Frequently Asked Questions

This is very a common question for nonprofits. Why? Because people care deeply about the causes they give to and want to make sure they are making a maximum impact with their dollars. This makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, judging an organization based on their overhead percentage doesn’t.

In the for-profit world, overhead is accepted as the cost of doing business, and very few people ask what a company’s overhead is when making a purchase. Imagine asking your waitress about overhead before deciding whether or not to “invest” in your lunch. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? Now, imagine trying to do your job with no budget for office, staff, technology or other every day expenses. How much could you accomplish? According to charity rating sites, an overhead percentage of 35% or less is considered ideal. United Way of Whatcom County’s investment in infrastructure (overhead) is approximately 25%. This investment allows us to hire a dedicated, long-term staff (5 employees), maintain an office, comply with audits and other financial oversight, and fund a network of nonprofit agencies doing amazing work here in Whatcom County.

It’s possible the organization you’re looking for may not have applied for funding this year. Perhaps they found new funding sources or are shifting their programs to different areas of impact.

Decisions about which programs to fund aren’t easy. Our Community Impact Panel carefully evaluates each request to determine if and how a particular program fits into our goals, what the long-term outcomes are, and what level of funding we can provide. As a result, the list of programs and agencies we fund will change from year to year, depending on community needs and priorities.

United Way is constantly striving to find, support, and invest in the best long-term solutions to bring people out of poverty and into healthier, more stable situations. We truly believe this benefits not just those we help, but all of us as a community.