HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
Learning and Development for United Way Staff
Authors: Teresa Hall Bartels, Former United Way International President, and Dick Aft, United Way Historian and UW NEXT Emeritus Board Member
January, 2025
“The Community Chest is the business side of social work.” That’s what Charlie Stillman told his audience at, United Way Worldwide’s predecessor, United Community Funds & Councils of America’s 1963 Citizens Conference on Community Planning. Stillman was the Dean of the Ohio State University School of Social Work. Everyone called him “Charlie.” His graduates populated executive director and staff positions at “UCFCA” and dozens of local United Way organizations all over the U.S.
In those days, an MSW was a prerequisite for students who aspired to head large-city United Way organizations, either fund-raising “Chests” or companion community planning “Councils.” Ohio State served as the major training ground for the new breed of social workers from the early 1930s.
In 1936, the Boston College School of Social Work began to offer a master’s major in “community organization,” making it the second preeminent program preparing leaders to serve in United Way organizations across the United States. Enrollments in both schools mushroomed as WW II GIs used the G.I. Bill to finance their preparation for United Way careers.
Both programs waned during the 1960s as other graduate schools began to offer generic community organization degrees and local United Way organizations increasingly looked beyond MSW holders to fill staff positions.
The 1970s heralded United Way of America’s National Academy of Volunteerism, a professional training program with courses ranging from “United Way Management” to program-specific on-site classes in fields such as fund-raising, community planning, and public relations. NAV director Don Plambeck and his successor Bill Phillips became known as the “deans of United Way training” as NAV’s in-house offerings at United Way of America’s Alexandria, VA headquarters were supplemented with weeklong on-site training at Michigan State University, Northwestern University, and the Harvard School of Business. Most of the NAV on-site classes at that time were facilitated by two local United Way professionals – one with many years of experience and a newer leader – and they complemented one another to provide participants with experience and fresh thinking.
With the advent of the internet, static classroom learning would no longer be able to keep up. “United Ways began to shift from a workplace fundraising strategy to a focus on Community Impact,” said Brook Manville. Manville led United Way of America’s learning and development in the early part of this century. “The big idea was that a rapidly changing business model called for dynamic learning approaches, moving from just-in-case training to just-in-time learning – focused on imminent needs of staff members to do their jobs with an accelerated tempo,” Manville explained. Networking and sharing of best practices through peer groups, using emerging technologies, became the primary means of learning. Along with Barbara Edmonds, Manville led the creation of Learning Circles, the first webinars and podcasts in the United Way system, and the Knowledge Café.
As United Way Worldwide was forming in 2009, Manville helped facilitate an international learning cohort of CEOs from United Ways including United Ways of India, Moscow, Romania, Mexico, Brazil, France, Taiwan, Australia, and South Africa as well as New York and Los Angeles. Action Learning provided opportunities for these leaders to work together in teams, co-creating solutions to real problems that affected each of them.
Today, local United Ways employ many of these “just-in-time” approaches to train staff members in specific United Way functions and to develop leadership with their teams. Marne Fauser, President & CEO for United Way of Central Illinois, sees her role as a coach for her team and a collaborator with other United Way leaders in the state. “With a background in coaching sports,” said Marne, “I focus on developing a team that relies on each other. We choose a book to read and discuss together – in 2025 we’ll be learning about Patrick Lencioni’s “Six Types of Working Genius.” Fauser also hosts an educational series once a month in her role with United Way of Illinois. It’s an hour-long ZOOM seminar on topics ranging from Human Resources to Artificial Intelligence, as well as Major Gifts, Community Impact and Board Engagement. United Way staff from around Illinois benefit from these sessions.
United Way of Greater Nashville’s retiring CEO, Brian Hassett, has been an advocate for learning through collaboration as well. “I told my fundraising team to go visit their counterparts in Chicago or Louisville, for example,” Hassett explained. “And we’ve had other local United Way staff come to Nashville as well. We can learn a lot by sharing our practices, which also creates relationships and camaraderie across the United Way system.”
In Denver, Eric Artis, Chief Human Resources & Diversity Officer, is focused on employee engagement and retention with a diverse staff of 125 people. “We offer $150 stipends for professional development for every employee to use at their discretion for workshops that meet individual needs,” Eric explained. “We also have built a library of modules that are tailored to departmental needs and can be added to the Paycom learning management system. Staff can choose from a wide variety of topics such as crucial conversations, accountability, and other management or employee essentials.” High potential staff members also have opportunities to be nominated to participate in various local leadership development programs.
In 2024, United Way NEXT offered 40 learning sessions, and 1,302 attendees from 300 local United Ways took advantage of these sessions. “United Way NEXT has always provided rich learning opportunities that our members can join and benefit from,” said Carole Peters, President and CEO. “Over the past two years we have increased the offerings that have attracted more members and local UW staff with a variety of topics like Planned Giving, Wellness, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and special-interest topics. Connecting, reconnecting and engaging with the guest speakers and attendees offers additional learning with peer-to-peer exchanges.”
From its early days of populating United Ways with social work graduates, to 2025 when United Way staff represent a wide variety of professional backgrounds and experiences, it’s clear that learning and development initiatives are significant for United Ways. These opportunities continue to engage employees and support communities with talented people.
Authors: Teresa Hall Bartels, Former United Way International President, and Dick Aft, United Way Historian and UW NEXT Emeritus Board Member
January, 2025
“The Community Chest is the business side of social work.” That’s what Charlie Stillman told his audience at, United Way Worldwide’s predecessor, United Community Funds & Councils of America’s 1963 Citizens Conference on Community Planning. Stillman was the Dean of the Ohio State University School of Social Work. Everyone called him “Charlie.” His graduates populated executive director and staff positions at “UCFCA” and dozens of local United Way organizations all over the U.S.
In those days, an MSW was a prerequisite for students who aspired to head large-city United Way organizations, either fund-raising “Chests” or companion community planning “Councils.” Ohio State served as the major training ground for the new breed of social workers from the early 1930s.
In 1936, the Boston College School of Social Work began to offer a master’s major in “community organization,” making it the second preeminent program preparing leaders to serve in United Way organizations across the United States. Enrollments in both schools mushroomed as WW II GIs used the G.I. Bill to finance their preparation for United Way careers.
Both programs waned during the 1960s as other graduate schools began to offer generic community organization degrees and local United Way organizations increasingly looked beyond MSW holders to fill staff positions.
The 1970s heralded United Way of America’s National Academy of Volunteerism, a professional training program with courses ranging from “United Way Management” to program-specific on-site classes in fields such as fund-raising, community planning, and public relations. NAV director Don Plambeck and his successor Bill Phillips became known as the “deans of United Way training” as NAV’s in-house offerings at United Way of America’s Alexandria, VA headquarters were supplemented with weeklong on-site training at Michigan State University, Northwestern University, and the Harvard School of Business. Most of the NAV on-site classes at that time were facilitated by two local United Way professionals – one with many years of experience and a newer leader – and they complemented one another to provide participants with experience and fresh thinking.
With the advent of the internet, static classroom learning would no longer be able to keep up. “United Ways began to shift from a workplace fundraising strategy to a focus on Community Impact,” said Brook Manville. Manville led United Way of America’s learning and development in the early part of this century. “The big idea was that a rapidly changing business model called for dynamic learning approaches, moving from just-in-case training to just-in-time learning – focused on imminent needs of staff members to do their jobs with an accelerated tempo,” Manville explained. Networking and sharing of best practices through peer groups, using emerging technologies, became the primary means of learning. Along with Barbara Edmonds, Manville led the creation of Learning Circles, the first webinars and podcasts in the United Way system, and the Knowledge Café.
As United Way Worldwide was forming in 2009, Manville helped facilitate an international learning cohort of CEOs from United Ways including United Ways of India, Moscow, Romania, Mexico, Brazil, France, Taiwan, Australia, and South Africa as well as New York and Los Angeles. Action Learning provided opportunities for these leaders to work together in teams, co-creating solutions to real problems that affected each of them.
Today, local United Ways employ many of these “just-in-time” approaches to train staff members in specific United Way functions and to develop leadership with their teams. Marne Fauser, President & CEO for United Way of Central Illinois, sees her role as a coach for her team and a collaborator with other United Way leaders in the state. “With a background in coaching sports,” said Marne, “I focus on developing a team that relies on each other. We choose a book to read and discuss together – in 2025 we’ll be learning about Patrick Lencioni’s “Six Types of Working Genius.” Fauser also hosts an educational series once a month in her role with United Way of Illinois. It’s an hour-long ZOOM seminar on topics ranging from Human Resources to Artificial Intelligence, as well as Major Gifts, Community Impact and Board Engagement. United Way staff from around Illinois benefit from these sessions.
United Way of Greater Nashville’s retiring CEO, Brian Hassett, has been an advocate for learning through collaboration as well. “I told my fundraising team to go visit their counterparts in Chicago or Louisville, for example,” Hassett explained. “And we’ve had other local United Way staff come to Nashville as well. We can learn a lot by sharing our practices, which also creates relationships and camaraderie across the United Way system.”
In Denver, Eric Artis, Chief Human Resources & Diversity Officer, is focused on employee engagement and retention with a diverse staff of 125 people. “We offer $150 stipends for professional development for every employee to use at their discretion for workshops that meet individual needs,” Eric explained. “We also have built a library of modules that are tailored to departmental needs and can be added to the Paycom learning management system. Staff can choose from a wide variety of topics such as crucial conversations, accountability, and other management or employee essentials.” High potential staff members also have opportunities to be nominated to participate in various local leadership development programs.
In 2024, United Way NEXT offered 40 learning sessions, and 1,302 attendees from 300 local United Ways took advantage of these sessions. “United Way NEXT has always provided rich learning opportunities that our members can join and benefit from,” said Carole Peters, President and CEO. “Over the past two years we have increased the offerings that have attracted more members and local UW staff with a variety of topics like Planned Giving, Wellness, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and special-interest topics. Connecting, reconnecting and engaging with the guest speakers and attendees offers additional learning with peer-to-peer exchanges.”
From its early days of populating United Ways with social work graduates, to 2025 when United Way staff represent a wide variety of professional backgrounds and experiences, it’s clear that learning and development initiatives are significant for United Ways. These opportunities continue to engage employees and support communities with talented people.
|
|
Want to read more from Dick Aft and Teresa Hall Bartels? Check out the latest Historical Perspectives Archives HERE! |
|
