United Way

What is the United Way?

United Way chapters are local non-profit organizations that raise funds and then redistribute them to selected charities. Donors can also choose to give to a charity of their choice through the United Way rather than having their United Way chapter make that determination for them.

Is Cancer Support Community Greater Philadelphia One of the Charities My United Way Chapter Supports?

Unfortunately, no. Here’s why: Each United Way chapter picks a couple issues in the community it wants to use your gifts to address. For example, the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey supports early learning and literacy, mentoring programs for teenagers, job training, financial education, quality improvements to senior centers, and efforts to curb Camden County’s childhood obesity rates.

Each United Way chapter then partners with charities addressing the issues it’s identified, and distributes your gifts to these charities to help address those issues. While a United Way chapter may feel a charity does wonderful work, if that work doesn’t address the issues that United Way chapter identified, the chapter won’t provide any funding to that charity.

Unfortunately, supporting local families living with cancer is not a goal of any of the area’s United Way chapters, so the Cancer Support Community Greater Philadelphia does not automatically receive funding from any United Way chapter.

What if I Want My United Way Gifts to Support CSCGP and Local Families Living with Cancer?

The good news is that each United Way chapter completely supports individuals’ desires to direct their gifts to the cause that most matters to them. To direct your contribution to Cancer Support Community Greater Philadelphia, use one of the following methods when you sign up to give through your United Way chapter.

After subtracting an administrative fee for processing your gift, your United Way chapter will forward the bulk of your gift to the charity you selected.

How do I tell my United Way chapter that I want my gift to support CSCGP?

This depends a little bit on which United Way chapter you’re working with.

If your United Way chapter is the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, enter charity code 3912 on your form to have your gift go to CSCGP at the Suzanne Morgan Center at Ridgeland or 12377 to have your gift go to CSCGP at Gilda’s Club in Warminster — and local families living with cancer!
If your United Way chapter is United Way of Bucks County, write in “Cancer Support Community Greater Philadelphia” on your form.
If you give through another United Way, please contact Cindy Epstein at Cindy@cancersupportphiladelphia.org for information on how to designate CSCGP!

How Can I Spread the Word About CSCGP as a United Way giving option?

First, thank you! We really appreciate your desire to help spread the word about CSCGP — and help us gain the support we need to keep our doors open and our programs free for those who need them!

CSCGP will cheerfully:

Accept invitations to attend your company’s United Way fairs with an information table. Please have your United Way fair organizer contact Cindy Epstein at Cindy@CancerSupportPhiladelphia.org
Send information to your United Way fair organizer if your company promotes giving through United Way in a different way. The contact for this at CSCGP would again be Cindy Epstein

If you would like to spread the word about CSCGP as a giving option personally (thank you), we recommend first checking in with your HR department regarding any policies on this subject. Once you’re cleared, please reach out to Cindy. We’ll be happy to send you materials.