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  • Can I designate my Benevolent Fund contribution to any nonprofit I wish?

    You may designate your gift to up to 2 nonprofits on the Benevolent Fund designation list . Your gift will be evenly divided among nonprofits to which you designate. To designate, simply indicate the nonprofit from the list to which you wish to give. You may elect to designate a portion of your gift to a nonprofit and designate a portion to Benevolent Fund general support to be used where needed most including Employee Emergency Assistance program, grants to nonprofits that are not on the designations list, and to start and fund when needed innovative efforts such as the UAB Habitat for Humanity House Build and Blazer Kitchen.

  • What happens if I do not designate my gift?

    Gifts that are not designated to a specific nonprofit go to Benevolent Fund general support to be used where funds are needed most including the Employee Emergency Assistance program, grants to nonprofits that are not on the designations list, and to start and fund when needed innovative efforts such as the UAB Habitat for Humanity House Build and Blazer Kitchen.

  • What is Benevolent Fund General Support?

    Benevolent Fund general support is used where funds are needed most including our signature programs of Employee Emergency Assistance program, Blazer Kitchen, and UAB Habitat for Humanity House Build. It also supports grants to nonprofits that are not on the designations list. General Support funds provided the foundation to start innovative efforts such as Blazer Kitchen and the UAB Habitat for Humanity House Build and continue to provide supplemental funds as needed for these important efforts.

  • May I designate to more than one nonprofit?

    Yes, you may designate your gift to as many as 2 nonprofits if you wish. In addition, you may designate a portion of your gift to a nonprofit and designated the other portion to Benevolent Fund General Support to fund our programs such as Employee Emergency Assistance and other important work such as local nonprofit grants.

  • Can I designate my gift specifically to the Employee Emergency Assistance Program?

    No. The Employee Emergency Assistance Program is funded from undesignated gifts. We assist all UAB employees who apply and have a documented financial need within our operating guidelines. We have not and will not turn away UAB employees in need due to lack of funds. Assistance is awarded based on the merit of each case. We budget what we feel is needed based on the history of requests, and we maintain a reserve that can be used for EEAP if needed. We do not issue final payout of undesignated funds until after all approved employees have received assistance. The best way to support the Employee Emergency Assistance Program is to leave all or a portion of your gift undesignated or write in Benevolent Fund General Support.

  • Can I designate to charities not on the designation list?

    No. Local nonprofits that are supported by the Benevolent Fund but cannot be found on the designation list are funded through a grant process that uses undesignated gifts. The best way to support local charities not on the designation list is to leave all or a portion of your gift undesignated or write in Benevolent Fund General Support. If an employee designates to a charity that is not on the list, the funds will be earmarked as undesignated. Every effort will be made to contact the employee to inform them of this and see if they wish to designate their gift to an alternate nonprofit.

  • Do my designated gifts really go to the nonprofits to which I designate?

    Absolutely, each employee pledge including nonprofit designations is earmarked for each designated nonprofit . The Benevolent Fund cuts a check at the scheduled interval to the charity. In the case of United Way, a detailed list of the total amount of employee designations to each nonprofit accompanies the check. Unless requested by the employee, specific donor names are not released to nonprofits. When the United Way allocates its gift to its member nonprofits, it will include designated UAB employee contributions. The Benevolent Fund also informs each individual nonprofit of the amount of money the UAB Benevolent Fund contributed to them for the year.

  • How do nonprofits not on the designation list receive funding from the UAB Benevolent Fund?

    Nonprofits that are not on the designation list may qualify to apply for a Local Nonprofit Grant. The completed application must be received by the grant deadline to be considered for funding. The Council or an appointed subcommittee, which subsequently makes recommendations to the full council for approval, reviews applications. To assure good stewardship of your gifts, successful nonprofits must meet stringent guidelines and complete a report detailing how grant dollars were used and program results achieved.

  • Will I receive an acknowledgement from the charities to which I designate?

    Generally, the answer is no, you will not. Gift acknowledgements are issued from UAB. Most contributors do not wish for their names to be revealed to the designated nonprofit; however, you may request your name and contact information to be given to the charity to which you designate. For example, if you serve on the board or give a large gift, you may contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to request acknowledgement of your gift to a nonprofit. Unless you request otherwise, your confidentiality is maintained.