Frequently Asked Questions

Our mission is to engage with our community, through partnerships, to ensure people are cared for, connected and included. Our vision is to champion and inspire sustainable change that strengthens community and improves lives. Our values are inclusion, accountability, integrity, collaboration, voluntarism and vision.

Lasting change comes from confronting the root of the problem. While United Way continues to meet immediate needs, we also tackle the root causes behind those needs. We examine the causes of social problems such as poverty, discrimination, family violence, and isolation and work with our community to develop and implement solutions. United Way uses a five-pronged integrated approach to create sustainable social change. This approach involves:

Investing strategically in well-managed human care services and programs that are
focused on meeting community priorities.
Championing and leading community-based partnerships to tackle complex social
issues such as poverty, opportunities for newcomers, and early childhood development.
Providing training and skills development opportunities to agency staff and
volunteers to ensure our community has a strong, sustainable human care network.
Advocating for changes in public policy to eliminate inequity and expand
opportunities so individuals can fulfill their potential.
Leveraging resources for our community.

It is vital to the health of our community that we have a strong, sustainable network of human care services and programs. United Way works to strengthen the social services sector so that the people in our community have the services they need, when they need them. We do this in a variety of ways, including providing direct funding for more than 100 programs and services, developing training opportunities for agencies, creating community partnerships to tackle complex social issues, and advocating for changes in public policy to ensure that people have access to the services and programs they need.

Based on research and extensive community consultation, United Way focuses its funding on addressing the following important social priorities:

Strengthening families and children
Reducing hunger, homelessness and poverty
Helping abused women and children
Supporting seniors to live healthy and independent lives
Helping newcomers and immigrants settle and integrate

The Community Fund is comprised of all donations to United Way of Peel Region that are not designated to another registered charity. These are the donations that are strategically invested in Peel to create sustainable social change so that everyone in our community can thrive. The Community Fund supports programs, services and initiatives that address our five funding priorities. It provides a focused, holistic and integrated approach to addressing the complex human care issues in our community. This comprehensive approach helps eliminate duplication and ensures that resources are invested for maximum impact.

Giving to the Community Fund provides the resources needed to achieve the greatest results for individuals and our community. Donations to the Community Fund not only help meet immediate needs, such as food for a hungry family or safe shelter for an abused woman, but also help us tackle the root of these problems through programs such as literacy training, job skills development and anger management counselling. Gifts to the Community Fund are pooled together and distributed through United Way's thorough review process and strategic approach.

Your investment goes far, but not far away! Unless designated by the donor, all gifts stay right here in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga to help address key social issues.

In 2007/08 we will fund 109 programs and services provided through 53 different community agencies.|

Just 16.6% of funds raised by United Way of Peel Region are used to cover our combined fundraising (9.5%), administration costs (7.1%), making us a North American leader in cost-efficient fundraising. Employee campaigns are one of the most efficient fundraising methods. As a comparison, telemarketing costs vary between 35% and 70%, lotteries range between 60% and 80%, and special events such as walkathons can cost up to 50%. United Way keeps costs low with the support of thousands of volunteers and by leveraging donated services and supplies.

No! While it's true that many services, programs and initiatives supported by United Way help people living in poverty, United Way agencies support people from all walks of life and in many different circumstances. Here are just a few examples of the services, programs and initiatives we fund:

Support for families coping with mental illness
Assistance for women fleeing abusive home situations
Meals for isolated seniors and disabled persons
Parent education workshops
Mobility training for people who have lost their vision
In-home practical support for people living with a life-threatening illness
Programs to build basic literacy and numeracy skills
Counselling programs for youth at risk
Support programs for children

United Way has a deep understanding - gained through extensive community consultation - of existing and emerging social needs in Peel Region. United Way works in Peel to monitor needs, identify and fill gaps, and track program results. United Way's distribution process ensures that donations are invested wisely. In this process, experienced volunteers and professional staff identify community needs, review the programs and budgets of funded agencies and follow through to ensure the effective delivery of funded programs. Our annual report outlines the details of our allocations.

United Way of Peel Region's operating budget is audited by an independent accounting firm and is carefully scrutinized by the members of the United Way Finance and Audit Committee and Board of Directors. Our complete audited financial statements are available at www.unitedwaypeel.org. All agencies and programs requesting United Way funding also undergo careful, regular and in-depth financial review by experienced volunteers. We review their audited statements and budget documents. In addition, agencies must report annually concerning the impact of their programs and services. As well, registered charities are accountable to the Canada Revenue Agency.

To be eligible to apply for United Way funding, an organization must meet all of the following criteria:

be a registered charity
been in continuous operation for at least two years
provide human care services and programs to Peel residents
be governed by a volunteer Board of Directors
use volunteers
provide audited financial statements
comply with the Ontario Human Rights Code
must carry a minimum of $2-million in liability insurance
have knowledge of relevant issues and needs in Peel
abide by United Way's policies

Our investments in the community are strategic and focused for the greatest impact. We carefully assess all agencies and programs receiving United Way funding to ensure they meet our performance criteria (collaboration, accessibility, capacity building, effectiveness and accountability). They also undergo an in-depth financial and program management review by experienced volunteers. Careful consideration is also given to ensure that funded programs and services are responding to critical issues and priority areas of need in our community.

Even if you don't work in Peel Region, it's still the place you come home to. We want to help ensure that our community is strong, healthy and that everyone has access to the human care services and programs they need, when they need them. Contributions to the Community Fund provide the resources needed to not only support a vital network of services, but also to help build strong community agencies, lead and support partnerships to tackle social issues, and advocate on our community's behalf.

United Way helps to build strong and healthy communities for everyone, including your own family, friends, and neighbours. Even though Peel is considered an affluent community, there are thousands of vulnerable individuals and families who need support. United Way responds to this need through its Community Fund, which supports 109 programs throughout Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga. These programs provide a network of services that strengthen our entire community. In addition, initiatives supported by the Community Fund help build strong agencies, develop partnerships to tackle complex social issues together, and advocate on our community's behalf.

No. In order to respond to community needs in the most comprehensive and holistic way, we need maximum flexibility in how resources from the Community Fund are allocated. United Way has a thorough understanding of the needs in the community and the financial circumstances of each of its funded agencies, including funding they may receive from other sources. Often, funded agencies and programs within different priority areas will assist the same family or individual. For example: a woman and her children may stay at an Interim Place shelter, but would then need some basic supplies from Foodpath when they move into independent housing. To gain extra support for her children, she may then register them in the Big Brothers Big Sisters One-to-One Friendship Program. All of the agencies referred to above are funded under different priority areas.

Yes. United Way will honor designations made to any registered charity on your pledge form. You must include the charity's name, address, and charitable registration number and the amount you are designating. Please remember that only United Way-funded agencies go through our rigorous review process.

Yes. United Way will honor designations made to a specific agency funded by United Way. You can find a list of them on our website (www.unitedwaypeel.org) or in our donor brochure. Write the agency name and the amount of your gift in the space provided on the pledge form. Please be aware that even though an agency receives your designated gift, it will also submit an annual request for funding from the Community Fund. Funding to all agencies is made through the Community Fund. If your gift is designated to a specific agency it reduces United Way's ability to respond to agency requests for funding and/or increases to their funding. Every year, United Way faces huge demands for funding to support its five key priority areas. Investing in the Community Fund enables United Way to do this in a holistic manner and based on research and knowledge of community needs. Please consider directing part of your gift to United Way of Peel Region's Community Fund to achieve maximum impact.

Even though United Way does not benefit from donations that are directed to other charities, it still takes our resources to solicit and process those donations, regardless of the size of the gift. The 10% fee helps cover our overall fundraising costs.