Ways To Give

Discover the Many Ways to Make A Difference

Thank you for your interest in giving to United Way of San Luis Obispo County (EIN 95-3459538). The money raised here, stays here.  Because of you, your gift goes to support improving lives of hundreds of people in our community. We support programs, initiatives and agencies in San Luis Obispo County. We address root causes in order to safeguard the future of our community. Because you recognize the power of a shared purpose, your passion, expertise and resources will help us with a long-term solution. 

United Way will invest your funds in helping to reduce the number of children and families in poverty. Together, we can create healthy, well-educated and financially stable individuals and families.  There are lots of ways you can give, including:

DONATE ONLINE

Make checks payable to "United Way of San Luis Obispo County" and mail to:

P.O. Box 14309

San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-4309

To make a gift through a credit card by phone please call (805) 541-1234.

Thank you for considering a monthly donation to UWSLOC! Make your gift through this link and select the recurring installations option. You may also complete a Pledge Form and submit it to:

P.O. Box 14309

San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-4309

You can realize enhanced tax savings by making your gift to United Way with appreciated securities. Stocks, bonds and mutual funds can also be donated to charity and provide tax savings. When donating securities, it is important to keep in mind whether they have increased or decreased in value over time.  Please consult your tax advisor for more information.  To donate appreciated stock or securities call (805) 541-1234 for more information.

Looking for a gift for someone special? Make a donation on their behalf and help to change a life. You can also pay tribute to family or friends with a donation. We will gratefully acknowledge your gift with a card to the family or individual you wish to remember or honor. Please indicate this when speaking to our staff when giving by phone or note it on a mailed donation.

During the months of September and October, all San Luis Obispo County State Employees are given the opportunity to participate in California State Employees Charitable Campaign (CSECC/Our Promise Campaign) and contribute to any 501(c)3 of their choice.  To learn more about the California State Employees Charitable Campaign (CSECC/Our Promise Campaign), click here.

United Way of San Luis Obispo County’s Sponsorship Program is designed to help companies increase their philanthropic visibility as well as engage them in our work. Your sponsorship provides valuable advertising for local businesses like yours and helps to position you as a compassionate community leader and builder. Because of generous corporate partners like you, United Way of San Luis Obispo County is able to thank, recognize, educate, and train donors and volunteers without incurring additional expenses. We believe firmly in partnership and could not do this work without companies like yours.  To learn more about how to support United Way through Corporate Sponsorship, Click Here.

United Way of San Luis Obispo County provides our County residents the opportunity to engage in the development of a powerful vision and achieve real and lasting improvements in people’s lives. Working with the community to understand its strengths and aspirations, United Way is uniquely positioned to catalyze a collective commitment to change. By sharing our ideas and our knowledge about strengthening communities, together we can bring these ideas to scale and accelerate solutions in our areas of focus: Education, Income and Health.

We cannot do this alone; we need your help! It will require significant resources spent in a purposeful way over a long period of time on specific and tested strategies. As a leadership giver, you can combine public purpose with private giving to make strategic investments in health and human services in our community.

Please consider becoming a Leadership Giver to United Way of San Luis Obispo County.  Leadership Givers are those who invest at least $500 annually to United Way. Specifically, becoming a Leadership Giver of United Way:

Changes lives through your philanthropic leadership by focusing on the building blocks for a better life: a quality education that leads to a stable job; income that can support a family through retirement, and good health

Communicates to the community the vital role of personal philanthropic action in creating long-lasting changes by addressing the underlying causes of societal problems

Fosters philanthropic action and voluntary community service

For more information, please contact Resource Development at (805)541-1234 x 15

Toqueville Society

The United Way Tocqueville Society was formed in 1984 to deepen individual understanding of, commitment to, and support for United Way’s work in advancing the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. The Tocqueville Society recognizes local philanthropic leaders and volunteer champions in the United States, France and Romania who have devoted time, talent, and funds to create long-lasting changes by tackling our communities’ most serious issues.

Membership in the Society is granted to individuals who contribute at least $10,000 annually to United Way.  Specifically, the United Way Tocqueville Society aims to:

  • Change lives through philanthropic leadership focused on the building blocks for a better life: a quality education that leads to a stable job; income that can support a family through retirement, and good health
  • Communicate the vital role of personal philanthropic action in creating long-lasting changes.
  • Expand high-level personal giving and United Way Major and Planned Giving programs.
  • Strengthen local United Way leadership by building a network of like-minded leaders across the globe.

For more information contact Rick London, CEO, at United Way of SLO County today at (805) 541-1234 ext. 1002 or send him a message.

Loyal Contributor

Loyal Contributors are individuals who have given to any United Way for 10 years or more. These 10 years do not have to be consecutive. If you are a Loyal Contributor, please accept our sincere thanks for all you have done for so many people in our community and the communities across the country to help children succeed in school, improve the health of individuals, and promote financial stability.

If you haven’t done so, please let our local United Way know YOU are a Loyal Contributor so you can be thanked for your continued support, recognized as a Loyal Contributor on print and at events, and invited to attend events, volunteer and become actively involved with United Way of San Luis Obispo County. To let us know how many years you have given to United Way just send an email to info@unitedwayslo.org with the subject title “Loyal Contributor”.

Other Ways to Give:

Thank you for your interest in giving to United Way of San Luis Obispo County. Partnering with United Way of San Luis Obispo County means much more than raising money. As a leader of a local business, this is your opportunity to have a profound impact on our local community while reinforcing your reputation as a good corporate citizen.

Consider the following:

The money you raise stays here, improving lives of hundreds of people in our community. We support programs, initiatives and agencies in San Luis Obispo County. A healthy, strong local community means a healthy, strong local economy.

You'll receive positive recognition when you support United Way in your workplace and you will join more than 100 other area businesses recognized for "doing good" in our community.

United Way will connect you with fun volunteer opportunities such as Stuff the Bus, ITW Walk-a-Thon and other corporate volunteer projects that will keep your company engaged all year long.

The convenience and affordability of payroll deduction will provide your employees the opportunity to make a significant impact in their community without a significant impact on their wallets.

The dollars your company raises are spent wisely and effectively to do the most good in our community. Only high impact programs that achieve measurable outcomes are chosen to receive grants through our Community Impact Fund.

We invite your company to be part of the change!

Get Started Today

United Way of San Luis Obispo County is looking to the future as our community needs continue to grow. Our vision is to be the critical link in our community, bringing together all community participants to build a stronger, healthier and more sustainable community as cost-effectively as possible. We strive to actively lead our community to share and leverage resources and to build collaborative partnerships that result in improved lives.

BENEFITS OF GIVING

Your gift is a sound investment benefiting you and your family today, and will serve those in need in our community in the future. Although most individuals do not make contributions to United Way for tax-related reasons, you may find that you and your family will significantly benefit from laws governing charitable contributions, especially as they relate to estate and qualified retirement plan taxes.

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

In return for your trust in us, we promise to maximize the impact of every dollar you invest in our community.  Your money will be wisely spent, and we will be a responsible community member and transparently share our progress together with our investors.

If you have any questions regarding Planned Giving through United Way of San Luis Obispo County, or would like to become part of the Planned Giving program, please contact Rick London at (805) 541-1234 x 11 or send him a message.

TYPES OF GIFTS YOU CAN GIVE

Gifts of Cash
Gifts of cash can be made each year in addition to your annual gift. You can also endow your annual gift to make it last forever.

Bequests by Will
Bequests may be in the form of a stated dollar amount, property, a percentage, or the residue of an estate. Our legal name is United Way of San Luis Obispo County

Charitable Remainder Trusts
Assets are placed in a trust and an income stream is paid to you and your beneficiaries. CRTs can save estate and income taxes. Upon the passing of the last beneficiary, the principal goes to United Way of San Luis Obispo County

Charitable Lead Trusts
Assets are placed in a trust for a specified period of time. Certain specified payments are paid to United Way of San Luis Obispo County during the life of the trust. The principal goes to your beneficiaries when the trust terminates. A CLT may also save estate and income taxes.

Real Estate
Gifts of appreciated real estate may provide ideal tax savings for you and sizable gifts to United Way of San Luis Obispo County

Life Insurance
Gifts of life insurance are another way to make a significant gift to United Way of San Luis Obispo County. If a policy owner assigns a policy itself to a qualified charity, or to a trustee with a charity as irrevocable beneficiary, the amount deductible as a charitable contribution is either the value of the policy or the policy owner's cost basis, whichever is less.

Memorial and Appreciation Gifts
A gift to United Way of San Luis Obispo County in honor of loved ones can be created immediately and added to periodically.

Stocks and Bonds
Securities, such as stocks and bonds, can be a beneficial way to make a charitable gift, especially if you have highly appreciated stock. Your annual gift can be made with gifts of stock as well.

IRA or Retirement Funds
IRAs or retirement funds can be subject to double taxation, i.e. income taxes and, where applicable, estate taxes. A combination of these taxes can consume up to 70% of this type of asset. If, however, you complete a beneficiary designation naming United Way of San Luis Obispo County and/or other qualified charities to receive these assets at your death, then no taxes will be paid on these assets and the entire amount will be available for use by United Way and/or other charities.

Gift Annuities
With a gift annuity, you make a charitable gift of cash or other property and you and/or others receive fixed payments for life. You can also defer a gift until sometime in the future, creating a deferred gift annuity. There are generous tax benefits to this type of gift.

Join the Future in Bloom Society

Opportunity Exchange

In-kind donations are often a win-win for companies and the nonprofit community. United Way of San Luis Obispo County helps companies, nonprofits and community groups through our Opportunity Exchange. Items available from local businesses are offered to local nonprofit organizations. If you would like to donate, please email info@unitedwayslo.org. If possible, please include a picture of the item(s) you are donating, along with any details or information a potential donor may ask for (condition, size, etc.)

Donate A Car

You can make a contribution to United Way of San Luis Obispo County by donating a vehicle.  All you have to do is complete the online form below, visit MissionCars.com, or call (805) 305-1728 -- they will take care of the rest! Their mission is to serve SLO County residents by raising funds for New Life K9s, a local 501(c)3, that provides service dogs to veterans at no cost. Mission Cars will determine the value of your vehicle, and do all the work of cleaning, advertising, showing, and selling it. After it sells, they will send you a receipt for your taxes, and United Way will receive a check for half of the net proceeds. The other half goes to New Life K9s. This is a practical way to help people purchase an affordable used vehicle, while also making a donation to two great nonprofits!