Local Philanthropic

UNITED WAY OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA
Using data as of: June 2016

Rating: CAUTIOUSLY RECOMMEND

About
United Way of Northeast Florida describes its mission as “solving our community's toughest challenges by connecting people, resources and ideas. We envision a community of opportunity where everyone has hope and can reach their full potential.” They focus on solutions for early education, financial stability, and healthy lifestyles.

The United Way is one of the oldest charities in the country and the United Way of Northeast Florida has a long history serving the community since its founding in 1940. They can be thought of more as a fundraiser for other charities, since the funds they raise are then disbursed to other charities specializing in the topics listed above.

More information on United Way of Northeast Florida can be found here:
https://www.unitedwaynefl.org/

United Way Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/unitedwaynefl



Our Analysis
Financial information comes from the latest public Form 990 filing.

Financial Overview

United Way of Northeast Florida brought in $24.3 million in revenue per their last report.


Income Sources

The vast majority of their funding came from contributions, which is impressive. Of the $24.3 million in contributions, $23.2 came from donors as opposed to $1.1 million in government grants.


Expenses and Philanthropic Spending

85.4% of their spending went to charitable causes. We like to see a charity spend at least 75% on their mission, so their 85% is acceptable. Fundraising costs were on the high side at just over 9%.


Program Spending
Education Programs 6,764,922
Health Programs 3,458,738
Poverty Programs 2,550,087
Other 8,362,615
TOTAL 21,136,362


Spending on mission
21,136,362 ÷ 24,759,665 = 85.4%

Spending on administrative costs
1,332,596 ÷ 24,759,665 = 5.4%

Spending on fundraising services
2,290,707 ÷ 24,759,665 = 9.3%


Here’s where it gets a little trickier. Since the United Way acts more like a fundraiser for other charities, we like to look at the amount the actually goes to other charities. Remember that they brought in $24.3 million last year, but only $16 million went out the door to other charities. The 85% “spending on mission” from the previous box includes costs associated with raising those funds. Only about 65% of donated funds actually go to other charities.

Funds going to other charities:
16,030,053 ÷ 24,759,665 = 64.7%




An additional note - they have one of the largest Boards around with well over 100 members, including 35 voting members (A list of the board and committee members can be found HERE.) Boards are typically smaller in size because it makes it easier to reach consensus and avoid information overload. There are few benefits in having a board this large.


Our Conclusion
We have mixed feelings on the United Way. They raise a lot of money that goes to charities which many not have the resources to raise the funds on their own. However, they take a lot out in overhead to do so. Because of this, we give them a CAUTIOUSLY RECOMMEND rating. It may be better to just give directly to the charities they support. A list of such names can be found HERE, beginning on page 36.


Contact:
United Way of Northeast Florida
Jessie Ball duPont Center
40 E. Adams St., Suite 200
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 390-3200


Form 990 Financial Information: LINK


Financial information comes from the latest Form 990 filing. This review is the opinion of Local Philanthropic and is provided for general information purposes only. Please conduct your own due diligence before donating to any nonprofit.