Facts and Figures

The idea of united fundraising was first demonstrated in Denver Colorado in 1887 and further refined when the first Community Chest was founded in Cleveland Ohio in 1913.  The first United Fund was established in Detroit in 1949 and differed from the chest concept in that was constituted as a givers organization rather than an organization of the participating agencies.  This new United Fund was also different in that it embraced both local and national agencies.

In 1959, the business and labor leaders in our community formally organized our givers organization as the United Way of Greater Saint John.  Since that time we have raised more than 32 million dollars for those in need in our community.  Although we are members of the United Way of Canada and gain strength through association with United Ways in other centers, our agency has full autonomy and is responsible to the members of our community.

Every person who is over the age of nineteen and donates one dollar or more is a member of the United Way and is entitled to attend, speak at the annual meeting, vote at the annual meeting and stand for the office of director.

A group of between 25 to 30 directors are elected each year and charged with the responsibility of running of the United Way.  The board has absolute authority over policy, operating budgets, and the allocation of funds.

Two of the key committees in our structure are the Campaign Committee and the Allocation Committee.

The Campaign Committee team (of which you are a major part of) is responsible for setting the goal for and conducting the annual fund-raising campaign.  From campaign chair to employee canvassers there will be more than two thousand people on this year’s team.

The Allocation Committee is responsible for reviewing the programs, budgets, and financial statements of member agencies.  This committee works to prevent the duplication of services by our agencies and to ensure they are fiscally responsible.

As well as distributing money to member agencies through the allocation process, the 1997 campaign saw the introduction of donor choice.  This program allows United Way supporters to direct all or part of their donation to any registered non-profit in Canada.  The Donor Choice Program was implemented to facilitate easier giving and allows participants to give to a variety of charities through a single gift or a payroll deduction plan.