Financial Information | United Way of Southern Illinois

We think it is extremely important for complete consolidated financial information about United Way of Southern Illinois to be readily available to the public. You may contact our office to request full copies of our latest tax returns, and we will be happy to answer any questions you might have about it.

As you think about United Way of Southern Illinois (UWSI), it's important to keep in mind that we are an independent organization. We serve 15 southern Illinois counties: Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, White & Williamson.

Although we proudly commit ourselves to the rigorous set of "Standards of Excellence" suggested by the United Way Worldwide, we are not a subordinate "branch" or "chapter" of any national or state organization. Instead, we are members of a collaborative national network of independent United Way organizations, each of which voluntarily seeks to maintain the strict requirements for ethical conduct and operational efficiency that are necessary to be recognized for United Way membership. We each pay a membership fee to United Way Worldwide - a fee fairly matched to our level of contributions - in order to have access to such benefits as:

Advanced training opportunities and educational materials for our staff and volunteers
A wealth of United Way campaign and brand management resources
Innovative national programs that can be tailored to help solve local problems
Expert advice from a broad range of nationally renowned consultants
Opportunities to be a positive force in lobbying for legislative and regulatory changes to benefit our communities and help solve long-term community problems.

However, no one outside UWSI's region tells us what must be done with the donations we receive or how they must be spent. That's the job solely of the UWSI Board of Directors, who make decisions based on their knowledge of the United Way system and their intimate familiarity with the needs and wishes of the communities they represent.

As a consequence, the donations that generously support our work in southern Illinois do not flow to some remote location. They are not under the control of anyone beyond our region. They are carefully earmarked and kept secure in UWSI accounts in local banks - and they are controlled by the local volunteers who serve on the UWSI Board of Directors.

For example, an unrestricted contribution made to UWSI from within our 15-county region will be held exclusively to increase its power to make a significant community impact. Donations will be allocated to support only the work of local programs. And decisions about which organizations to fund and how much to award to them are made exclusively the UWSI Board of Directors. Unless someone specifically tells us to handle their donation differently, it will stay in their community!

Part of the money raised is used for "Management and General Expenses." Most of that money goes to support a small regional professional staff and central office location in Marion. The staff takes care of all the accounting and financial reporting, as well as providing an extensive range of services to board members, volunteers, local organizations and the public. Here are just a few of the things they do: order and distribute campaign supplies; create and produce original materials for local campaigns and special events; manage the web site you're now using; act as a point of contact for local and regional print and electronic media; manage local and regional mass mailings; provide regional coordination of special events and community impact initiatives; offer training for volunteers and workplace campaign coordinators; and help organizations publicize their work and their needs for support.

Aside from vigorously protecting confidential information about our donors, we truly practice a policy of "open door and open books" when it comes to our financial operations. We consider ourselves honored to be the trusted stewards of donations we receive - and we welcome intense scrutiny of our financial operations and decisions. We arrange each year for an independent audit to help us check our work and keep improving at the increasingly complex task of enhancing donor's choices and then tracking the course and impact of their contributions. We not only want to be strictly accurate and completely accountable when we handle financial matters. We also want to help create better ways for our donors to learn exactly what happens to their donations, from the point we receive them to the point when they make final community impact.