Everyone deserves opportunities to have a good life: a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family through retirement, and good health.

That’s why United Way’s work is focused on the building blocks for a good life:

• Education – Helping Children and Youth Achieve Their Potential
• Income – Promoting Financial Stability and Independence
• Health – Improving People’s Health

Advancing the common good is less about helping one person at a time and more about changing systems to help all of us. We are all connected and interdependent. We all win when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable, when people are healthy.

United Way’s goal is to create long-lasting changes by addressing the underlying causes of these problems. Living united means being a part of the change. It takes everyone in the community working together to create a brighter future. Give. Advocate. Volunteer. LIVE UNITED

The organization has roots in Denver, Colorado, where in 1887 Frances Wisebart Jacobs, along with other religious leaders, began the Charity Organization Society, which coordinated services between Jewish and Christian charities and fundraising for 22 agencies.^[2] Many Community Chest organizations, which were founded in the first half of the twentieth century to jointly collect and allocate money, joined the American Association for Community Organizations in 1918. The first Community Chest was founded in 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio,^[3] after the example of the Jewish Federation in Cleveland—which served as an exemplary model for "federated giving". The number of Community Chest organizations increased from 39 to 353 between 1919 and 1929 and surpassed 1,000 by 1948. In 1948, Walter C. Laidlaw merged the Community Chest and other Detroit charities to form the United Foundation.^[4] Walter Laidlaw's work with the United Foundation became the model for united funds nationally and eventually the United Way organization.

In 1928, a Community Chest organization was established in Cape Town, South Africa. (In 2015, continued neglect by United Way Worldwide, including legal and financial scandals, has led to no active United Way presence in the country and completely severed ties with Community Chest). By 1974, there were enough United Way organizations internationally to demand the kind of support provided by the national organization, United Way of America and United Way International was born (later these organizations were joined together and renamed to United Way Worldwide). Its staff spoke eight languages, with a Board of Directors from more than seven countries, working with member organizations. Amundsen, Chief Administrative Officer, served as interim president during a yearlong search.

By 1963, and after several name changes, the term United Way was adopted, but not everyone chose to use it. After Walter C. Laidlaw fell ill, William Aramony became CEO of the national governing body known as the United Community Funds and Council of America (UCFCA) and in 1970 the organization was renamed United Way of America (UWA). It moved from New York City to Alexandria, Virginia in 1971.

In May 2009, United Way of America and United Way International were integrated as one global entity, United Way Worldwide.

United Way of Scott County is dedicated to supporting an inclusive culture amongst the entire workforce. We are open to diversity and will not allow discrimination in the workplace. We aim to ensure that all employees and job applicants are given equal opportunity. We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. All employees, no matter whether they are part-time, full-time, or temporary, will be treated fairly and with respect. When selecting candidates for employment, promotion, training, or any other benefit, it will be based on their aptitude and ability. All employees will be given help and encouragement to develop their full potential and utilize their unique talents. Therefore, the skills and resources of our organization will be fully utilized, and we will maximize the efficiency of our entire workforce.