United Way Worldwide: Difference between revisions
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'''United Way Worldwide''' is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit, topping the list of “America's Favorite Charities” as determined by the |
'''United Way Worldwide''' is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit, topping the list of “America's Favorite Charities” as determined by the ''Chronicle of Philanthropy.'' The ''Chronicle’s'' Sept. 2018 [https://www.philanthropy.com/article/Who-s-Raising-the-Most-The/244933 report] ranks the 100 charities that Americans are most willing to support. The United Way network is made up of nearly 1,800 autonomous 501c3 organizations, governed and funded locally. The network spans more than 40 countries and [https://www.unitedway.org/annualreport territories]. In each community, United Way brings people and organizations together to tackle challenges, with a focus on improving education, financial stability and health. United Way serves 61 million people around the globe, fueled by 2.9 million volunteers and 8.3 million [https://unitedway.org/annualreport donors] |
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The United Way network is made up of nearly 1,800 autonomous 501c3 organizations, governed and funded locally. The network spans more than 40 countries and [https://www.unitedway.org/annualreport territories]. In each community, United Way brings people and organizations to tackle challenges and create positive change, with a focus on health, education and financial stability. United Way serves 61 million people around the globe, fueled by 2.9 million volunteers and 8.3 million [https://unitedway.org/annualreport donors]. wa common cause, vision and path forward. |
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== History == |
== History == |
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United Way was founded in [[Denver, Colorado]] in 1887, to serve the community by collecting funds for local charities, counseling and referring clients to cooperating agencies, and establishing emergency assistance grants for cases that could not be referred. While the focus of solving community problems hasn't changed, how United Way has driven that changed has evolved quite a bit. |
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In May 2009, United Way of America and United Way International were integrated as one global entity, United Way Worldwide. |
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* Early on, United Way mostly funded programs. While the idea of "sowing 1,000 seeds" supported good activities, it diluted impact -- and rarely changed lives. |
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== Criticism == |
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* By the 1980's, United Way was measuring outcomes. The goal was measurable impact. To ensure dollars made a difference, United Way encouraged agencies getting funding to focus on outcomes, not just activities. |
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* Over the next two decades, Unite Way began targeting education, financial stability and health to make a more focused impact. Many local united Ways organized programs accordingly, and began to look hard at those issues locally. |
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* By the mid-2000's, analysis of underlying causes made clear that community challenges were too big to tackle alone. United Way began collaborating with more partners, across a broader cross-section of the community. |
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* Today, most United Ways are focused on some combination of the above. Some fund programs; some drive community initiatives; and more and more are working to galvanize the community around a common cause, a common vision and a common path forward. |
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[https://www.fsg.org/ FSG,] a social impact consultancy that helps corporate, foundation and NGOs, [https://www.fsg.org/blog/charting-course-change-advancing-education-income-and-health-through-collective-impact pointed readers] to a white paper a few years ago that lays out the community strategies experts say work best to improve education, financial stability and health and how local United Ways can help people turn those strategies into action. The paper includes perspectives from more than 40 issue experts, including a foreword from FSG’s Mark Kramer, who writes: ''“These problems are too big for any single organization to solve; too big even for the nonprofit sector to solve without engaging private enterprise and government as partners. There is no single 'silver bullet' that will solve problems of this severity. Instead, a strong cross-sector infrastructure is needed to support collaboration, guide evidence-based decision-making, track community-level outcomes, scan existing resources and identify priority strategies.”'' |
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There is a significant history of misappropriation of funds and false accounting at United Way, with several high profile frauds by high ranking officials leading in part to the collapse of [[United Way of America]] and the organisation's rebirth as United Way Worldwide[https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2007/12/21/the-united-ways-way-or-bust/]. [[William Aramony]], a founder of United Way, was himself jailed for theft of funds[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/business/william-aramony-disgraced-leader-of-united-way-dies-at-84.html]. |
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== Global expansion == |
== Global expansion == |
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| ⚫ | In the mid-1900s, local United Ways founded a national organization, later called [[United Way of America]]. In 1928, a Community Chest organization was established in [[Cape Town, South Africa|Cape Town]], [[South Africa]] — the first United Way outside North America.<ref>{{cite book|title=Global Vision & Local Action: The History of United Way International|last=Aft|first=Richard|last2=Aft|first2=Mary Lu|publisher=Philanthropic Leadership|year=2009|isbn=978-0-9676-3822-5|location=Cincinnati, OH|pages=10–11|oclc=673402830}}</ref> 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 in 45 countries and territories outside the US. In May 2009, United Way of America and United Way International were integrated as one global entity, United Way Worldwide. |
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In its first 100 years, the United Way network reached 20 countries. Since 1990, United Ways have been created in 25 additional countries. |
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United Ways |
Across the world, United Ways are led by local volunteers and professional leadership. In communities around the world, the United Way model is to convene local leaders to identify needs and create strategies that allow individuals and families to experience economic and human success through educational achievement, income stability and healthy lives. The historical business model up until 2008 was to provide, assist or promote: |
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* Community needs assessments |
* Community needs assessments |
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* Volunteering<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aft |first=Richard |last2=Aft |first2=Mary Lu |title=Global Vision & Local Action: The History of United Way International |date=2009 |publisher=Philanthropic Leadership |isbn=978-0-9676-3822-5 |location=Cincinnati, OH |oclc=673402830}}</ref> |
* Volunteering<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aft |first=Richard |last2=Aft |first2=Mary Lu |title=Global Vision & Local Action: The History of United Way International |date=2009 |publisher=Philanthropic Leadership |isbn=978-0-9676-3822-5 |location=Cincinnati, OH |oclc=673402830}}</ref> |
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As of |
As of 2018, the United Way network spans 40+ countries and territories.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unitedway.org/|title=United Way Worldwide|website=www.unitedway.org|language=en|access-date=2018-01-15}}</ref> |
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== United Way in France == |
== United Way in France == |
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Revision as of 20:07, 28 November 2018
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United Way Worldwide is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit, topping the list of “America's Favorite Charities” as determined by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The Chronicle’s Sept. 2018 report ranks the 100 charities that Americans are most willing to support. The United Way network is made up of nearly 1,800 autonomous 501c3 organizations, governed and funded locally. The network spans more than 40 countries and territories. In each community, United Way brings people and organizations together to tackle challenges, with a focus on improving education, financial stability and health. United Way serves 61 million people around the globe, fueled by 2.9 million volunteers and 8.3 million donors
History
United Way was founded in Denver, Colorado in 1887, to serve the community by collecting funds for local charities, counseling and referring clients to cooperating agencies, and establishing emergency assistance grants for cases that could not be referred. While the focus of solving community problems hasn't changed, how United Way has driven that changed has evolved quite a bit.
- Early on, United Way mostly funded programs. While the idea of "sowing 1,000 seeds" supported good activities, it diluted impact -- and rarely changed lives.
- By the 1980's, United Way was measuring outcomes. The goal was measurable impact. To ensure dollars made a difference, United Way encouraged agencies getting funding to focus on outcomes, not just activities.
- Over the next two decades, Unite Way began targeting education, financial stability and health to make a more focused impact. Many local united Ways organized programs accordingly, and began to look hard at those issues locally.
- By the mid-2000's, analysis of underlying causes made clear that community challenges were too big to tackle alone. United Way began collaborating with more partners, across a broader cross-section of the community.
- Today, most United Ways are focused on some combination of the above. Some fund programs; some drive community initiatives; and more and more are working to galvanize the community around a common cause, a common vision and a common path forward.
FSG, a social impact consultancy that helps corporate, foundation and NGOs, pointed readers to a white paper a few years ago that lays out the community strategies experts say work best to improve education, financial stability and health and how local United Ways can help people turn those strategies into action. The paper includes perspectives from more than 40 issue experts, including a foreword from FSG’s Mark Kramer, who writes: “These problems are too big for any single organization to solve; too big even for the nonprofit sector to solve without engaging private enterprise and government as partners. There is no single 'silver bullet' that will solve problems of this severity. Instead, a strong cross-sector infrastructure is needed to support collaboration, guide evidence-based decision-making, track community-level outcomes, scan existing resources and identify priority strategies.”
Global expansion
In the mid-1900s, local United Ways founded a national organization, later called United Way of America. In 1928, a Community Chest organization was established in Cape Town, South Africa — the first United Way outside North America.[1] 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 in 45 countries and territories outside the US. In May 2009, United Way of America and United Way International were integrated as one global entity, United Way Worldwide.
Across the world, United Ways are led by local volunteers and professional leadership. In communities around the world, the United Way model is to convene local leaders to identify needs and create strategies that allow individuals and families to experience economic and human success through educational achievement, income stability and healthy lives. The historical business model up until 2008 was to provide, assist or promote:
- Community needs assessments
- Information and referral to human service agencies
- Fostering information exchange and collaboration among service agencies
- Community fundraising campaigns inviting all people to give, and not just the wealthy
- Organizational activities and money managed according to a strategy, a budget, and strict financial controls
- Community planning committees, bringing agencies, donors, city leaders and other groups to a single table to address problems together
- Allocation of funds to carefully investigated agencies, based on the community councils’ strategies
- Volunteering[2]
As of 2018, the United Way network spans 40+ countries and territories.[3]
United Way in France
United Way Tocqueville (UWT) was created in France in 2008 as a non-profit organization, and forms part of the largest private charitable organization in the world, United Way Worldwide. UWT's ambition is to gather together the economic, political and social leaders to initiate collective community efforts to solve social problems.
United Way France mobilizes corporates, volunteers and public institutions around education programs for junior-high school students. Their main actions include:
- Mobilizing volunteers and raising funds to support non-profit organizations and projects
- Bringing together all stakeholders of a community (non-profit organizations, corporations, individuals, donors, elected officials, etc.) around innovative social projects
- Accompanying companies in the development of their social initiatives and the achievement of sustainability
- Raising awareness among people and corporations about the values of mutual aid and local community involvement
United Way France and the Airbus Corporate Foundation launched in 2011 the Flying Challenge Program to support and inspire youth.
Airbus employees and college students tutor middle school and high school students, in order to help them succeed at school and develop their awareness of the importance of their orientation choices and potential career.
United Way New Zealand
United Way New Zealand (UWNZ), officially known as United Way (NZ) Inc., was established in 1975 as the United Way of Greater Auckland. In 1998, the geographic scope of the organization was expanded, and the name was changed to reflect the new national focus.
Response to earthquakes in Chile, Haiti and Japan
United Way's local organization in Chile, along with other United Way organizations throughout Latin America have mobilized to respond to the earthquake that hit Chile on February 27, 2010. They provided support in areas with the most pressing long-term recovery needs.[citation needed]
United Way Worldwide established the United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund,[4] introduced a text-to-give program, and is coordinating the integration of efforts from United Ways around the world. United Way Worldwide has worked with the United States government – the White House, Congress, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and to underscore the vital role of U.S. and international NGOs in Haiti's long-term recovery.[5]
Immediately following the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan, United Way began raising crucial funds needed for the Central Community Chest of Japan, part of the United Way worldwide network. Almost 90 volunteer centers have been set up throughout the country at the prefectural, municipal, district, and community levels. As of March 22, eight consultants and 23 volunteer coordinators have been dispatched to Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate, and Aomori Prefecture, with another 68 coordinators preparing for dispatch. The Central Community Chest of Japan has helped provide supplies to volunteer centers including: bicycles, mattresses, cell phones, and laptops. Additional supplies requested by the volunteer centers include motorbikes, prefab houses and tents, copy and fax machines, PCs and printers.
The Central Community Chest of Japan is collaborating with 43 affiliated non-profit organizations through the Council for Disaster Relief Project for Volunteers. This number is expected to grow rapidly as transportation conditions continue to improve.[6]
See also
- United Way of America
- United Way of Canada
- United Way of Metropolitan Chicago
- United Way New Zealand
- Central Community Chest of Japan
- Fondo Unido I.A.P
- Metro United Way
References
- ^ Aft, Richard; Aft, Mary Lu (2009). Global Vision & Local Action: The History of United Way International. Cincinnati, OH: Philanthropic Leadership. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-0-9676-3822-5. OCLC 673402830.
- ^ Aft, Richard; Aft, Mary Lu (2009). Global Vision & Local Action: The History of United Way International. Cincinnati, OH: Philanthropic Leadership. ISBN 978-0-9676-3822-5. OCLC 673402830.
- ^ "United Way Worldwide". www.unitedway.org. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
- ^ "Live United | Contribute". Retrieved August 21, 2010.
- ^ "United Way Worldwide - Homepage". Retrieved August 21, 2010.
- ^ "Home Page". Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
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