[12/15/04]A majority of the charitable agencies that get money from the local United Way chapter will get less in the coming year, but a few will see increases.

Pledges for the just-ended 2004 campaign amounted to 90 percent of the $1.6 million goal, meaning most of the member agencies of the United Way of West Central Mississippi also took a hit.

Local groups apply to be part of the combined fund drive, submit budgets if accepted and are assigned allotments by a volunteer allocations committee.

When the campaign cabinet met earlier this year, the group set the goal and Mark Buys, chairman of the campaign, described it as attainable.

“We want to reach our goal, we want to go over 100 percent,” he said.

Based on what was raised three years ago, the United Way had goals of $1.8 million for the two following years. But, Buys said, conditions in the local economy could not support that amount.

This year’s campaign raised a total of $1,462,149 in pledges with the hope that additional receipts will push the final total to the goal.

Buys said when the United Way raised the $1.7 million several years ago, everything just came together.

“Since then, what we have achieved has been consistent at about $1.4 million to $1.5 million,” he said.

The allocations committee met to apportion the money to the 21 member agencies, a tough task in good times made all the more difficult this year.

“One year we blamed it on the economy and that played a part,” said Barbara Tolliver, UW president.

But, she said, another reason is education.

“We need to work on educating the community about what we do,” she said. “There is a group of the community that still does not understand what United Way means to the community.”

Buys echoed Tolliver’s comments about educating the giving public.

“There are some new (chief executive officers) in the community and we have to educate them about the history of the United Way in this community,” Buys said.

Also, Tolliver said, there are things, such as business closings, over which the local United Way has no control, that affect the amount of money raised.

Givers may donate generally or make specific pledges to one or more of the member agencies.

Some of the agencies were fortunate and actually received more than they did last year. These included the Arthritis Foundation, Magnolia Speech School and Warren Yazoo Mental Health. The increases for Arthritis and Warren Yazoo, which opted to receive only designated pledges, were on the strength of pledges designated for those agencies by the contributors. Magnolia was the only one of that group that received designated pledges and an allocation from the United Way general campaign.

A few of the agencies, including the Salvation Army and HIV Services, received essentially the same as last year. Also, Grace Christian Counseling Service will receive a full allocation for the first time in the coming year.

The Vicksburg Early Education Center and USO opted to receive only designated pledges.

The Bridge at Signal Hill and the Good News Jail and Prison Ministries withdrew from United Way funding during the past year.

In all, the local United Way allocated $857,233, which includes $211,386 in designated pledges and $645,316 in recommendation from the allocations committee.

The difference between the local allocations and the total donated is made up of three components. The two largest are donations made through United Way, but to non-United Way agencies by federal employees and employees of Entergy Nuclear, which offer workers broader lists from which to select; and 16 percent as the administrative overhead to conduct the campaign. A portion is also reserved for shrinkage, defined as the amount pledged but not received.