Philanthropy: United Way
In 1887, a Denver woman, a priest, two ministers and a rabbi recognized the need for cooperative action to address their city’s welfare problems. Frances Wisebart Jacobs, the Rev. Myron W. Reed, Msgr. William J.O’Ryan, Dean H. Martyn Hart and Rabbi William S. Friedman put their heads together to 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 country to become the United Way. More than 125 years later, United Way is still focused on mobilizing the caring power of communities and making a difference in people’s lives.
Vision
United Way envisions a world where all individuals and families achieve their human potential through education, income stability and healthy lives.
Mission
United Way improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good.
Goals
• Improve education, and cut the number of high school dropouts — 1.2 million students, every year — in half.
• Help people achieve financial stability, and get 1.9 million working families — half the number of lower-income families who are financially unstable — on the road to economic independence.
• Promote healthy lives, and increase by one-third the number of youth and adults who are healthy and avoid risky behaviors.
Our goals are ambitious, but with your help, and by utilizing our core strengths — a national network, committed partners and public engagement capacity — we can achieve them.
Vision
United Way envisions a world where all individuals and families achieve their human potential through education, income stability and healthy lives.
Mission
United Way improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good.
Goals
• Improve education, and cut the number of high school dropouts — 1.2 million students, every year — in half.
• Help people achieve financial stability, and get 1.9 million working families — half the number of lower-income families who are financially unstable — on the road to economic independence.
• Promote healthy lives, and increase by one-third the number of youth and adults who are healthy and avoid risky behaviors.
Our goals are ambitious, but with your help, and by utilizing our core strengths — a national network, committed partners and public engagement capacity — we can achieve them.