Self Support Policy - United Way of Frankling County

SELF-SUPPORT POLICY

The United Way campaign is a combined community solicitation on behalf of partner agencies to support human service programs in Franklin County. The community responds best to a united annual appeal, because they know that funds are used for vital programs and the cost to solicit funds will be minimized.
At the same time, the needs of partner agencies exceed the support available through the United Way. The United Way encourages partner agencies to seek other revenues so long as the effort does not conflict with the combined effort of the United Way.
Therefore, the following policy and guidelines have been established to clarify each agency’s commitment to ensure an effective campaign effort.

Notification of Fundraising Activities by Partnership Agencies:

To ensure that Agency plans are consistent with this policy, the Agency shall submit an annual list of planned fundraising activities with their Request for Funding application. For additional fundraising activities planned during the year, a Supplemental Fundraising Activity form (S-1) will be submitted thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of any event. Grant writing is exempt from this policy. The Executive Director will approve routine requests. The Executive Director may refer unusual requests to the Board of Directors.

1.	Fund Raising of any kind from September 1 through November 15, excepting the Franklin County Fair. This is known as the “Blackout Period.” Direct mail letters are not to be sent out after August 15, as this would essentially be requesting a response after September 1.
2.	Corporate Solicitation with the exception stated below (C5.)
3.	General Public solicitation

1.	Sustaining membership among friends of the Agency. Such efforts may be directed only to individuals who have shown an interest in the Agency (not the general public.) All printed materials used to develop the membership shall clearly show that the organization is a partner of the United Way of Franklin County.
2.	Seasonal Appeals
3.	Disaster Appeals (may possibly be permitted during the Blackout period, with prior permission.).
4.	Special Events
5.	Corporate Solicitation.
	a. Agencies are permitted to solicit a cash donation from any corporation, which has not given a cash donation to the United Way during the most recent campaign. Agencies must request the list of current year contributors from the United Way and cannot solicit them. This list will be updated each January.
	b. Agencies are permitted to solicit non-cash donations from all corporations.

D.	Permitted Fundraising Activities Throughout the Year:
	1. Grant writing (public and private.)
	2. Benefits where the amount charged is the approximated value that would normally be charged for such an event.
	3. Sale of goods and/or services reasonably close to retail value.
E.	Capital Campaigns
	A Capital campaign is defined as an organized solicitation to raise over $10,000 for the purpose of replacing, expanding, or improving current facilities (this includes equipment.) It is not the intent of the United Way to place restrictions on necessary Capital campaigns. United Way approval of all such projects is required to insure that multiple Capital campaigns are not conducted at the same time (for obvious detrimental reasons,) and because Capital campaigns cannot be held at the expense of the annual United Way campaign. The Agency shall notify the United Way of the possibility of a Capital campaign as soon as possible during the planning stages. Once a plan has been formulated, the Agency shall request, in writing, approval from the United Way. The following information will be required:

1.	Documented need for the campaign
2.	Alternatives considered
3.	Preliminary site plans, cost estimates, etc.
4.	Campaign details (time table, scope, volunteers, publicity, methodology, etc.)
The Agency may be invited to a United Way Board meeting to discuss the project. The Board will notify the Agency of its findings in a timely manner. In matters relating to fund raising activities, the responsibilities of agency partners are to abide by the provisions of this policy statement and the conditional of an approval of a request to solicit, and to report the results of any fund raising activities on the allocations budget forms.

F.	Summary: In matters relating to fund raising activities, the responsibility of Partner Agencies is to abide by the provisions of this policy statement and the conditional approval of a request to solicit. All results of any fundraising activity shall be reported on the Request for Funding forms.

1.	The United Way will approve or reject a request within 15 days of the submitted request.
2.	Any request denied by the United Way can be appealed by submitting a letter to the President of the Board of Directors.