About Us

Our Mission

The mission of United Way of the Capital Region is to improve lives in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties by identifying the most pressing community needs, finding solutions to those needs, and demonstrating how these solutions are making a difference.

Our Core Values

Impact – We think and act strategically to focus on results.

Stewardship – We are accountable and transparent with the resources entrusted to us and operate in an exemplary manner.

Compassion – We care passionately about our mission, each other and the diverse community we serve.

Leadership – We champion the needs of our community by inspiring and motivating others to action.

We LIVE UNITED because we believe that together, we can accomplish more.

Diversity Statement

United Way of the Capital Region is an equal opportunity employer committed to the principle of diversity with both our employees and volunteers. We therefore:

Value diversity in all aspects of United Way of the Capital Region activities and respect others without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin or ancestry, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or status as a qualified disabled or physically challenged individual.
Support affirmative action and equal employment opportunity.
Refuse to engage in or tolerate any other form of discrimination or harassment.

Our History

Since 1921, our neighbors and friends living in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties have relied on the services and support of United Way of the Capital Region. From the beginning, United Way has been changing lives and addressing our community’s most pressing needs. While our methods have evolved, one thing remains constant: our commitment to helping those who need it most. This is how we LIVE UNITED.

What follows is an overview of our work by decade.

1920s

In 1921 the Harrisburg Welfare Federation (HWF) was created. The first campaign raised $246,899 from approximately 11,000 donors for 21 member agencies. Gifts ranged in size from 10 cents to $4,500. Requests from agencies included funds to purchase coal to heat a nursing home and money for Girl Scouts to buy camping equipment. Also that year, a housing committee was formed to bring together public and private leaders to deal with the poor housing conditions in the City of Harrisburg.

1930s

Between 1930 and 1931 more than 1,000 additional families requested assistance from the HWF, bringing the total number of families served to 1,900. In 1933, during a time of great financial hardship in our country, the HWF fell short of its campaign goal of $229,929, raising $196,896. The Federation asked agencies to accept a ten percent reduction in their allocation of funds. In 1936, the HWF collaborated with other groups to form the Council of Social Agencies, an organization created to study social needs.

1940s

War relief efforts served as the focus for most agencies during the first several years of the decade. Due to the confusion generated by large scale public welfare programs, the HWF changed its name to the Community Chest sometime between 1941 and 1942. By the end of the decade, the Community Chest increased its focus on the well-being of children and families.

1950s

Throughout the 1950s, many community leaders in the Capital Region were concerned about the multiplicity of local campaigns. In response, the Community Chest changed its name to the Tri-County United Fund in 1955.

1960s

More and more agencies applied to join the Tri-County United Fund network during the 1960s. Many agencies, struggling to meet the demands of increased need, began holding their own fundraising campaigns.

1970s

In June, 1972, Hurricane Agnes ravaged the Capital Region. The Tri-County United Fund responded with both volunteers and financial support. Volunteers provided emergency housing and food, counseling for flood victims and assistance with clean up efforts. The organization launched the Flood Restoration Fund Drive and raised $250,000 to help repair agencies impacted by the flood. In 1975, the Tri-County United Fund and the Council for Human Services merged to better serve the needs of the community. Later that year, the organization became the Tri-County United Way.

1980s

With the help of a $1,000 grant from the Greater Harrisburg Foundation (Foundation for Enhancing Communities), the Tri-County United Way completed a strategic plan in 1982 to guide the organization’s work over the next five years. Between 1987 and 1988, the organization adopted a policy on AIDS, the first such policy developed nationally by a local United Way. The policy encouraged participating agencies to provide information, education, advocacy programs and services to those diagnosed with AIDS and their families. In 1989, the Tri-County United Way was renamed United Way of the Capital Region.

1990s

Issues surrounding housing had a significant impact on the Capital Region during the 1990s. To help meet this need, United Way of the Capital Region became involved in every phase of the homeless cycle to include emergency, domestic violence and natural disaster shelter, transitional housing and long-term, affordable housing. During the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991), United Way of the Capital Region established a telephone hotline to help families of military personnel secure food, clothing and counseling. The program was extended to displaced workers when plants closed and workers were laid-off as a result of the War. In 1996, after a flood devastated the Capital Region, United Way brought together service providers to ensure a coordinated response to the emergency. United Way funded agencies went above and beyond traditional services to meet the needs in our community brought on by this natural disaster. Also in 1996, United Way of the Capital Region launched its “Success by 6” program to help all children be prepared to enter school at age 6. The program was renamed the Early Childhood Initiative in 1999. In the final years of the decade, United Way of the Capital Region redesigned its fund distribution system to provide funding to programs not agencies.

2000s

In March of 2000, United Way’s headquarters at One United Way in Harrisburg was destroyed by fire. United Way moved into temporary housing in Harrisburg and sold the building. In 2002, United Way of the Capital Region's current headquarters opened in Enola.

In response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, United Way established a special fund for victims and their families. Members of our community donated more than $400,000 to the fund.

In 2003, United Way of the Capital Region began a three-year transition from an annual fundraiser to an organization with a measurable impact in the community. United Way created Focused Care Councils in 2004 to address five areas of critical need in our community: children and youth, families and seniors, disease and disabilities, emergency food and shelter, and strong and safe communities.

In 2006, United Way of the Capital Region conducted a comprehensive survey of housing in Perry County, which showed a significant lack of affordable housing in this area. As a result of this study, the Perry County Housing Partnership Board was formed, and received its non-profit status with the help of United Way.

In 2007, United Way completed the Capital Region’s first comprehensive study of the needs and assets of the Latino community. Study responders cited several problems to include lack of formal information sharing, no one organization to fully unify the Latino community, and the need for educational opportunities for youth and improved employment and training programs. To help find solutions to the issues, United Way of the Capital Region distributed grants for services to the Latino community.

During much of 2008 and 2009 the challenges of a tough economy hit the Capital Region. United Way of the Capital Region program partners reported a substantial increase in demand for services. To help the community, United Way launched a Basic Needs Fund campaign and raised more than $60,000 for program partners struggling to provide basic necessities to those in need. Despite the challenging economy, United Way of the Capital Region reached a milestone in 2008 by raising more than $10 million to help the community.

Recent Years

In 2012, United Way of the Capital Region consolidated their five focus care areas into three – health, education and basic needs, aligning more closely with those of United Way Worldwide.

In 2014, United Way added another area of focus – income – because health, education, income and basic needs are the building blocks for a better life for us all. United Way also announced a new strategic direction to guide its future work. Using the collective impact model, United Way convened businesses, schools, places of worship, foundations, government, non-profit organizations to find new and different ways to address challenges facing our community and develop lasting solutions. United Way then conducted an assessment of community needs. "Life in the Capital Region: 2014 Assessment of Our Community" examined the changing demographics and health and human service needs through the lens of health, education, income and basic needs.

In 2015, after reviewing the findings of the 2014 community assessment, United Way of the Capital Region's board of directors identified and approved the following critical areas of focus to drive our work over the coming years:

Education – Disparities in school readiness and school achievement.
Health – Lack of access to health care.
Income – Children and families living in poverty.
Basic Needs – Increase in the number of families needing safety net services.

Throughout 2015 and 2016, our United Way convened expert community task forces to help create potential solutions and strategies around these pressing issues. Task force members were nonbiased experts with working knowledge of proven “best practices” to address the root causes of issues. United Way also held community conversations to get input from residents in our area.

In 2017, United Way launched three new community pilot projects. Our goal is to move the needle on access to health care, school readiness and workforce development, while continuing to support basic needs services. While the projects have started out small, they are scalable to ensure they can grow to serve rural, suburban and urban parts of our community. At the same time we focus on the pilot projects, our United Way continues to support the work of our program partners. We remain a community fundraiser and a place where volunteers can connect with local opportunities.

Initiatives:

Serving Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties in Central Pennsylvania.