The United Way of America is a coalition of charitable organizations in the United States that have traditionally pooled efforts in fundraising. In the 1990s, more and more United Ways have focused on community building through local partnerships with government, foundations, schools, and other organizations. Each of the 1317 United Ways has its own local governing volunteer board.

The organization has roots in Denver, Colorado, where in 1887 church leaders began the Charity Organization Society which coordinated services and fund raising 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, Ohio. The number of Community Chest organizations increased from 39 to 353 between 1919 and 1929, and surpassed 1000 by 1948. By 1963, and after several name changes, the term United Way was adopted.

The organization raises money in a number of ways, chiefly through the workplace, where employees can have automatic payroll deductions for the United Way.

Frances Wisebart Jacobs, known as Colorado's "Mother of Charities," was the driving force behind the concept of today's United Way. In 1887 she spearheaded the creation of the Charity Organization Society, which became a federation of charities that coordinated fundraising and other efforts and shared the proceeds. This was the model that led to the creation of today's United Way, which recognizes Jacobs as its founder. She brought together the Rev. Myron W. Reed, Msgr. William J. O'Ryan, Dean H. Martyn Hart and Rabbi William S. Friedman to put their heads and plan the first united campaign for ten health and welfare agencies. They created an organization to serve as an agent to collect funds for local charities, as well as to coordinate relief services, counsel and refer clients to cooperating agencies, and make emergency assistance grants in cases which could not be referred.

That year, Denver raised $21,700 and created a movement that would spread throughout the county to become the United Way. Over 118 years later, United Way is still in operation. [1]
In this year's (2006) Philanthropy 400, United Way of America was again No. 1, with more than 1,300 local United Ways reporting $4-billion in contributions last year, a 3.9-percent increase over 2004.

United Ways identify and build on community strengths and assets, help individuals and groups with specific community interests find ways to contribute their time and talents, support direct-service programs and community-change efforts, and advocate public policy changes.
All of this is done in collaboration with diverse partners.

Depending on the issue and how the community chooses to address it, United Ways work with schools, government agencies, businesses, organized labor, financial institutions, community development corporations, voluntary and neighborhood associations, the religious community, and others.

ref: www.unitedway.org

www.unitedway.org