Historical Perspectives: Ways have changed. Uniting hasn’t.
What has defined United Way over almost 140 years?
Federating fundraising campaigns
Social planning
Alleviating suffering
Preventing problems
Purchasing services
Making an impact
Names have changed and purposes have sharpened in response to change, but United Way’s commitment to connecting resources to needs has continued for almost 140 years. Denver’s 1887 Charity Organization Society’s consolidation of competing agency campaigns is considered to be the very first “united” campaign. Beginning in Pittsburgh in 1907, Councils of Social Agencies proliferated to give attention to gaps and duplications in human services. In 1913, Denver’s example of combined fund-raising campaigns took hold in Cleveland and began its 20th century development around the world.
From its inception, United Way was committed to combining the fundraising appeals of service organizations and the social planning that helped define and coordinate efforts to make an impact on the needs of local communities.
The purposes of today’s forebearers were reflected in their slogans. From the earliest years when “Put Your Eggs in One Basket” defined our “way,” the focus grew to include the influence of social planning with slogans like “Put your Dollars Where They Will Make the Most Cents.” Through the middle of the 20th century, the “way” of United Way could be seen in posters calling on citizens to alleviate human suffering, illustrated by Cincinnati, OH’s “helping hand,” to Rochester, New York’s “Suppose Nobody Cared? poster” All the while, annual “united” campaigns continued to garner support from millions of individuals, companies, labor unions, and foundations by continued refinement of the community-wide fundraising model instituted in 1887.
Our United “ways” of preventing problems, purchasing agency services, and making an impact followed. Today, local United Way organizations continue to evolve in creative ways to connect community resources with community needs.
Kristi Long, CEO of United Way of Lake County, IL, and Gale Graves, Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of Lake County, IL, have seen their local United Way move from what Kristi describes as, “being a middleman” to actual service delivery. The traditional allocations process has been eliminated in favor of partnerships to focus on education and 211. Fifteen years ago, the relationship with community health and human service agencies was, “we give you money,” Kristi summarized. “Now, we have shared vision and shared concern about an issue. Our sweet spot is in the impact we are having with children from birth to age eight,” Kristi said. Gale affirms the impact, “We absolutely can talk about the specific skills children are developing, including increases in reading, math and behavior management.” In addition, United Way of Lake County has hired a community engagement coordinator to make sure community organizations are aware of and utilizing the resources available through 211.
Rodney Prunty, CEO for United Way of Central New Mexico in Albuquerque, has also beefed up his local United Way’s 211 initiative. “That’s just one way that we wake up every day asking how we make a difference in people's lives,” Rodney said. He noted three trends that United Ways need to address: the rise of third-party processors approaching traditional corporate donors; the perception of United Way as “stale, old, and transactional,” and the desires of younger generations to connect and engage in purposeful ways.
To address those trends, United Way of Central New Mexico has partnered with a technology company to provide a solution for its corporate donors that still includes engagement with United Way. Rodney hired a staff member who works with these top accounts to help them create Corporate Social Responsibility goals—with plans that keep United Way connected as their “social impact partner of choice.” They are being very intentional about asking millennials and Gen Z-ers, “how do they want to be engaged—and then we connect them with purpose-driven action,” said Rodney. “We haven’t totally eliminated allocations to agencies,” Rodney explained. “We set aside $2.5 million for three-year grants and our staff connect regularly to partner with these agencies so we can measure impact and help them develop sustainability once the three years of funding ends.”
In Charleston, South Carolina, DJ Hampton II has led the Trident United Way in what he calls a “natural evolution” from its 80-year history to the specific goal of uplifting 15,000 families out of poverty by 2035. “We stopped the allocations process during the pandemic to free up as much money as possible to address urgent needs. That led the Board to consider how aligned we are with current community needs,” said DJ. What the Board learned is that the cost of living for a family of four is $89,000 in the Charleston community. With the federal poverty line established at $30,000, the Board decided to, “go all in and focus on Financial Stability,” DJ explained. United Way will be working with health and human service agencies, the College of Charleston, and other community partners to map out a collective case management plan over the next year. “We have fully embraced the ALICE framework [Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—earning above the Federal Poverty Level yet struggling to afford basic expenses] that really defines what it costs to live here,” DJ said. “We are fortunate to have “Charity Tracker,” a single database that can track families across all the helping agencies. This will help us tremendously to manage cases across our partners and achieve our community goal.”
Today’s United Ways are redefining success—not by the amount of money being raised or even by the number of people served. They are evolving to measures of lives changed and the health and resilience of communities achieved through partnerships. As always, they are connecting resources to needs—the United Way, a uniting way.
About the Authors
Dick Aft, UW NEXT Emeritus Board Member
Following a 40-year United Way career during which Dick raised over a billion dollars to support local non-profit human services, he earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership & Development. Since then, he has served as an interim United Way CEO and mentor, and he has tried to use the things he has experienced and learned.
These include coaching new presidents of colleges and universities as sole proprietor of Philanthropic Leadership. Serving as a volunteer board officer of a score of organizations, currently: the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati College Conservatory, Hoxworth Blood Center, the American National Classical Music Hall of Fame, and as Past Chairman and an emeritus board member of United Way NEXT. Teaching Values-Based Management [ethics] to Xavier University MBA students for 10 years. Spending 10 years “Of Counsel” with Gilman Partners Executive Search specializing in filling non-profit CEO positions. Serving as a historian for the 130-year-old United Way movement. [Four books, 25 webinars, and over 70 articles published to date.] Voluntarily helping Greater Cincinnati non-profit organizations strategically identify and recruit board members.
Dick’s wife Mary Lu has made dozens of foundation-funded trips abroad to coach government, business, and volunteer leaders on the establishment and oversight of health and social service organizations. Many of these trips have been as representatives of the former United Way International. Two of their three sons and one daughter-in-law are former United Way CEOs. Together, they have been United Way execs for over 100 years.
Read additional articles by Dick here.
Teresa Hall Bartels, Former United Way International President
Teresa Hall Bartels is the founder and principal of Hallbart Consulting, L.L.C., focused on leadership, team effectiveness and strategy for commercial businesses and not-for-profit organizations. She is passionate about servant leadership and helping individuals and teams to become high-performing, high-integrity leaders.
Currently Bartels serves as a Master Chair for a Vistage CEO Peer Group, an Advancing Leaders group, and three Vistage groups inside client companies. She has served as Interim CEO four times during her career, most recently as Interim President, Newman University, where she also served on the Board of Trustees for nine years. Bartels was the founding chair of the board for the University Center of Lake County, IL, a consortium of 18 colleges and universities offering degree completion and graduate level courses.
Bartels began her career in fundraising with United Way of America. She and her husband, Chuck, owned and operated two Manpower franchises in Northern Minnesota and Northern Illinois. Subsequently, she was President and CEO for United Way International and then Gateway for Cancer Research.
Read additional articles by Teresa here.