Top DC Area Charities Partner With America's Charities to Create New Organization...

Top DC Area Charities Partner With America's Charities to Create New
Organization to Revitalize Employee Giving

Citing declining revenue, charities leave the United Way of the National
Capital Area to establish Community1st - America's Charities of Greater
Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Twenty-one of the Washington
area's leading charities have created a new federation, Community1st -
America's Charities of Greater Washington, D.C., with a mission to increase
charitable giving through workplace campaigns. The charities are dropping
their membership in the United Way and partnering with America's Charities,
which has helped many area employers run their workplace campaigns in the
aftermath of the United Way scandal in 2002, raising over $40 million in
employee-giving locally.

"United Way has never recovered from the decline in giving since the scandal,"
said Cathy Martens, CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mid-Atlantic and Chair
of the Board of Directors of Community1st, "costing area charities some $20
million annually. America's Charities has a different model that has been
embraced by many area companies. We feel that their model and track record
will help grow giving again in the DC area."

Community1st's founding members include some of the area's best known
charities: Whitman Walker Clinic; House of Ruth; Make-a-Wish Foundation of the
Mid-Atlantic; Catholic Charities - Diocese of Arlington; Capital Hospice;
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Washington, D.C., Shepherd's Table,
Signature Theatre, and Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (complete
list is below). Together, they provide well over $167.5 million in services to
area residents.

Since 2002, United Way of the National Capital Area [UWNCA] has changed its
focus from promoting giving to individual charities to raising funds for its
own community impact grant program, aggregating dollars and distributing money
to charities that meet their criteria.

"Community1st will promote designated giving, because that's what employees
want," said Don Sodo, President and CEO of America's Charities. "Campaign
experience and research over many years show that employees prefer to
designate their gift to the charities of their choice, rather than give it to
another organization for re-granting. The core principle of workplace giving
is to trust donors to make a personal giving decision without attempting to
steer their gift to a specific charity."

America's Charities will be the workplace giving arm for Community1st
charities and the fiscal agent for employee giving campaigns. The organization
was founded in 1980 and participates in workplace campaigns nationwide.

The America's Charities model focuses on their Big Five Best Practices,
including:
-- Customized Campaigns...every employer has its own unique campaign
-- Designated Giving...because that's how most employees want to give
-- State-of-the-Art Technology...more information about participating
charities and time and cost saving for employers
-- Lower Cost...ranging from 0-6%, with charities receiving much more of
every employee's gift
-- Trust, Transparency and Customer Service....values that America's
Charities has lived by since 1980

"America's Charities has worked with ExxonMobil at our Fairfax Headquarters
since 2002, helping us build a very successful campaign," said Patrick Dexter,
Headquarters Community Relations Advisor. "We see Community1st as an
important local organization, bringing a new approach, vitality and great
customer service to this important area of giving. America's Charities is
already raising some 35% of all payroll contributions from corporate employees
locally. In the years ahead, we trust them to grow giving and get our
employees' contributions to those in need."

"America's Charities has distributed 98% of over $40 million raised since
2002. This should rightfully raise questions about the preferred way to run
campaigns," said Sodo. "Although our average campaign cost is 6%, area
companies have covered most of this cost, allowing us to distribute an average
of 98% of donor funds each year. Over that same period since 2002, United Way
has typically retained 10-12% of every employee's gift...and sometime even
100%, without distributing it to their designated charity."

"Working with our partner charities and area employers, our new campaign model
can revitalize the spirit of caring and giving at workplaces throughout
Greater Washington, D.C., raising more money for charity programs that are
especially needed in tough economic times," said Martens.

The launch of Community1st - America's Charities of Greater Washington, DC was
announced today just prior to America's Charities annual "Thank You" luncheon
for area employers at the J. W. Marriott. Award recipients include ExxonMobil,
AARP, MITRE, and the CFC of the National Capital Area. The luncheon program
was emceed by Kelly Gibson, Corporate Communications, Washington Gas.

The founding members of Community 1st are: A Wider Circle, Anacostia Watershed
Society, Black Student Fund, Capital Hospice, Catholic Charities of the
Diocese of Arlington, Inc., District of Columbia College Success Foundation,
Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Fairfax Area Christian Emergency and
Transitional Services, Inc. (FACETS), Fairfax Court Appointed Special
Advocates (CASA), Higher Achievement Program, Inc., House of Ruth, Lorton
Community Action Center (LCAC), Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of the Mid-Atlantic,
Inc., Rebuilding Together Alexandria, Ronald McDonald House Charities of
Greater Washington, DC, Inc., The Shepherd's Table, Inc., Signature Theatre,
Inc., The Wellness Community - Greater Washington, DC, WETA (Greater
Washington Educational Telecommunications Association), Whitman-Walker Clinic,
and Youth for Tomorrow - New Life Center, Inc.

SOURCE America's Charities

Katherine Hutt, Nautilus Communications, Inc., +1-703-938-4540, for America's
Charities; or Rick Gondella of America's Charities, +1-703-674-5346