United Way of Minneapolis.

A United Way typically serves two main functions for private-sector social agencies in a community: planning and fund raising. The need for coordinated efforts in these areas became evident in Minneapolis with the proliferation of social agencies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which resulted in duplication of some types of services while other areas of need were neglected. In 1915 a number of social agency executives took the initiative in forming a Central Council of Social Agencies to provide a means of better coordination. Initially 39 private and eight public agencies were represented.

The War Chest of 1918 represented the first effort at consolidated fund raising. The majority of funds raised by that solicitation were directed to various war-related welfare services, but $700,000 was set aside to support ongoing programs of members of the Council of Social Agencies who agreed not to conduct their own competing fund drives. In 1919 the War Chest was dissolved but the Council repeated the consolidated fund drive, known that year as the Town Tea Kettle and thereafter, from 1920 until 1942, as the Community Fund.

In 1942 another War Chest was formed in response to war-related needs. For the following three years, 1943-46, the Council stopped its Community Chest drive in favor of cooperation with a unified War Chest drive that funded war emergency services and existing community service agencies.

The basic organizational structure remained constant throughout the Council's existence: each member agency was represented by its executive director and a second representative selected by its board of directors. The full Council acted as a sort of delegate assembly which elected a board of directors to manage the organization's affairs. Committees and departments were formed to carry out specific functions, the most important being Planning, Budget and Distribution, and Campaign. Reorganizations in 1948--which changed the name from Community Fund to Community Chest and Council of Hennepin County, Inc.--and in 1951 did not alter this basic structure.

In 1960 the Community Chest and Council was reorganized to become the United Fund of Hennepin County. As a result, the previously independent fund-raising activities of organizations such as the American Red Cross, U.S.O., and United Cerebral Palsy were consolidated into a single federated financing campaign. At the same time, the planning and research activities that had been performed by the Community Welfare Council--a division of the Community Chest and Council--were assumed by a new, separate organization, The Community Health and Welfare Council of Hennepin County. This Council drew its financial support from the United Fund and, in turn, provided the Fund with planning and consultation services. In 1976 the Community Health and Welfare Council was reabsorbed into the newly renamed United Way of Greater Minneapolis, becoming the Planning and Allocations Division of that agency.

For additional information and analysis, researchers are referred to Maynard M. Miller, " A Historical Study of the Planning Structure and Function of the Minneapolis Council of Social Agencies, Inc., now the Community Chest and Council of Hennepin County, Inc. " (Master's Plan B Paper, University of Minnesota School of Social Work, 1959.)

From the guide to the United Way of Minneapolis records, 1915-1983, (bulk 1930-1967), (University of Minnesota Libraries. Social Welfare History Archives [swha])