A Battle For Charitable Donations Consultant Says People Giving To Causes, Not Organizations

While United Way officials remain optimistic, other Spokane fund-raisers say the agency’s $1 million donations drop reflects a new trend in the way people give to charities.

“People want to give to causes rather than organizations,” said J. Kent Adams, a Spokane consultant who works on money drives for many charities. “United Way is the big picture, not one cause. It’s not as exciting. It’s more of an uphill battle.”

So far, United Way has raised $2.8 million in pledges. Last year at the same point, the charity counted $3.7 million pledged.

Across the country, donors are more skeptical and critical of the causes to which they give money, according to a report from the American Association of Fund Raising Counsel. That is especially true in the West, where residents tend to be more distrustful of large institutions, the report said.

United Way raises about $5 million every year, which it distributes to 36 health and human service charities in Spokane County. The money pays for services ranging from hot meals for poor elderly people to shelters for abused families.

But the public doesn’t always make the connection, Adams said. Instead, many see United Way as a big corporation asking for money, rather than a group of small charities helping the poor and the disabled.

“There is increasingly fierce competition for charitable dollars,” Adams said. “And we have a high number of non-profit organizations in this area.”

While several other charities find Spokane fertile ground for raising money, United Way of Spokane usually fares below average when compared to campaigns in cities of similar size.

Spokane’s United Way falls under the national median when it comes to donations per capita and donations per employed person, according to statistics from United Way of America.

Meanwhile, charities such as the Spokane Food Bank and Spokane Catholic Charities routinely do better than their counterparts elsewhere.

“We have one of the highest per capita drives, compared with other Catholic Charities,” said Mary Ann Heskett, coordinator for fund-raising at the Catholic Diocese.

One fourth of the 22,000 registered Catholic families in the Spokane area donated $535,000 last year, she said.

At the food bank, officials marvel over the community’s ability to come through time and again.

“We find people are pretty responsive to our needs,” said Ann Price, development manager. “Food is so basic. People can really get a hold of that.”

United Way raises money for everything from the Boy Scouts to rape victims.

On top of that, this year campaign organizers elected not to announce a public goal.

“How do you know where you’re going if you don’t have a goal? How does the public know what to expect?” Adams asked.

Jose Pena, executive director of United Way of Spokane, said he and the staff had a goal all along. But publicly, he wanted the goal to be, “to raise as much money to meet as many needs as possible.”

Pena said he was hoping people would pick up where the federal government is cutting back.

He said he may change that strategy next year.

Last year’s campaign chairman cautioned about being overly critical while so many pledge cards still are out.

“People are susceptible to negative points of view,” said Bill Zuppe, president of the Sterling Savings Association. “United Way is the most important thing that happens to Spokane in terms of human services. It makes Spokane a better place for all of us to live.

“Besides, there are no alternatives right now.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Spokane workers not giving enough