Outrageous
CHARLOTTE UNITED WAY DIRECTOR RAKING IN SOME SERIOUS COIN
FITSNews – August 26, 2008 – Ever since former Indianapolis Colts’ left tackle Tarik Glenn began appearing in United Way television commercials a few years back, we were under the assumption that the charitable organization could do no wrong.
Boy were we gullible … because according to today’s Charlotte Observer , they can do a lot of wrong – like paying their local presidents exorbitant salaries and benefit packages.
Take Gloria Pace-King, for example, who earns $365,000 a year as the United Way’s Charlotte president, a package that includes $822,507 in “benefits” as well as $35,862 in expenses each year. King will also draw a full, lifetime pension of more than $200,000 a year, after 17 years of service …
Experts say that level is typically reserved for 30-year employees. King, expected to retire within three years, would receive it after 17.
In 2007 the board of directors of United Way of the Central Carolinas increased King’s benefits contributions more than sevenfold to $822,000.
Amazingly, there are three local United Way presidents around the country who are actually raking in more cash than King.
We hate to hate on people who are supposedly doing the “Lord’s work,” but these sorts of salaries and benefits for “non-profits” are obscene.
Comments
By Don Johnson on August 26th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Hey! Dennis Kozlowski must have found out that the non-profit sector makes more sense for skimming money. This salary would even make Jeffrey Skilling blush.
This undercuts the conservative argument that private entities need to help the less fortunate. I hope King is eating well tonight.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' on August 26th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Any idea how much top United Way people in SC make?
By rick on August 26th, 2008 at 9:16 am
This is news? How is this different from televangilists? The world of doing good is big business….
By Natasha on August 26th, 2008 at 9:37 am
It’s good to be king. $350k is still a far cry from what many presidents earn in the private sector I would imagine…Hell it’s not that far off from what a typical vice president earn in a decent industry…Now that pension on the other hand and the benies package…that’s one sweet gig…
By Scott H. on August 26th, 2008 at 10:25 am
RE: Not Sayin’
The United Way Director in York Co. makes $65,625/year:
http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/653561.html
I don’t know how effective the Charlotte United Way is, but the York Co. United way is a good steward of their dollars and are efficient and effective at defining problems clearly (a necessity if money is to be used efficiently instead of just thrown in the direction of vaguely defined problems) and addressing those needs with their resources.
…and Will, this was news back in June. (see the article I linked).
By William on August 26th, 2008 at 11:36 am
People would be shocked if they knew what goes on in the name of “good”. …
Look closely at any of them, and with rare exception, self-interests is first, “good” is second.
By baker on August 26th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Free market at work, isn’t it?
It seems like an awfully big salary to me. But don’t corporations justify CEO salaries (much, much bigger than this United Way deal, by the way) by citing the bottom line….the guy delivers, profits or stock ratings or whatever are up, so it’s worth the high salary. If the Charlotte United Way is bringing in more money with this dude, then maybe their board would say the the salary is in line with their fundraising and charitable objectives.
By mark on August 26th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Charlotte United Way is just the latest in a series of many,many United Way scandals spanning 20 years.
Whether it’s pay, pension or expense accounts, cars, country clubs….these United Way guys/gals live large !! And they really play funny with the numbers they report to the public. Corporate execs sit on United Way Boards to beef up their resumes, but they don’t really pay attention.
Why anyone still supports them with their hard-earned wages is a mystery to me. Probably people feel guilty about saying no at work. Or they are scared.
Time to overhaul that whole system or get rid of it altogether and try something different and more efficient.
By JustBeechie on August 28th, 2008 at 2:35 am
I went to the Charlotte United Way website, and what do you know?. They have removed their “financials” from their website, I tried looking at their paperwork from 2006-07, and the header is there, and saying you can “email” it to someone, yet the report is GONE. Wonder why? I have ALWAYS heard “things” about the UW, but now I am quite sure I will NEVER support their cause in ANY fashion, including NOT going to any event their promote.The only way to impact these crooks, is by withholding MONEY.