6 Reasons to Support United Way of Lake County.
1. Volunteer Driven
A diverse pool of volunteers from across the community leads our investment process. From strategic plan development to deciding where to allocate funds, volunteers make all of the key decisions.
2. Backed by Research & Data.
Dozens of volunteers make up our Evaluation & Investment panel who rely on research to make any investment and allocation decisions. They spend months reviewing & researching the programs and outcomes of our partner agencies before any funding decisions are made. We also have a team of nearly 20 solution panel volunteers who study the critical, emerging needs in Lake County. They identify areas in need of attention, pinpoint gaps in current funding, develop road maps for the future and incubate new program concepts.
3. Results-Oriented.
Allocation recipients provide our volunteers with outcomes information that demonstrates the value of their programs.
4. Comprehensive.
Volunteers make allocation decisions based on a thorough review of financial and administrative information, program evaluation and site visits. The goal is to ensure all programs are effective, efficient and result in positive outcomes that benefit our residents.
5. Ongoing.
Volunteers monitor allocation recipients on an ongoing basis to ensure quality service, delivery and effectiveness. Ongoing meetings and on-site visits with partner agencies where policy and status updates are provided keep everyone informed.
6. Stewardship, Accountability & Efficiency.
We offer our supporters accountability, efficiency and transparency. We are proud to maintain an operations budget that is below industry standards and recommendations (like the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance at 35% and the Office of Personnel Management/OPM at 25%). We are proud to merit a Platinum rating from Guidestar, the world's largest source of information on non-profit organizations. The Platinum rating is the highest level of recognition offered by Guidestar.We also merit a 4-Star rating from Charity navigator, the highest level of recognition awarded by them as well. And that's important, because our donors have the right to know that we are intentional about measurement and learning in order to maximize the difference we are making in Lake County. United Way also helps many other nonprofits maintain low overhead rates, too. The allocations we provide allows our agency partners to focus on servicing our friends and neighbors in need.