Charles County government employees who give through payroll deductions will no longer send that money through United Way. Starting in January, their donations will go to county programs such as senior meals and the Animal Care Center.
The Charles County Commissioners approved the change Sept. 15, moving the county’s workplace giving program to what staff called a “county-focused model” that lets employees support designated county government programs that serve the public. No commissioner voted against it.
Why the county is changing
Employee giving has not recovered since COVID-19, staff told the board. Employees contributed more than $20,000 from 2017 to 2020, a presenter said. There was no campaign in 2021, and giving since then has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
A county work group made up of the county administrator’s office, the Department of Fiscal and Administrative Services and the HR employee committee surveyed employees June 8 to 19. It drew 148 responses.
Employees were offered four choices: stay with United Way, send all money to one county program, send all money to the Charles County Charitable Trust, or let employees direct money to county-funded programs. The last option was the majority choice, staff said, though every option drew some votes.
Asked what caused the drop, a county official answering for the committee said nonprofits everywhere struggled after COVID. The official said one nonprofit in particular went through “three or four different changes” over several years, and its enthusiasm for the county’s campaign declined. The official did not name the organization.
“This is again a way to re-energize our employees,” the official said, adding that the money is “an injection right back into our community quickly.” Under the old setup, checks could be held for months before they reached the provider, staff said.
Which programs would get the money
Programs employees suggested in the survey included:
- Senior meals
- The Charles County Animal Care Center
- Mobile Integrated Health
- Rec Assist, which helps people afford recreation programs
Staff said they expect to keep the list to about four or five programs so payroll is not overwhelmed. Donations would remain pre-tax payroll deductions. Programs that draw little support could be rotated off after an annual review.
What commissioners asked for
Commissioners pushed for a few additions:
- Food distribution. One commissioner asked that the county’s food distribution efforts, which serve people of all ages, be added as an option.
- Recognition. Another asked that the new procedures include an annual award, presented at a commissioners’ meeting, for the department and the employee who give the most.
- A bigger menu. One commissioner urged staff to keep adding programs over time, as the Combined Federal Campaign does, rather than capping the list.
- Diversity of programs. Another commissioner said the programs should reflect the whole community. Staff said the options are existing county programs, not outside nonprofits.
One commissioner backed keeping outside nonprofits off the list, saying private companies were moving away from the United Way model even before COVID. Taking out “the middleman” means more money goes to programs rather than administrative costs, the commissioner said, though the Charitable Trust should still be an option.
Employees who want to support other charities can still donate directly, staff said. Those gifts remain tax-deductible but are not pre-tax.
Next steps
Staff will draft the forms, write a standard operating procedure and run an internal campaign to explain the options to employees. Deductions are set to begin in January, matching the timing of the old program.
The same meeting included a briefing on the county’s Meals on Wheels program.
