United Way of Central New York
From the Archives
See a photo gallery of press clippings from United Way of Central New York's rich past here.

A rich past
Significant dates in United Way of Central New York's history.

1917 – Syracuse Mayor Walter R. Stone and local business leaders organize a “War Chest” campaign effort to benefit local charities and efforts of the American Red Cross overseas. The effort is wildly successful: raising more than $1.1 million, with a goal of $600,000.

1918 – The effort, now unofficially known as the Community Chest, raises more than $2 million, becoming an annual event.

1921 – The Syracuse Community Chest is incorporated as a 501(c)3.

1922 – The first official Community Chest campaign kicks off in Hanover Square, with the first dollar donated by the mayor.

1928 – The Community Chest goal is set at $626,321.

1930 – Irene Farnham Conrad is named the first female managing agent of the Community Chest.

1931 – The Syracuse Community Chest merges with the Syracuse Welfare Council, to be known as the Syracuse Community Chest and Council.

1934 – Five Syracusans are personally invited by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to attend the Mobilization for Human Needs Conference, which will launch nearly 400 Community Chest drives throughout the country.

1937 – The Community Chest goal is set at $450,000.

1941 – The Boy Next Door Community Chest documentary film made by Bill Stanmyre of Syracuse premieres as the curtain-raiser for the CC-USO Campaign.

1942 – The Community Chest reunites with the War Chest for WWII support efforts.

1949 – The campaign goal is $1,293,875.

1953 – The campaign goal is $1,746,214.

1958 – The campaign goal is raised to $2,715,635.

1967 – A Community Chest report finds a lack of equal opportunity in education and employment, and an inadequate public welfare system. The report stresses the need for a coordinated planning agency.

1972 – The Community Chest changes its name to United Way of Central New York.

1975 – The campaign goal is raised to $4 million.

1977 – Harry Honan, former executive director of Catholic Charities, is appointed director of United Way.

1981 – United Way reaches its goal of $6,350,000.

1983 – United Way sets its most ambitious goal yet -- $7 million – and raises $6,609,650.

1989 – United Way exceeds its $8.3 million goal by nearly $18,000.

1996 – United Way sets a new record for growth, raising $8.74 million. The organization moves to its present location at 518 James St., Syracuse.

2003 – Frank Lazarski is named president of United Way.

2006 – United Way sets a goal of $9.5 million.

 

 

   
Our History

What began during World War I as one of the community’s first large-scale charitable campaigns has grown into the single largest annual fundraising effort in Central New York.

Each year:

  • United Way-funded programs touch the lives of more than 1 in 4 Central New Yorkers – our friends, families, neighbors and coworkers.
  • More than 600 companies work with United Way to run charitable campaigns in their workplaces.
  • More than 40,000 donors generously give their hard-earned dollars.

“When you consider the number of people, companies and local organizations that have come together over the decades to help make United Way’s work possible, it’s very humbling,” said Frank Lazarski, president, United Way of Central New York. “To the many hundreds of companies, and many thousands of volunteers and donors that have supported us over these many years, we thank you.”

Our Beginnings
On June 18, 1917, Syracuse Mayor Walter R. Stone invited 100 local business leaders to meet with him at City Hall to consider a “war plan.”


A 1918 ribbon for the War Chest campaign in Syracuse.

The mayor explained his plan to establish a War Chest that would raise $600,000 in charitable giving. Half of the funds would go to charitable work in Syracuse; the other half for use nationally and overseas.

A team of more than 400 speakers spoke on behalf of the effort at schools, businesses and nonprofits. A huge War Chest was carried on a truck during the kickoff parade and throughout the campaign, with two more chests being displayed in downtown Syracuse.

On July 3, it was announced that $1,118,730 was pledged -- $518,730 over the goal. Three years later, on Nov. 12, 1921, the Syracuse Community Chest, Inc. was incorporated, and the Community Chest became United Way of Central New York in 1972.
Since that first effort, the Community Chest (and later United Way) campaign has become an annual community event, thanks to hundreds of campaign volunteers at local businesses that donate their time to make each campaign a success, and many thousands of loyal donors.

Our History Together
Over the decades, our community has gone through many changes. In many areas of need our human-service community’s work is more successful now than ever before.

Our current network of food pantries and soup kitchens is nothing short of exceptional, rescuing millions of pounds of fresh, nutritious food that would otherwise be thrown away by restaurants and grocers and distributing it across the county. More services are available for at-risk families, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, the homeless, low-income families in need of legal assistance, and people suffering from disabilities and mental illness.

Many families continue to face challenges finding safe and affordable childcare, and early childhood education has become an area of focus over the past decade. Moving forward, a renewed focus must be placed on services for senior citizens as the area’s population ages.

But as our needs have changed, United Way has continued to be a leader in problem solving, inspiring collaboration to help improve the way we take care of our community’s most pressing needs. Our network of services continues to address those needs in the most meaninful and successful ways, and we continue to excel in stewardship of donor dollars.
The United Way sets a lofty campaign goal of $4.321 million.

We are proud to partner with you to help make our community a more caring place to live, and we invite you to join us in the coming months, as we explore our history together, take a look at where we are today, and how we can take the steps to ensure that we will live in a more caring community tomorrow.  Thank you for Living United.

 
 
   
COPYRIGHT 2012, UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL NEW YORK
518 James St., P.O. Box 2129, Syracuse, NY 13220 :: Phone: 315-428-2211 :: Fax: 315-428-2227 :: Contact Us