History

 

“The winter of 1887 was particularly cold and hard in Denver, Colorado. The silver mines had closed and people wandered the streets hungry and homeless. Clergy from the four largest parishes responded to the plight of the needy by seeking help from merchants and businesses. They discovered very quickly that the men of the cloth were in competition with each other as they made their calls. So they decided to join forces and make a united request to anyone who might be in a position to offer some assistance to the less fortunate. Together they would seek what aid they could and together they would share it amongst their parishioners. In those humble beginnings in Denver, Colorado in 1887, the first United Way was born.”

The Cadith Chronicle – Volume 1, Issue 2 – August 1993.

 

The United Way - Centraide Movement was born out of a “community collective” philosophy which began in Denver in 1887 and spread to Canada prior to the 1920s. This was a turbulent time in world history. Canada was enmeshed in the Great War to end all wars and the first threads of our social safety net were still almost 30 years away.  Individuals and families were reliant upon their own ingenuity and the generosity of their neighbours and community.  It is in this environment that United Way – Centraide first emerged.  In 1917 in Montreal and Toronto, charities started community collectives similar to the one in Denver to raise funds to strengthen their communities. 

 

Additional community collectives sprang up across Canada over time.  Known originally as Red Feather, Community Chest and the United Appeal, it was not until the 1970s that these organizations took the name of United Way and Centraide (in 1973 and 1975 respectively).  Today, there are 120 United Ways – Centraides across Canada, with a presence from coast to coast to coast in ten provinces and two territories. A national office was first established in 1939.   United Way of Canada - Centraide Canada provides a national voice for the United Way – Centraide Movement as well as leadership and support to its 120 members.

Similar movements flourished in the United States and internationally. Though United Ways operate independently, the community collective philosophy remains a common feature. In the United States, there are over 1,400 local United Way organizations, members of United Way of America. Visit www.unitedway.org. Around the world, there are over 250 community-based fundraising organizations affiliated with United Way International.  Visit www.unitedwayinternational.org.

In the 20th century, United Way – Centraide gained a reputation as a premier umbrella fundraiser and became particularly active in workplaces due to a partnership with the Canadian Labour Congress and agreements with corporations and all orders of government. Each year, millions of dollars have been raised and reinvested in communities through funding of voluntary, not-for-profit, human and social service organizations.

 

The Shift to Community Impact through Community Building

With the start of the new millennium, United Ways – Centraides recognized that community needs were far outstripping the millions of dollars they were able to raise. It was an impetus for them to develop innovative ways of making a difference in their communities. Thus, in 2003, the United Way - Centraide Movement underwent a significant shift in direction. That year, United Ways – Centraides adopted their new mission, aspiration, and values which expanded their role beyond fundraising to community building, with the goal of achieving community impact.

 

What evolved is an approach to community building that builds upon the strengths of communities and of United Ways – Centraides.  It brings together a broad cross section of society around identifying, tracking and addressing community issues, to raise and leverage funds, engage individuals through volunteering and mobilize communities into action.  Integral to our community building efforts is the belief that all communities have assets which need to be identified and built upon and societal issues must be dealt with holistically and at their root.