Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993 TAG: 9301260218
SECTION: ECONOMY PAGE: EC-18 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KATHLEEN WILSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
TIMES ARE TOUGH FOR UNITED WAY
Bob Kulinski can think of only one word to describe the impact the sluggish economy has had on the United Way.Severe.
Though this has been the third year in a row the recession has had an impact, Kulinski, the director for the agency's Roanoke Valley office, says it was hit the hardest last year.
"The campaign has been essentially flat," he said of its 1992 fund-raising drive. They're still in the process of wrapping up last year's campaign, but already Kulinski can tell you the agency will never make up the pledges they've lost.
The United Way of Roanoke Valley, like many of the 1,400 United Way organizations affiliated with United Way of America, saw donations either get smaller or harder to get last year. Campaigns suffered as the public reacted to reports of mismanagement and misspent money by the Washington-based national lobby group.
When the United Way suffers, so do all of the non-profit agencies it supports. Some weather the storm better than others.
Because people understand the Salvation Army's purpose to provide basic needs - food, clothing, shelter - it's own community-based fund-raising efforts have been successful, according to Kulinski.
But when there's an extraordinary disaster, such as Hurricane Andrew, organizations like the Red Cross have to dip into their regular budgets to help the needy and they suffer financially because their regular fund-raising efforts are hampered, he said.
"Things are bad, but I can't call it disastrous," said Kulinski. "It varies from agency to agency, most seem to be holding their own. No one has suffered really substantial losses."
Not that he knows of.
With Roanoke area business and industry leaders streamlining, slashing or just plain shutting down, the United Way is losing donors who've lost their jobs or opted for early retirement.
Employees who will lose their jobs with Gardner-Denver and Dominion Bankshares account for 3 percent of the United Way's donor base.
Even the United Way added to area unemployment, forced this year to let one peson go.
Kulinski doesn't anticipate things getting any better in '93, predicting another high level of pledge loss. The agency is already taking steps to broaden the donor base.
"There is the potential to add new donors," he said. "The challenge is to reach those 80,000 out there who aren't giving."