HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local
nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds primarily via workplace campaigns, where employers solicit contributions that can be paid through automatic payroll deductions. After an administrative fee is deducted, money raised by local United Ways is distributed to local nonprofit agencies. Major recipients have included the
American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...
, Big Brothers/Big Sisters,
Catholic Charities The Catholic Church operates numerous charitable organizations. Catholic spiritual teaching includes spreading the Gospel, while Catholic social teaching emphasises support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the corporal and spi ...
, Girl Scouts,
Boy Scouts Boy Scouts may refer to: * Boy Scout, a participant in the Boy Scout Movement. * Scouting, also known as the Boy Scout Movement. * An organisation in the Scouting Movement, although many of these organizations also have female members. There are ...
, and
The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...
.


United Way Worldwide

Membership to United Way and use of the United Way brand is overseen by the United Way Worldwide umbrella organization. United Way Worldwide is not a top-down organization that has ownership of local United Ways. Instead, each local United Way is run as independently and incorporated separately as a
501(c)(3) organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of t ...
. Each affiliate is led by local staff and volunteers and have their own
board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
, independent of United Way Worldwide or a parent organization. Some United Way affiliates, like the Central Community Chest of Japan, choose not to use the United Way name and branding. Local United Ways pay membership dues to United Way Worldwide for licensing rights to the United Way brand and must meet criteria to maintain their membership status (including independent review boards, audits, and restrictions on marketing tactics). The membership dues to United Way Worldwide are a portion of the total funds raised by each local United Way. U.S. affiliates pay a membership fee of 1% of their total funds raised to United Way Worldwide. The structure has been described as similar to a "global franchise operation" by
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
. Internally, United Ways are classified by how much funds they raise on a scale of 10 levels. ''Metro 1'' is the highest-ranking which requires raising at least $9 million annually.


Functions

United Ways are ''federated fundraising bodies'' that mobilize a single fundraising campaign to raise money for a diverse range of nonprofits. United Ways raise funds and determine how to best distribute them.


Fundraising

United Ways raise funds primarily via company-sanctioned workplace campaigns, where the employer solicits contributions from their employees that can be paid through automatic payroll deductions (in the same way tax withholdings and insurance premiums are deducted from an employee's
net pay In business and accounting, net income (also total comprehensive income, net earnings, net profit, bottom line, sales profit, or credit sales) is an entity's income minus cost of goods sold, expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest, ...
). 57% of United Way's donations come through payroll deductions while an additional 20% from corporate donations. United Way also administers many of the annual workplace campaigns for federal employees in the US called the
Combined Federal Campaign The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the workplace giving program of the federal government of the United States. The program is authorized by executive order 12353 (as amended) of March 23, 1982, and is overseen by the United States Office of ...
. Nonprofit agencies that partner with United Way usually agree not to fundraise while the United Way campaigns are underway. File:United Way thermometer.jpg, Local United Way fundraising thermometer poster File:United Way Centraide.jpg, United Way of Canada's campaign kick-off event where the annual campaign goal of C$31 million is announced File:United Way Campaign 2015 (26071811701).jpg,
Savannah River Site The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reservation in the United States in the state of South Carolina, located on land in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell counties adjacent to the Savannah River, southeast of August ...
employees reach United Way campaign goal in 2015.


Distributing funds

Money raised by local United Ways is distributed to local nonprofit agencies after an administrative cost is deducted. In 2002, the average administrative fee was 12.7%. Where United Way distributes the funds depends on if the donor designated or restricted their donation to a specific organization or cause.


Designated donations (donor-choice)

Almost all United Ways allow donors to specify (designate) which nonprofits should receive their funds. Some United Ways let donors choose which focus area or social problems (like helping kids or the elderly) they wish to support, which allocates their gift to a relevant subset of their charities in its network. Some United Ways allow donors to direct their gifts to any nonprofit (either inside or outside United Way's preferred charity list) while some only let donors give to any charity in their region or anywhere in the country. About a quarter of United Way donations in the US are currently designated.


Undesignated donations

If the donor does not earmark a specific cause or organization for their donation, the money goes into a general fund and are allocated to areas of greatest need by the local United Way's volunteer committee. Traditionally, United Ways would grant funds that can be used for any purpose by the recipient nonprofit. However, many United Ways have started giving funds to nonprofits only to be used for specific programs run by the nonprofit (e.g. a workforce training program at the local chapter of
St Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was a Occitan French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. In 1622 Vincent was appointed a chaplain to the galleys. After ...
). These funds are provided in the form of contracts in which the nonprofit must deliver programs and are subject to review and audit by the United Way's volunteer committee.


History


Origins in the Community Chest movement

The organization has roots in
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado, where in 1887
Frances Wisebart Jacobs Frances Wisebart Jacobs (March 29, 1843 – November 3, 1892) was born in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, to Jewish Bavarian immigrants and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She married Abraham Jacobs, the partner of her brother Jacob, and came west with him t ...
, along with the Rev. Myron W. Reed, Msgr. William J. O’Ryan, Dean H. Martyn Hart and Rabbi William S. Friedman began the
Charity Organization Society The Charity Organisation Societies were founded in England in 1869 following the ' Goschen Minute' that sought to severely restrict outdoor relief distributed by the Poor Law Guardians. In the early 1870s a handful of local societies were formed w ...
, which coordinated services between Jewish and Christian charities and fundraising for 22 agencies. Many Community Chest organizations, which were founded in the first half of the twentieth century to jointly collect and allocate money, joined the American Association for Community Organizations in 1918. The first Community Chest was founded in 1913 in
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, Ohio, after the example of the
Jewish Federation The Jewish Federation (JFED), is generally a secular Jewish non-profit organization, found within many metropolitan areas across the United States with a significant Jewish community. They provide supportive and human services, philanthropy, finan ...
in Cleveland—which served as an exemplary model for "federated giving". The success of the Cleveland Community Chest led to a modest spread of the concept to other cities.
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
helped disseminate the concept of the Community Chest as the model for federating giving was used to support wartime fundraising efforts. Of the 300–400 War Chests that existed during the war, most converted over to becoming Community Chests after the war ended. The number of Community Chest organizations quickly increased from 245 in 1925 to almost 800 by 1945. An observer on WWI's effects on the movement said, "there is no doubt that the federation movement gained a momentum in one year that would have required ten years of peacetime activity." Mirroring the changing terminology, the American Association for Community Organization changed its name to the Community Chests and Councils, Inc in 1927.


Further consolidation into United Funds

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
also impacted the Community Chest movement. National health research charities, like the
American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
and the
American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...
, gained government support during the war. These health agencies used their centralized headquarters and nationwide fundraising reach to run separate and competing local fundraising campaigns alongside the Community Chests. The competing appeals between the health organizations and Community Chests resulted in exhausting and disorganized situations. Business leaders were concerned that the barrage of donation drives in the workplace would reduce productivity. The Ford Company issued a well-publicized press release stating that the automaker lost $40,000 in executive time and employee productivity with each plant solicitation. A committee at Ford led by
Henry Ford II Henry Ford II (September 4, 1917 – September 29, 1987), sometimes known as "Hank the Deuce", was an American businessman in the automotive industry. He was the oldest son of Edsel Ford I and oldest grandson of Henry Ford I. He was president ...
told charities to "federate or perish. We’ll contribute to charity once a year or not at all." This outgrowth of objections from business and labor leaders led to the formation of the first United Fund in 1949 in
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
. Under the motto of "Give Once for All", the United Foundation hosted a single campaign that included Community Chests, local charities, and some of the national charities. This first campaign in Detroit was a success and had raised more in the single campaign than the disparate efforts has yielded the year prior. The single workplace campaign model quick spread elsewhere and, by 1953, there were over 1,200 United Funds. These campaigns, which ''united'' Community Chests with other organizations, commonly used the "United" prefix in their names. In 1956, ''Community Chests and Councils, Inc.'' changed its name again to United Community Funds and Councils of America (UCFCA) to reflect the shifting naming used by its affiliates.The "big three" national health drives (the American Cancer Society, the
National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to comba ...
, and the American Red Cross) objected to handing over control of their fundraising efforts and refused to participate in a single workplace drive. The focus of local community fundraising also conflicted with the mission of the national health organizations. Many United Funds supported health causes locally, with funds going to charities in their local communities. By the late 1960s, the conflicts between United Funds and national health charities resolved itself with many of the charities folding into the United Fund or retreating from competing.


Formation of the United Way

After WWII, the United Fund took a similar role to the modern United Way. They focused almost exclusively on workplace fundraising (rather than the Community Chests' focus on door-to-door solicitations). The end of the excess profit taxes weakened the incentives for corporate gifts after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Campaign leaders looked to employees in workplace (and not their bosses) as an opportunity to make up for the expected loss. In 1956, workplace giving from employees accounted for 39.6% of the revenue of United Funds and Community Chests. This was the first time that workplace giving exceeded corporate gifts (38%). With federal government's move to allow compulsory
Social Security Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...
and income tax withholdings in 1942, the technology of
payroll deductions A payroll is the list of employees of some company that is entitled to receive payments as well as other work benefits and the amounts that each should receive. Along with the amounts that each employee should receive for time worked or tasks pe ...
became a vehicle to allow employees to give incremental gifts. The strong economy in
post-war economic boom In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...
helped these campaigns to grow at a rate of 5–10% annually. ''United Community Funds and Council of America,'' the national association of United Funds, expanded its role in the 1970s. Historically, it served a similar role as a trade association to the United Funds and lacked authority in shaping their affiliates. Its thousands of affiliates went by no fewer than 137 different names and pursued thousands of different charitable objectives. To give the organization a national identity, the United Community Funds and Council of America adopted a new name and logo. The organization announced on July 13, 1970, that it would change its name from "United Funds and Council of America" to United Way of America. Bayard Ewing, the president of the fund said: "We wanted a simple name that would give people a clearer and more descriptive idea of what our organization is trying to do. I hope that the name will be adopted by all of our 2,260 fund‐raising units throughout the country." The new logo was designed by graphic designer
Saul Bass Saul Bass (; May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996) was an American graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos. During his 40-year career, Bass wor ...
in 1972. Aramony traveled to major cities to persuade the affiliates to adopt the logo and brand name. It moved from
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
, in 1971. In 1973, United Way of America formed a partnership with the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. By 1974, there were enough United Way organizations internationally to demand the kind of support provided by the national organization, United Way of America, and United Way International was born. Its staff spoke eight languages, with a Board of Directors from more than seven countries working with member organizations. Amundsen, Chief Administrative Officer, served as interim president during a yearlong search.


Competing with alternative funds

United Way faced competition from competing federations (called "alternative funds") that focused on a narrower set of issues that resonate strongly with donors, including championing controversial issues have excluded from United Way funding or that not appeal to United Way's predominantly male, white, corporate membership. These alternative funds challenged the central thesis of the United Way model – that one umbrella organization can serve both the donors' interests and community's needs. The competition for access to the workplace giving was called the "''Charity War''" among professional fundraisers at the time. Some United Ways fought against the additions to alternative funds out of fear that nonprofits will suffer when faced with competition and that the multiple donation appeals would cause confusion. United Way of Los Angeles President Leo Cornelius said of alternative funds for a 1989
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
article, "There should be one campaign at the workplace, for the donor's sake. Otherwise, it's like watching four or five or 15 TV screens at one time." In one case, a delegation from the Bay Area United Way phoned the chairman of the Safeway supermarket chain to lobby against the addition alternative funds in their workplace campaigns in 1988.
Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...
was the first Fortune 500 company to allow a federation other than United Way into its workplace. Private workplaces began to open access to non-United Way workplace campaigns in the mid-1990s, with the trend growing throughout the next decade. Four federations (
America's Charities America's Charities is a 501(c)(3) membership-based nonprofit, representing more than 130 charitable organizations in workplace giving campaigns for employers in public and private sectors: the Combined Federal Campaign, the federal government’ ...
, Community Health Charities, EarthShare, and Global Impact) formed the Charities@Work coalition promoted expanding access to workplace campaigns. Due to the competitive philanthropic environment, United Ways has lost market share. In 1988, there were 450,000 nonprofits in US and United Way share's of US charitable contributions was 3.16%; by 1999, there were 715,000 nonprofits, and the United Way's share decreased to only 1.98% of donations. The trend of alternative funds continues to today with only 25 percent of the companies conducting a traditional United Way–only campaign (according to a 2009 survey by the Consulting Network).


The Aramony scandal and its aftermath

In January 1990, an anonymous tipster sent a note on United Way of America letterhead to several United Way directors, including the board chairman Edward A. Brennan, alleging that United Way of America CEO
William Aramony William J. Aramony (July 27, 1927 – November 11, 2011) was CEO of United Way of America for more than twenty years and helped build the organization into the largest charity in the United States. He retired in 1992 amid criminal charges of fra ...
had affairs with two sisters (one of which was a teenager) and he was using the charity's money to keep the women quiet. Aramony denied the allegations to Brennen. After UWA's board reviewed and concluded that the letter's allegations had no basis in March 1990, the matter was dropped. It was later found that Aramony used the company's dollars to fund luxurious expenses, including flights on a
Concorde The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
and $90,000 for his limousine service. Aramony had spun off two for-profit enterprises using United Way of America funds, the Partnership Umbrella and Sales Service/America. The suspicious set up raised questions if the companies, which were designed to offer bulk discounts and other cost-savings to local United Ways, were actually being used for Aramony's personal enrichment. Partnership Umbrella had used United Way of America funds to purchase and decorate $1.2 million of real estate in Alexandria, Miami and New York, including a $459,000 condo in New York City for Aramony. In December 1991, an outside firm was hired to conduct the investigation into the allegations. A lawyer concluded that there had been "sloppy record-keeping" and "inattention to detail" but avoided any specific admission of wrongdoing in the preliminary investigation. Aramony, who was due to retire in July 1993, submitted his resignation on February 27, 1992, during a teleconference with local United Ways. Aramony said he was retiring "to put things back in proper focus ... because media attention is overshadowing the importance of the work of United Way and the countless accomplishments we have made together." In April 1995, Aramony was convicted on 23 counts of felony charges, including conspiracy, fraud and filing false tax returns. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and served six years. Two associates, Thomas J. Merlo and Stephen J. Paulachak, were also convicted and sentenced to prison. In the aftermath of the William Aramony scandal, local United Ways boycotted United Way of America by refusing to make their dues payments to the umbrella organization. Representatives from 13 of the US's largest local United Ways told the interim President Kenneth Dam that they would like to see United Way of America half its current size. Of the 1,400 local United Ways, only 532 were paying some or all of their dues in 1992. To account for the lost revenue at United Way of America, employees were offered two months of added severance pay (in addition to the standard severance pay based on years of service) if they chose to resign, employees who stayed were offered up to four weeks off of furlough time, and all salary increases were halted. IBM vice president Kenneth W. Dam was named interim CEO after Aramony's departure in 1992.
Elaine Chao Elaine Lan Chao (born March 26, 1953) is an American businesswoman and former government official. A member of the Republican Party, she served as the 18th United States secretary of transportation in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2021, ...
was selected as president after Dam and stayed on until 1996.


Beene's centralization efforts

Betty Stanley Beene took over in 1997. Beene advocated for a more-centralized system where United Way of America would take the lead on issues that affect all local United Ways and attempted to set national standards for all United Ways. This proposal would require that each local United Way undergo a thorough public self-examination of their effectiveness every few years. United Way of America, under Beene leadership, paid Cap Gemini America $12 million to build charitable-pledge software for the ''United Way Information Network'', a centralized national pledge processing center. The national center aimed to make donations more efficient and attractive companies with national footprints. However, these plans competed with the regional pledge processing centers operated by four large regional United Ways. The software was riddled with issues and was unable to process gifts in its first test run. A review of the software by
Deloitte & Touche Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of profession ...
found 400 serious problems. United Way abandoned the project in 1999 and came to settlement with Cap Gemini in 2000. Some local United Ways intensely rejected these plans, and withheld their dues to United Way of America as an act of protest. The United Way in Rochester went so far as to obtain the legal right to alternative names in the event the United Way broke up. These issues would, in part, lead to Beene's departure in 2001.
Brian Gallagher Brian Gallagher is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way Worldwide. Early life and education Gallagher was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised in Hobart, Indiana, where he was one of six children. His father was a ...
, former head of United Way in
Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
, took over as president and CEO in 2002.


Allowing donor-choice

United Way officially embraced a policy of donor designation in 1982, allowing donors to select which nonprofit organizations would receive their gift. Aramony first introduced the donor choice concept to prevent large employers from allowing alternative funds to solicit alongside United Way. However, United Ways resisted donation designations and the roll out of the new policy was described as a "glacial pace" in a 2000 piece in
Fortune Fortune may refer to: General * Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck * Luck * Wealth * Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling * Fortune, in a fortune cookie Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Fortune'' (1931 film) ...
. Despite the slow rollout of donor-choice policies, dollars going to designations continued to grow over time. In 1990, only 14% of gifts went to outside charities. In 1999, United Way of America estimated that nearly 20% went to outside charities. Allowing donor-choice caused donations to United Ways' general funds to decline. "Sometimes I think we kid ourselves into thinking that by creating more choice we raise more money. That's just not proven out," Gallagher said of donor-choice, "I think we somewhat dilute our giving if we're dividing our giving among thousands of agencies." In one case, the growth of amount of donor-choice contributed to the near-bankruptcy of United Way of
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together f ...
as the organization continued allocated the same amount year after year as their general fund pool shunk. Kevin Ronnie of the
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) is a progressive advocacy and watchdog group that monitors charitable spending in the United States. It was established in 1976 and is based in Washington, D.C. It advocates for a greater fo ...
said of United Way's predicament to allow designations, "If they want to be the workplace campaign ... they have to offer choice because that's what people want. But, gosh darn it, if you offer choice, people will do it, and that comes at the expense of what the United Way also wants to be – the community caretaker." Some United Way has focused efforts on marketing the benefits of their undesignated funds in to attempt to persuade donors away from donor designations. To combat the image of the declining funds in United Ways' control, United Way counted designated funds as dollars raised by United Way, even though the money could not be allocated by United Way. The practice written about in Eleanor Brilliant 1990 book on United Way: "...whether or not the money passed through the United Way allocations process seemed to be less important than making the largest nationwide counting of monies raised in the campaign. Undoubtedly, initially corporations were not concerned about this reporting system (and) had been making every effort to keep up both the reality and the façade of increased philanthropic dollars." These accounting practices would gain attention in 2002.


Creation of 2-1-1

The United Way of
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
created the first 2-1-1 service in 1997. The Atlanta information and referral service was conceived to help navigate people to find the best programs for their need (e.g.
homeless shelter Homeless shelters are a type of homeless service agency which provide temporary residence for homeless individuals and families. Shelters exist to provide residents with safety and protection from exposure to the weather while simultaneously r ...
s,
tax preparation Tax preparation is the process of preparing tax returns, often income tax returns, often for a person other than the taxpayer, and generally for compensation. Tax preparation may be done by the taxpayer with or without the help of tax preparation s ...
, after-school programs, rent assistance, etc.). In 1998, United Way of America and the Alliance of Information and Referral Services petitioned the
FCC The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdictio ...
to reserve the 211 three-digit dialing code for community information and referral services. In 2000, the FCC granted the petition and left it to the states to designate who should operate 211 services in their regions. The program spread and in 2005 all or part of 32 states and Washington, D.C., had access to 211, reaching almost half the nation's population.


New community Impact model

In the year 2000, United Way of America announced a strategic shift in its focus away from simply being a fundraiser. United Way of America began promoting the ''Agenda for Community Impact'' model for local affiliates to adopt. Under the new model, United Ways would select local issues, focus fundraising efforts on those issues, and then make grants to nonprofits to carry out work addresses those issues. Instead of funding United Way's traditional base of nonprofit agencies, the focus shifted to funding high priority causes. For example: a United Way might focus on reducing infant mortality in the community and provide funds to the local branch of the
YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
to provide education to parents about Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). As a nonprofit leader described it, "In the past if you got money rom United Way unless you screwed up, you were pretty much assured that you were going to get that money." The Community Impact suggested that funds were no longer a guarantee and that grants were competitive and performance-based driven by a nonprofit's ability to achieve outcomes related to United Way goals. Research by United Way of America showed that the approach was helping raise more funds. As a 2008 article in ''
the Chronicle of Philanthropy ''The Chronicle of Philanthropy'' is a magazine that covers the nonprofit world of philanthropy. Based in Washington, DC, it is aimed at charity leaders, foundation executives, fund raisers, and other people involved in philanthropy. ''The Chroni ...
'' stated,
In the five years since the organization announced it would focus on solving specific problems, the sums donated to 172 United Ways that adopted the so-called community-impact approach were 20 percent higher on average than giving to other United Ways. And among those using the community-impact approach, unrestricted donations are 26 percent higher than at other United Ways.


New reporting standards

In the wake of the Enron scandal, United Ways in 2002 faced questions on their accounting practices and discrepancies between different United Ways. In some cases, United Ways were double counting donations made across United Way territories which inflated their impact. These practices made their
expense ratio The expense ratio of a stock or asset fund is the total percentage of fund assets used for administrative, management, advertising (12b-1), and all other expenses. An expense ratio of 1% per annum means that each year 1% of the fund's total assets ...
seem lower by artificially inflating reported contributions. After accounting issues came to light in the United Way in Washington, D.C. (and consequently exposed other problematic accounting practices within the United Way network), United Way of America adopted new accounting standards for its affiliates in 2003. United Way of America imposed new rules requiring all affiliates to adhere to a shared standard of reporting revenue and overhead costs, with the 150 largest affiliates required for the first time to submit financial information to outside accountants. Some United Ways were not able to meet the new standards and the board disaffiliated these 61 United Ways. Some experts believed that the subsequent decline in United Way's 2002–03 campaign were the results of these accounting changes. In one case, the new reporting standards, which ended the practice of counting the value of in-kind donations in campaign totals, caused the United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties in
Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County near the Atlantic coastline, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. Daytona Beach is approximately nort ...
to eliminate around $400,000 from its campaign results.


Competing with online giving platforms

By the 2000s, United Way has faced competition for control of the workplace campaign from technology companies offering customized platforms for employee giving and volunteering. One of the most promising competitors, Charitableway, raised $43 million in 2000 and secured agreements with
Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...
and
Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment management and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in more than 41 countries and more than 75,000 employees, the fir ...
to run their campaigns. After the failure of the ''United Way Information Network'' and out of fear that the new for-profit companies would court their corporate supporters, a group of United Ways developed the online United eWay system to bring the traditional pen-and-paper pledge cards online. The software prototype was developed by a consortium of 50 United Ways with technical assistance from
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
. The product was run as a United Way of America subsidiary until it was purchased by CreateHope Inc. in 2008 and spun off as a separate for-profit company TRUiST, Inc. Charitableway folded with the bursting of the
dot-com bubble The dot-com bubble (dot-com boom, tech bubble, or the Internet bubble) was a stock market bubble in the late 1990s, a period of massive growth in the use and adoption of the Internet. Between 1995 and its peak in March 2000, the Nasdaq Compo ...
. However, other competitors like
Benevity Benevity is a Calgary-based company that provides charitable donation-management and grant-management platforms. Benevity is one of Western Canada's largest startups. Its customers include Nike, Coca-Cola, Google, and Apple, and about 250 ...
would fare better. Benevity was founded in 2008 and has become the workplace campaign provider of
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
,
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
,
PayPal PayPal Holdings, Inc. is an American multinational financial technology company operating an online payments system in the majority of countries that support online money transfers, and serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper ...
,
T-Mobile T-Mobile is the brand name used by some of the mobile communications subsidiaries of the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG in the Czech Republic (T-Mobile Czech Republic), Poland (T-Mobile Polska), the United States (T-Mobile ...
, TripAdvisor, Charles Schwab, and
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
. Benevity processed $649 million in donations in the 2018 fiscal year. A 2020 report from Realized Worth's RW Institute found that there were 51 employee-giving technology platforms. To better compete with technology companies, Salesforce.org (the philanthropic arm of
Salesforce Salesforce, Inc. is an American cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It provides customer relationship management (CRM) software and applications focused on sales, customer service, marketing automation, a ...
) and United Way Worldwide launched ''Philanthropy Cloud,'' a workplace donation platform, in 2018.


Gallagher's resignation

Gallagher resigned from United Way Worldwide in March 2021 after the investigation into the firing of three female employees at United Way Worldwide who filed workplace sexual harassment complaints. In November 2020, the
HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
reported that three female employees at United Way Worldwide filed complaints between 2019 and 2020 with the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...
. These complaints alleged sexual harassment and retaliation by UWW after they spoke up about the behavior. In response to the allegations, United Way Worldwide commissioned
Proskauer Rose Proskauer Rose LLP (formerly known as Proskauer, Rose, Goetz & Mendelsohn, LLP) is an international law firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1875 and currently employs more than 800 attorneys in twelve offices worldwide. P ...
to investigate the claims. The investigation found no "actionable harassment, discrimination, or retaliation" at the organization but the report also noted "the need to address the broader organizational and reputation issues." Lisa Bowman, who alleged then-CEO
Brian Gallagher Brian Gallagher is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way Worldwide. Early life and education Gallagher was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised in Hobart, Indiana, where he was one of six children. His father was a ...
fired her as retaliation for reporting sexual harassment by another executive, called the inquiry "not a thorough, fair, or reliable investigation." United Way Worldwide's former vice president for labor engagement, Ana Avendaño, also filed a complaint with the EEOC alleging that United Way Worldwide retaliated by firing her after she uncovered sexual harassment of female United Way employees by
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
leaders. Avendaño said that while she was not contacted during the investigation she has "information that would’ve helped in the investigation." The third woman who filed an EEOC complaint (who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation) said that she was not contacted either by the investigators and that she was "not at all surprised" about the report findings, "It's what I expected." Gallagher said when announcing his retirement, "there is no evidence of a toxic or hostile culture. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely, just like almost any other workplace." On October 15, 2021, Angela F. Williams replaced Gallagher as United Way Worldwide CEO. She is the first
female Female (Venus symbol, symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ovum, ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the Sperm, male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gamet ...
and
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
to hold his position in United Way Worldwide's history. Previous to this position, Williams was the CEO at Easter Seals.


Cross–United Way partnerships and common initiatives

While each local United Way has its own programs and initiatives, there are some national and international initiatives that are formed between United Ways or by the United Way Worldwide body. * NFL partnership: The ongoing partnership with the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
began in 1973 when the NFL and United Way of America came together to discuss the possibility of using the NFL's network contract airtime to promote United Way during game telecasts. NFL commissioner
Pete Rozelle Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American businessman and executive. Rozelle served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retirement i ...
recognized the partnership as a viable means of communicating the good works of United Ways while putting faces on a league of players hidden by helmets. * Philanthropy Cloud: a workplace donation platform created in partnership with
Salesforce Salesforce, Inc. is an American cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It provides customer relationship management (CRM) software and applications focused on sales, customer service, marketing automation, a ...
. As of January 2020, over 200 companies, including 25 local United Ways, were using the service. *Since 1946, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
) and United Way Worldwide have enjoyed a cooperative relationship * Tocqueville Society: many United Ways have Tocqueville Societies (named after
Alexis De Tocqueville Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his works ...
) for donors giving more than $10,000 each year. * Loaned Executive Program: In this program, participating companies "loan" skilled professionals on their payroll to volunteer for temporary fundraising assignments at local United Ways, while the employee's salary is paid by their employer. IBM,
Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Indepe ...
, Nestle,
Honeywell Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building technologies, performance ma ...
,
UPS UPS or ups may refer to: Companies and organizations * United Parcel Service, an American shipping company ** The UPS Store, UPS subsidiary ** UPS Airlines, UPS subsidiary * Underground Press Syndicate, later ''Alternative Press Syndicate'' or ...
, and
NYNEX NYNEX Corporation was an American telephone company that served five states of New England (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) as well as most of the state of New York from January 1, 1984 to August 14, 1997. Histor ...
have participated in the program by volunteering their employees' time to United Way.


Controversies

In United Way's history, it has been the subject of several local and national controversies. * In 1986, The United Way of Cleveland, Ohio, held an event called Balloonfest '86, setting a world record by releasing 1.5 million balloons. The event had disastrous consequences, wreaking havoc at
Burke Lakefront Airport Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport is a public airport on the shore of Lake Erie, in the northeast part of downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It's classified as a general aviation airport and is an FAA designated reliever to Cleveland Ho ...
and
Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
, causing injury to animals and contributing to two fishermen's deaths. * In 1992,
William Aramony William J. Aramony (July 27, 1927 – November 11, 2011) was CEO of United Way of America for more than twenty years and helped build the organization into the largest charity in the United States. He retired in 1992 amid criminal charges of fra ...
, CEO of the national organization for over 20 years, retired amid allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement, of which he was subsequently convicted. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined $300,000. * In 2004, Oral Suer, the CEO of United Way of the National Capital Area in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, was convicted of misuse of donations. He pleaded guilty to theft of almost $500,000 and was sentenced to 27 months in prison. Norman O. Taylor, Suer's replacement, was never charged with misconduct but was forced to resign. * In 2006, Ralph Dickerson Jr., the former CEO of United Way of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, was found to have used $227,000 in United Way funds for personal expenses during 2002 and 2003. He later agreed to reimburse the organization. *After the 2012
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and t ...
, the United Way of Western Connecticut was criticized by some victims' family members for a lack of transparency in fundraising. According to those critical of the agency, the money was raised in a way that implied it would be used for the families, but then much of it re-purposed for broader community needs. As the organization focuses on community long term work, the United Way stated that majority was intended to go to non-exclusive, community support programs like counseling, after school or job-support programs; however, this angered those who felt the money should go directly to the families of those affected. * In 2021, United Way Worldwide CEO Brian Gallagher resigned over claims of mishandled complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination at the
United Way Worldwide United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way o ...
office. Three female employees had filed complaints with the
EEOC The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...
alleging they experienced sexual harassment and that they were retaliated against by United Way Worldwide after speaking out about the harassment.


Criticisms


Donation coercion in the workplace

While United Way's workplace fundraising campaigns may help encourage higher donation levels among co-workers, it may also lead to employees feeling pressure to take part. Some employees may feel coerced to donate to United Way by their co-workers or management soliciting contributions in their workplace. A reporter with the
Atlanta Business Chronicle The ''Atlanta Business Chronicle'' is a weekly newspaper covering business news in Atlanta, Georgia, published by American City Business Journals. The paper has both a weekly print edition and an online edition. History The ''Atlanta Business ...
described it as this: "The problem with the United Way's methods is simple: When the CEO of a company gathers employees in a room and strongly encourages them to donate to the United Way, most of them are going to donate. And many will be doing so out of fear that there could be consequences if they don't." United Way lists guidelines on its national website to prevent coercion, including having non-managers lead the solicitation and discouraging setting campaigns with 100 percent participation goals.


Role as an intermediary in the donation process

Some have labeled United Way a " middleman" since it raises funds and then passes them on to nonprofit agencies. In 2007, Brian Gallagher said that critics who still see United Way that way have not followed more recent developments of the organization: "Six years ago we were much more focused – or split – on fund-raising. ... Instead of the model being ‘one campaign for all; give us the money and we’ll decide where it goes’, we moved to a model where we identified issues, strategies and products, and segmented our markets so we knew what women and young people, and corporations and foundations, cared about." Addressing the middle man label directly he said that "nobody wants anything or one in the middle of a transaction that doesn't add value. ... Folks use the term middle man as a negative. It is not a negative if it adds value."


Monopolistic practices

United Way has been criticized for its dominance over workplace giving and for making exclusionary funding decisions. In 1978, the National Commission on Neighborhoods release a report prepared by the
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) is a progressive advocacy and watchdog group that monitors charitable spending in the United States. It was established in 1976 and is based in Washington, D.C. It advocates for a greater fo ...
which found that United Way used "both fair and foul" practices to "monopolize solicitation of employees at the workplace." The report claimed that United Way is "an exclusionary group, designed to keep out most neighborhood groups and smaller charities." The report called for a repeal of the organization's policies "which insist on a monopoly of workplace solicitation." United Way of America senior vice president Robert Beggan responded to the allegations saying, "We neither control payroll deductions, nor do we exclude other organizations from seeking payroll deductions." Addressing the exclusionary allocations claim he said, "we allocate money o member charitieson need not on emotion. ... There's a finite amount of money available and an infinite amount of need, and we have to be careful." By the mid-1970s, just 13 nonprofits (including the
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
, the Red Cross, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts, and
the Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...
) accounted for more than 57% of all United Way allocations. To limit competing with fundraisers from disease-related nonprofit organizations, some United Ways have signed contractual agreements with nonprofits guaranteeing them with a level of funding if they incorporate their fundraising efforts under United Way's campaign. By design, United Way aims to provide support for large, local human service organizations through a process of consensus decision making. The result inevitably favors funding of moderate and traditional agencies over civil rights and controversial causes.
Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...
, The Boy Scouts of America, counseling services for gay youth, and, initially, programs for people with
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
have been excluded to avoid turning off potential donors.


See also

* Central Community Chest of Japan * Fondo Unido I.A.P. *
Metro United Way Metro United Way is a non-profit organization based in Louisville, Kentucky and is part of the United Way Worldwide system of 1,800 community-based offices located across 45 countries and territories. Founded in 1917, Metro United Way serves to i ...
* United Way New Zealand *
United Way of Canada United Way Centraide Canada (french: Centraide United Way Canada) is the national organization for the 71 autonomous, volunteer-based United Ways and Centraides across Canada. The United Way Movement in Canada is a federated network of local Unite ...
*
United Way of Metropolitan Chicago The United Way of Metropolitan Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and a branch of the United Way of America. The United Way of Metropolitan Chicago serves the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, allocating funding to other chari ...
*
United Way Worldwide United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way o ...


Further reading

* Aft, Richard N. (2004). ''Grassroots Initiatives: Shape an International Movement: United Ways Since 1876''. Mary Lu Aft. nited States Philanthropic Leadership. . . * Barman, Emily (2006). ''Contesting Communities: The Transformation of Workplace Charity''. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press. . . * Brilliant, Eleanor L. (1990). ''The United Way: Dilemmas of Organized Charity''. New York: Columbia University Press. . . * Seeley, John R. (1957). ''Community Chest: A Case Study in Philanthropy''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. . .


References


External links

* {{Authority control 1887 establishments in the United States Organizations established in 1887
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...