Editorial Opinions: Be It Naperville Or DuPage, United Way Merits Support
May 11, 2008
THE ISSUE: Faced with stagnant donations, the Naperville United Way is going to merge with United Way of DuPage Area.
OUR VIEW: We hope this synergy makes for a stronger United Way for we have always urged residents to support and intend to keep on doing so.
This reflects not only the difficulties charitable organizations across the country are having in a tough economy, but also increased need in the Naperville area.
Naperville United Way Board President Chip Downing said that not only are there some efficiencies that can be achieved by the merger, but that he expects additional funds to come from it.
Bigger doesn’t always mean better, but we hope that this is not the case for the Naperville United Way.
As an article in Friday’s Sun revealed, after five years of flat donations, our local United Way is going to merge with the United Way of DuPage Area this October.
In a sense this is too bad, because the Naperville United Way in past years has been very successful, but of the $1.5 million in funding requests it received this fiscal year, the charity was only able to distribute $925,000.
Of the 30 charities currently supported by the Naperville United Way, 21 also receive funding from DuPage.
The merger will make life a little easier for those 21, because they will no longer have to file applications to Naperville and DuPage separately.
Also of the 30 charities supported by the Naperville United Way, seven are based in our city. Downing said these can expect support for at least one more year.
Naperville United Way’s annual Garden Party - the brightly painted sculptures that decorate the downtown before they are auctioned off in the fall - will be held this summer, but Downing couldn’t say if it will continue.
This type of change is not unusual for the United Way.
In 2004, six area branches were consolidated, leaving Naperville the only separate agency in DuPage County.
Given this trend, it was perhaps inevitable that someday Naperville would no longer have its own United Way.
We have always strongly supported the United Way editorially, and we ask residents to continue to support it. Locally, United Way has always had a good track record of running its operation efficiently and with low overhead, and support eminently worthwhile charitable organizations.
Whether it’s the Naperville United Way or the United Way of DuPage Area is still merits your support.
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