United Way of New York City has deep roots in our community, working to empower our most-vulnerable neighbors—and has been doing so since its inception in 1938. The Great Depression was nearing the end, a glimmer of hope was in the air, but so many were struggling. It was then that Rockefeller rallied the titans of industry—Vanderbuilt, Morgan, and Carnegie— to come together and change what it meant to be a New Yorker. They founded an organization that would collect funds and distribute them to local charities, coordinate relief efforts, refer people to agencies and programs who could support them, and provide emergency assistance while individuals and families worked to regain stability after such economic devastation. And so began the organization that today we know as United Way of New York City.
Today, our organization is still creating solutions for our City’s toughest challenges, but in a more innovative, efficient, and effective way. And over the past eighty plus years, we’ve grown from being more than just a fundraising entity, to become a leader in collaboration, capacity building, and systems change. And while funding is critical to fuel our mission, we measure success not in the dollars we raise, but in the lives we impact.
A lot has changed over the years, but the message of our work remains the same. As Franklin D. Roosevelt expressed in regards to the initiation of our organization, “I am so glad that in your great cosmopolitan city, men and women of all races, all creeds, and all faiths have joined in a common effort for the good of all.”—Herald Tribune, May 1938
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https://unitedwaynyc.org/
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