United Way brings together social agencies, schools, organizations, and governments to make a meaningful difference in the community through local programs and services that empower people to improve their lives. By working together, we create lasting change and build a stronger, more vibrant community for everyone.
When you support United Way, you are an important part of a movement with others who share your social purpose and want the best for our community. Your contribution to United Way stays 100% local, providing life-changing support to individuals and families within the Edmonton region.
Let’s work together to align your corporate social purpose and values with the community needs you care about. Partnering with United Way gives your employees immersive personal and professional development opportunities, team-building exercises, engagement activities, and positive recognition and celebration for the difference they are making in community.
Keep up with the latest news, stories, and events happening in the local community.
United Way is a network of more than 75 local United Way offices. Since 1941, we’ve worked in the Alberta Capital Region for the betterment of all.
Whether you are an individual looking for support or an organization looking to collaborate, please reach out to connect.
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Home / Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question about United Way? Check the list of frequently asked questions below or feel free to contact us.
United Way is an international, not-for-profit organization and has more than 75 local United Ways across Canada. United Way is known as Centraide in Québec, Ottawa and other French-speaking communities in Canada.
Each United Way-Centraide raises money and allocates funds locally to support its community. Each United Way-Centraide is governed by an autonomous, local, volunteer Board of Directors that, with other volunteers and staff, helps build caring, vibrant communities and responds to a broad range of community needs.
Our United Way serves the Edmonton Census Metropolitan area including Edmonton, the City of Fort Saskatchewan, Sherwood Park, Strathcona County, the City of St. Albert, the City of Leduc, the County of Leduc, the City of Spruce Grove, the Town of Stony Plain and the County of Parkland.
A strong and vibrant community is better equipped to respond to new and urgent needs and challenges. We are focused on two critical areas that build community resilience: strengthening mental health and creating equitable opportunities for education and financial security. These build the foundation of a strong community that can tackle any challenge.
Together, we’re changing lives. By engaging passionate changemakers, investing in impactful programs and services, and creating lasting solutions, we stand beside our community’s most vulnerable members when they need a helping hand.
By supporting United Way, you join a movement of changemakers in our region to change the lives of local families and individuals, strengthening our community.
United Way helps our social service partners keep their costs low by managing their key fundraising efforts. This allows front-line agencies to spend less time on fundraising and more time delivering services. With the largest network of funded partners in the region with over 50 social agency partners, we bring groups together to maximize efficiencies and provide a network of services. This means your donation goes farther and wider than any other charitable investment you can make.
100% Local – All funds raised in the Alberta Capital Region are spent right here in this community, ensuring local families get the support they need, when they need it.
Lasting Solutions – United Way funds 100+ programs that ensure everyone has equitable access to the resources and opportunities they need for growth and success.
Results You Can See – We set clear targets and share the results, showing how your contribution to United Way changes lives.
United Way of the Alberta Capital Region is also one of the top 100 charities in Canada by Charity Intelligence.
United Way of the Alberta Capital Region offers a variety volunteer opportunities. Options include:
Call 780-990-1000 to ask about volunteer opportunities.
Canada offers some of the most generous tax benefits in the world for charitable contributions, and Alberta is a provincial leader in this area as well. As a result, as much as 50% of the value of your gift comes back to you at tax time.
If, for instance, you make a Leadership donation of $1,200, your combined provincial and federal tax credits will come out to $550.
Building strong and vibrant communities is not something that can be done by looking at needs in isolation. United Way looks at the big picture in order to deliver a coordinated network of services to address a range of needs for vulnerable children, families, and individuals. It does this by bringing together partners in business, government, non-profits, school boards and others, to develop long-term strategies to solve our community’s toughest social issues. This big picture approach helps move beyond managing the symptoms and instead creates lasting change in our community.
Additionally, United Way raises funds so that agencies can focus on delivering life changing programs instead of fundraising.
United Way leads community programs and initiatives that provide education to participants and support to families in the Capital Region every day.
We encourage people to give directly to United Way through several means, including our website, by mail, through our partners, and through workplaces. We do not engage in door-to-door fundraising. Any door-to-door activity purported to be on our behalf is fraudulent.
Here is how you can contribute to United Way and support your community:
Funding applications are reviewed by Focus Area Volunteer Impact Councils or Impact Committees, which are made up of knowledgeable and experienced individuals from diverse backgrounds who are well informed about our work and contribute valuable expertise and insights into the investment decision-making process. Each Impact Council is co-chaired by a community member and a United Way representative.
Applications are reviewed with the following criteria:
Once approved for funding, agencies report to United Way and meet with United Way representatives annually to ensure that the above criteria are maintained.
United Way has a new three-year Community Investment Strategy (2018-2021), which streamlines our agenda and focuses our efforts on seven, more clearly defined, desired results.
These include:
Yes. United Way will occasionally remove or reduce funding to a program based on the results of the annual review outlined above. Program funding may also be changed based on dollars available from the United Way’s fundraising campaigns.
To maximize efficiencies and provide a better service to our donors, where possible, all charitable giving will be consolidated on one receipt per donor. Tax receipts for all donations made in the calendar year will be distributed to donors by February the following year.
If you have any questions, please contact our Service Hub at 780-990-1000 or [email protected]. For additional information about receipting, visit the Canada Revenue Agency website.
Please note: If your gift to United Way was part of a workplace campaign by payroll deduction, you will not receive a separate tax receipt. The donation will be recorded on your T4 statement from your employer.
You may cancel your PAD authorization at any time, subject to providing 21 days notice. Simply contact our office at 780-990-1000 or email [email protected].
You have certain recourse rights if any debit does not comply with the PAD agreement. For example, you have the right to receive reimbursement for any debit that is not authorized or is not consistent with the PAD Agreement. To obtain more information on your recourse rights, contact your financial institution or visit www.payments.ca.
United Way determines where funds will be invested by conducting research to find needs and opportunities in the community. With this understanding, we are able to make sure funds are distributed to the most urgent issues that exist for people in the Alberta Capital Region.
Yes. The option of designating to specific agencies is an added service United Way provides to its donors. Agencies must be Canadian registered charities.
United Way retains 10 percent of designated gifts to recover costs associated with this service. This designation fee is capped at $100 per designation for one-time contributions paid by cash, cheque, pre-authorized debits or gift of stock. The fee cap does not apply to designations made by credit card or contributions paid at later dates.
United Way and partner agencies regularly track the impact and progress we are making together in the region. Results are covered in annual reports, promotional and educational documentation, and online.
A broad selection of the latest results under both of United Way’s two focus areas (Strengthening Mental Health and Connections, Creating Equitable Opportunities for Education and Financial Security) can be found on our website. Please visit How we Help or read the latest Investment Report.
Administration costs play a critical role in supporting our mission. They fund salaries, provide essential backbone support like fundraising, research and reporting, communication, and technology, and enable us to create and collaborate on valuable programs across the social service sector, benefiting both smaller non-profits and the broader community.
United Way’s administrative costs may fluctuate annually due to various factors, including the total funds raised, the growing demand for social services, and economic and strategic considerations. Rest assured, we uphold strong fiscal responsibility as a leader in our sector, consistently maintaining administrative costs well below the 35% threshold set by the Canada Revenue Agency for non-profit organizations.
Approximately 5,000 volunteers in the Alberta Capital Region help United Way carry out its community programs and projects. During the campaign season from September to December, approximately 25 temporary employees and company Sponsored Campaign Representatives assist with our fundraising work. This helps United Way leverage resources and decrease overhead costs.
We also bring together community partners throughout the region to share strategies and increase cost efficiency by working in collaboration.
Additionally, United Way events are sponsored by corporations who generously offer to cover event costs.
There are also regulatory bodies in place that ensure we are operating to the highest standards:
United Way of the Alberta Capital Region encourages all individuals to contact their charities of interest and learn the costs associated with each in order to make an informed decision.
When you make a contribution to United Way, we promise to administer it with great care. We set high standards for our conduct in all areas of our organization and continuously measure our performance.
It is up to us to ensure that our donors remain informed and confident that their contributions will be well managed and result in positive impact.
Yes. In Edmonton, organized labour was a founding partner of United Way. United Way and labour work together to promote and co-operate in the establishment of joint labour-management campaigns in the workplace. Learn more or contact our office at 780-990-1000
Some of our agencies have religious origins, such as the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), the Mennonite Centre for Newcomers and Jewish Family Services.
The services and programs offered by these agencies are open to all individuals regardless of religious affiliation.
We believe all peoples deserve equal opportunity. Before an agency receives funding, we ensure that agencies do not exclude people from participating in agency affairs or programs by virtue of religion.
United Way is committed to protecting your privacy and does not share or sell your personal information. See our Privacy Statement. For further information about our privacy policies and practices, please contact our Privacy Officer at 780-990-1000 or at [email protected].
No. No employee or representative of United Way solicits donations door-to-door. If you see this type of activity or are approached in this manner, it should be treated as suspicious, and immediately reported to police and our United Way.
What should I do if someone approaches me at my home and asks for a donation to United Way?
Please treat the individual with suspicion, and make note of the name, identification, and any distinguishing characteristics which would assist in a description of the individual. Do not give the individual any identifying information about yourself, including your name and credit card information. Do not give the individual cash or cheques. Do not allow the individual access to your home. Report the incident to the police and United Way, with as much descriptive information as possible, along with the time and date of the encounter as soon as possible.
What do I do if I gave to someone at my door who said they were from United Way?
It is very unfortunate that individuals choose to take advantage of unsuspecting and generous members of our community. If this has happened to you, please notify police immediately so that it can be investigated and resolved.
