per agency. Due to administrative costs, we are unable to honor designations of less than $52.00. 
     
  5. Designations will be paid to agencies based on actual monies received, not amount pledged.
     
  6. Total designated payment amount over $200.00 will be sent to agencies quarterly. Any payments under $200 will continue to accumulate and will be paid out once the total has reached $200, or annually whichever comes first. This policy is in place to relieve the burden of processing costs associated with small transactions for UWGCR and the designated agencies.
     
  7. Corporate contributions determined by a match of employee giving will not follow employee designations unless specifically instructed by the company.
     
  8. Designated funds that do not meet the guidelines set herein will be directed to UWGCR’s Community Care Fund.

VI.    Overhead Costs

UWGCR, like every other non-profit and for-profit organization, has functional expenses associated with its operations.  For us, these could include program service expenses for grants to funded partner agencies; utilities and property insurance; employee salaries and wages, benefits and contributions, and payroll taxes; equipment rental/maintenance, office expenses and bank/credit card fees; independent contractor charges; affiliated organization dues and subscriptions; meetings and conferences, education, etc.

The United Way Worldwide Financial Issues Committee provides guidance that each local United Way must adhere to regarding standards on charging processing and fundraising fees to ensure donors are charged no more than the actual cost incurred to process and transfer gifts. 

For our fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, these expenses amounted to 16.57% of our revenues, which include pledges to the annual campaign.  We have a modest cost-recovery charge of ten percent (10%) on donor-designated contributions to partially offset the amount of running and processing our charitable giving campaigns.
 
Thank you for entrusting United Way of the Greater Capital Region with your charitable dollars.  We are grateful for your generosity will continue to uphold the highest standards of stewardship as we work to improve the quality of life in our community. 


Contact Us
Please feel free to contact us with any questions, comments or complaints about this Donor Privacy Policy, how your information as a donor is handled, or to review or change your information. You can contact us at the address below:

United Way of the Greater Capital Region, Inc.
Attention: CFO
P.O. BOX 1988
Albany, NY 12207