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Who We Are

United Way of Greater St. Louis mobilizes the community with one goal in mind - helping people live their best possible lives.

Mobilizing Donors & Volunteers

It takes just a single person to initiate change. United Way connects people with causes close to their hearts and inspires them to roll up their sleeves in their community.

Mobilizing Organizations

United Way convenes and collaborates with organizations across sectors to surround our community's most critical problems. Because no one can solve them alone.

Mobilizing Companies

Local businesses are the economic engine for our community. United Way helps them leverage their people and resources to connect to causes that are important to them.

Our Core Values

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

We value and are committed to the richness of diversity in all aspects of our organization, our partners and those we serve. Our internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee continues to develop strategies that recognize diverse experiences in the workplace, advise staff leadership to create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable work environment and evaluate our progress.

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Our History

 

United Way was formed in 1887 when a Denver priest, two ministers and a rabbi recognized the need for cooperative action to address their city’s welfare problems. The first campaign raised $21,700 for 22 nonprofits.

 

United Way of Greater St. Louis began in 1922 as the Community Fund, organized by volunteers to raise money to help operate 40 charities.

 

By the 1950s, more than 1,000 communities across the U.S. and Canada had established United Ways. In 1974, United Ways raised nearly $1.04 billion, marking the first time in history that a single organization raised more than $1 billion in an annual campaign. Over its long history, United Way has helped with everything from the Persian Gulf War to the Olympic torch relay to the President’s Summit for America’s Future. It’s won awards, such as the Charity of Choice from Financial World magazine. Across the country, United Ways now raise more than $4 billion annually.

 

Today, through United Way’s local partnership with nonprofits, as well as programs and services such as United Way 2-1-1, STLVolunteer, and others, we are able to create a stronger, healthier and more equitable region.