“Alive and United” The United Way and M&F Bank story

December 24th, 2008

In 1887, in Denver, Colorado, religious leaders founded the Charity Organization Society, the first “United Way” organization that planned and coordinated local services by conducting a single fund-raising campaign for 22 agencies. The first fund-raising campaign in 1888 rose over $21,000.

Years later in 1913, the nation’s first Community Chest was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where a program for allocating funds was developed. The name Community Chest was widely used for United Way organizations until the 1950s. Executives from 12 fund-raising federations met in Chicago and formed the American Association for Community Organizations (AACO) in 1918. This organization was the predecessor to the United Way of America. Between 1919 and 1929, the number of Community Chest organizations rose from 39 to 353. By 1948 more than 1,000 communities had United Way organizations.

The number of United Way organizations continued to grow and in 1973, United Way of America established a partnership with the NFL to increase public awareness. In 1974, United Way International was formed to help nations around the world form United Way-type organizations and United Ways across America broke a fund raising record, raising more than $1 billion dollars.
In 1994, United Way of America was selected by Financial World magazine as the charity of choice for its leadership in not-for-profit ethics and accountability. The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games selected the United Way of America and the United Way system as the primary provider of community support and volunteer services for the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay.

In 1996, Triangle United Way was born out of the consolidation of the United Ways of Durham, Wake and Orange counties. United Way of America and the United Way system were asked by the President’s Summit for America’s Future to join with them in selecting delegates from more than 140 cities to take part in the Summit. United Way remains a leader in marshaling resources to support community needs nation-wide.

Even though the Triangle United Way organization was a thriving force in almost every community it still needed financial backing. With this growing need of financial stability a group of accomplished African American leaders in Durham, North Carolina answered. One hundred years later, employees at Mechanics and Farmers Bank are still dedicated, involved, and unfaltering in their support of the Triangle United Way and its involvement in the local African American community.

Thrilled as they were, they did not stop there, in 1999 the Triangle United Way founded the African American Leadership Initiative (AALI) to help engage, connect, and recognize philanthropic support from African American leaders across Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties. Mechanics and Farmers employees have been involved in AALI ever since, and the number of supporters within the company continues to grow. Thanks to the dedication and passion of President and CEO, Kim Saunders, and Campaign Leader, Soberina Traywick, M&F had eleven AALI members contributing over $14,000 to United Way Partner Agencies and local nonprofits in the 2007 campaign. Furthermore, Mechanics and Farmers also supports employee Queron Smith in his role as co-Chair of the Triangle-wide African American Leadership Initiative. The bank’s mission is a commitment to promoting personal and community development, and they are leading by example every day.

United Way is a national network of nearly 1,300 local organizations…doing their part, are you doing yours?

For more information or to get involved visit www.liveunited.org.

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