By
Ayse Guner
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Funding may no longer go towards the organization because they aid Boy Scouts of
Though the UA is continuing to work with the United Way through an annual fundraiser already underway, whether the university will continue to support the charity is under consideration due to the organization's funding of the Boy Scouts of America.
The Boy Scouts of America, a national non-profit youth organization that does not allow homosexuals be troop leaders, is one of 70 members of the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona. The United Way is a non-profit organization that funds local non-profit agencies.
University of Arizona President Peter Likins said one of the options for the UA community's donors could be to cut ties with the organization and work directly with charities.
The UA could "forego all contributions to the United Way, sending your gifts directly to charities of your choice," Likins stated at a letter written to the university community.
This year's campaign kicked off Oct. 11 and is the 48th year the UA has worked with the United Way.
Likins added three other options that are related to the UA's continued relationship with the charity organizations.
To "contribute to the charities of your choice through the United Way" is the second option, to "make designated contributions to the United Way, explicitly excluding the Boy Scouts" is the third option.
The final option he suggested is to "make undesignated contributions to the United Way."
Likins stated he will choose either the second or the third option for his donations.
"I am anxious to do everything possible to assure that nondiscriminatory agencies that help people in need are not harmed as a result of Boy Scout discrimination," Likins stated.
However, the UA's support of the United Way upsets some of the UA community members.
Some of the members of Pride Alliance, the bisexual, gay and lesbian program sponsored by Associated Students of the UA, said instead of working with the United Way, the university should look for alternative ways to help raise funding for non-profit charities.
Twila Gill, Pride Alliance member and anthropology senior, said if the United Way was the only organization to work with, then it would be more understandable for the UA to keep supporting it.
"But since there are alternative options, the UA should look into those," she said.
The UA violates the anti-discriminatory policy by supporting the United Way, said Kira Mauro, Pride Alliance director and linguistics graduate student.
"Indirectly contributing to the Boy Scouts through the United Way, the UA violates their own policy," Mauro said.
There are two ways to make donations through the United Way. One is giving to the general fund of the organization, which allows it to be distributed among charities, including the Boy Scouts. The other way to donate is still through the United Way, but specifying the agencies for donations.
The United Way offers more than fundraising, said Jill Figueroa, marketing and communications director of the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona. The charity also participates in community initiatives such as transportation services for seniors.
Figueroa said the contract between the United Way and Boy Scouts will continue at least until the organization reviews their agreement at the end of this year.
The agreement did not affect the amount of donations that the organization received, she said.
"We're right on target," she said. "This year, we are where we were last year."
Last year, the organization's Tucson chapter collected about $17 million in donations. This year, it only received $4 million, but the campaign will continue until early November while trying to achieve the same amount as last year.
The United Way complies with the state and federal laws opposing discrimination based on religion, gender, race, ethnicity or national origin, she said, though the federal law does not include sexual orientation.
Some of the contributions that the UA provides the charity are financial support, volunteer work and partnerships in supporting education.
If any changes about the agreement are made in the near future, they would not go in effect until July 2001, Figueroa said.
