The United Way of Hamblen County supports a community-wide fund raising campaign.

The United Way of Hamblen County Story...

In 1954, as the story goes, two Hamblen County community leaders, one a banker and one a businessman, met for lunch. The banker told the businessman it was time for the annual Heart Fund drive and asked if he would like to make a contribution. The businessman said yes, and wrote the banker a check. Then the businessman remembered the Boy Scouts were having an annual fund drive and asked the banker to make a donation. The banker agreed, and wrote the businessman a check. The two men agreed there must be a better way to meet the needs of all the non-profit agencies. These men, along with other concerned citizens looked for a way to combine these fund raising appeals. They founded The United Way of Hamblen County.

 

United Way
of Hamblen County

 

 

  

Today's United Way of Hamblen County combines all those fund-raising aspects while still remaining completely autonomous and "home grown". United Way's once a year drive meets the needs of 33 agencies in one combined appeal. The United Way office is located at 3780 West Andrew Johnson Hwy. It operates year round, distributing allocated funds, acting as a center for volunteer activities and a resource to volunteers who conduct the yearly campaign. It has a staff of three and it is governed by a 30 member volunteer board of directors.

Because volunteers conduct United Way campaigns, costs are low. Costs of operating the office, paying the staff, and all the costs of fund raising, materials and audit amount to less than 11%.

Volunteers conduct hearings to learn how each United Way agency spends its money. This committee also allocates contributions to each agency. This process ensures strict accountability to each United Way contributor. Every year each agency must submit a detailed budget and answer questions from this committee in order to receive United Way funds. The use of community volunteers to allocate money is called Citizen Review and is a process unique to United Way. The Budget and Allocations committee determines the allocations and decides on a goal for the campaign, which will meet the agencies' needs.