
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, August 19, 1995                   TAG: 9508210064
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

UNITED WAY DONATIONS STEADY IN '94

The United Way on Friday reported a 1 percent gain in contributions across the country, for a total of $3.08 billion for 1994. After adjusting for inflation of 2.6 percent, that represented a small decrease from the previous year.

Elaine Chao, president of United Way of America, called the figures a ``very respectable showing,'' noting that they came during an overall decrease in contributions to human services.

Although charitable giving in the United States rose by 3.6 percent last year, donations to human service charities fell by 6 percent, according to ``Giving USA,'' the annual report on giving by the American Association of Fund-Raising Councils Trust for Philanthropy.

For United Way, total giving still has not returned to the $3.17 billion peak reached in 1991, before problems began to surface involving misuse of funds by William Aramony, the longtime president of United Way of America.

by CNB