How do we invest your United Way Contributions?
The Allocations Process
There are two types of funding available through United Way of San Juan County: allocated funds and designated funds. Allocated funds are those monies which come from the general fund. They are allocated to various programs by the Allocation Committee. Designated funds are those which a donor has specifically targeted to a particular program or programs.
During the allocation process, the committee does not know how much designated money is available to a program. This is a mandate from United Way Worldwide, and there is a lot of wisdom behind it. This prevents the Allocations Committee from considering the amount of designated funds an agency will receive in their decision-making. The Allocations Committee considers all of an agency’s grant requests in full, without regard to designated funds.
The allocations process begins in October. This is when we distribute grant applications. The completed applications, with all required documentation and copies, are received in November. The director tells the committee how much money is available for awards. The committee then begins to work on the applications.
This is where the heavy duty work begins. Each committee member reads and analyzes all of the grant applications. We diligently go over the complete application and budgets. We then decide how much money we can allocate to each program. United Way of San Juan County considers each application on its own merit.
United Way of San Juan County emphasizes measurable results, responsible accounting and budgeting practices, and a local scope of operations for our supported programs. It is important that the monies we give to the community stay in the community. We consider programs with a proven track record as well as new and innovative programs.
Allocations are finalized in January, after we have the final number for the total funds available from the previous year’s donations. The results from the Allocations Committee are put before the board at the January board meeting, and are approved or sent back to the Committee for further work. Upon approval, letters are sent out to each applicant, indicating whether their grant application was approved or rejected; and if approved, the amount of their allocation. The amount of designated donations are also mailed out to each recipient at this time.
To learn more about our funding priorities and decision-making process, click here.
If you have any further questions about allocations in general or about funding for a specific program in particular, please do not hesitate to contact us.
