Company Profile
United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area
Company Overview
United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. Our focus is on education, income and health—the building blocks for a good quality of life. United Way recruits people and organizations from all across the community who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done.We invite you to join us. You can give, you can advocate and you can volunteer. That’s what it means to LIVE UNITED!
Company History
The United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area can trace its beginning back to 1941 when it was known as Helena’s Community Chest. Although our community has grown and changed substantially since then, the concept that established the Community Chest remains the same.
A quote from a campaign poster in 1943 describes the Community Chest's method as "one in which the annual drives of various agencies are coordinated into one drive, thus saving time and effort, both for the members and friends of these various agencies as well as for the agencies themselves. It allows the agencies to do what they do best, helping people in need." Their goal was, "to make Helena a better, more humanitarian place to live."
Initially there were twelve agencies represented by the Community Chest. Four of those agencies remain as United Way agencies today. They are: Boy Scouts, YMCA, Florence Crittenton Home and the Salvation Army. The Board of Directors was comprised of twenty-two members and the campaign goal was $25,000.
Throughout the years, change has come to our United Way. In October, 1966 the name was officially changed to the United Givers of the Lewis and Clark County as the Board adopted by-laws and became a formal 501c3 non-profit charitable organization. The name was later changed to United way of the Lewis and Clark Area. The Board has grown to 37 members, the number of agencies has also increased to 33, and the goal of the annual campaign is approximately $750,000. However, much remains constant. The agencies that make up our United Way remain dedicated to: caring for our children, mentoring our youth, assisting low income families to become self-sufficient, helping our senior citizens and residents with disabilities remain active and independent, and responding to individual, family and community emergencies.
Our agenda has also expanded to include: coordinating community services, providing training to our partner agencies staff and boards, and participating in collaborative efforts to solve community problems. All of our Board members, hundreds of United Way volunteers and the generous donors in our community are committed to our tradition of making the greater Helena area a better, healthier place to live.