“Show me the money!” is the famous line which earned actor Cuba Gooding Jr. an Academy Award.

However, it has been more of an infamous demand to the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties over the years.

Nonetheless, the nonprofit has continued its momentum by recently announcing plans to invest a record breaking $1.77 million in local nonprofit agencies and initiatives for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

“We feel real good about it. We had our second largest campaign year, but we had our single largest allocation and investment back into the community,” United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties President and CEO Brian Hercules said.

“I know some people struggle with the word investment but we believe that’s what the donors ask us to do is to invest dollars into the community to make a difference in the quality of life issues that surround us,” he added.

Of this nearly $2 million total, $121,996.14 will go to non-partner agencies via donor requests while $1,654,100 makes up the allocable pool.

Donors are able to make non-partner pledge requests because the United Way does not place limitations on donations.

For example, a Rutherford County citizen may donate to the local United Way because it has a program in another state that provides care for a family member.

“(One) thing we haven’t been real good at talking to the community about is United Way allowing people to give directly to the United Way funds or those partnering agencies we have, but we also do not limit the donor. ... We have $122,000 this year of non-partner agency designation. So those are investments back into the whole as far as the community, but those are not dollars that the community-impact committee makes funding decisions on. Those decisions were made by the donor. But that’s real money, so it comes off the top,” Hercules explained.

The community impact committee does however approve the allocations panels’ recommendations of the distribution of agency funding or the allocable pool.

Beginning in February, more than 80 volunteers made up five panels that determined the funding for each of United Way’s partner agencies. The panels allocated the $1.65 million to 44 agencies.

In addition, more than $63,000, which is not included in the allocable pool total, goes directly to United Way family programs and United Way Worldwide.

Whether it comes to allocations or nonpartner donations, pledging is the backbone of Untied Way’s fundraising.

“We had a total of $2,794,567 on the income, $2,683,317 was pledges. What people don’t understand is that doesn’t mean we have checks and money in the bank that day; those are pledges,” Hercules explained.

“So we’re going to have pledge loss and what happens is somebody loses their job … or may just be going through a hard time and cannot honor a pledge,” Hercules continued. “Our records tell us over the last few years we’ve averaged nine percent pledge loss. We’ve budgeted for that pledge loss because it would be hard for us to give away money that we’re not sure we are going to get. So that comes off the top also.”

After fundraising and distribution is acknowledged, operating expenses have to be taken into account.

United Way’s operations total $715,000 with its budget built on 14 percent overhead. Of that, $300,000 is allocated into programs.

Case in point, if the copy machine is used during the allocations process it is actually allocated toward programming because that is what it was used for.

Hercules said the charity had a good funding year because the staff were “very good stewards for those dollars in house.

“The staff and the board worked very hard. We have a reduction of $44,000 in our budget and those dollars are dollars that flow directly back into the programs,” Hercules said.

Transparency was a must on United Way’s agenda for the next fiscal year.

Because many people have a hard time understanding the process or crunching numbers, the organization now provides a breakdown to show how it receives its dollars from total revenue, pledges, sponsorships, grants, etc.

“There is full disclosure. In a business world, this is the way it works. That is one thing we have come to grips with.

“Although United Way is looked at in the community as a 501c3 charity itself, this is a business and we try to operate it as a business. We are seeing the benefits of that because we are able to disclose numbers and be prudent in the way we do our numbers so we can put as much as we can back into the community,” Hercules added.

Income and expeditures for the 2010 campaign
Non-partner agencies $122,000
United Way Family programs
and United Way Worldwide $63,000
Local partner agencies: $1,770,000
Operating budget
(including salaries and overhead): $715,000
Total pledges: $2,683,317
Total Income: $2,794,567