Every year, the National Pancreas Foundation receives gifts from donors across the country who give through their local United Ways. In fact, one of our largest donors each year is United Way of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (www.uwac.org)

People who make gifts to NPF through the United Way receive a note of thanks from us, as well as a copy of our current newsletter. In addition, we update them with important information throughout the year.

The following is a list of United Ways from who we have received gifts. If you live in one of these areas, click on the link to find out more about making a donation to NPF through your UW workplace giving campaign, or directly through your local United Way.

Please note that not all United Ways list NPF as a donor choice. However, at United Ways such as United Way of Massachusetts Bay, you may write in “National Pancreas Foundation” as the agency to whom you designate your gift.

United Way of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, PA) www.uwac.org

United Way of Elkhart County (Elkhart, IN) www.unitedwayec.org

United Way of Massachusetts Bay www.uwmb.org

United Way of New York City www.unitedway.nyc.org

United Way of Northeast Florida www.aboutunitedway.org

United Way of Rhode Island www.uwri.org

United Way of Southern Nevada www.uwaysn.org

United Way of Tri-State (CT, NY, NJ) www.uwts.org

United Way of Washington County (Washington County, MD) www.unitedwaywashcounty.org

Valley of the Sun United Way (AZ) www.vsuw.org

To find a United Way in another area of the U.S. or to find the UW closest to you, please visit:

http://national.unitedway.org/myuw

The following is reprinted from the United Way of Massachusetts Bay’s site:

About the National United Way System

The United Way system includes approximately 1,350 community-based United Way organizations. Each is independent, separately incorporated and governed by local volunteers.

Our experience tells us that the best way to help the most people is to focus on the root causes of a community's most serious problems. It takes the whole community-working together-to pull it off.

As a system, we bring together people from all across the community-people from government, business, faith groups, nonprofits, the labor movement, and ordinary citizens-to tackle the issues that are critical to us all. And we do this by fundraising, going to City Hall, or just getting people to work together.

A brief history

In 1887, a Denver priest, two ministers and a rabbi recognized the need for cooperative action to address their city's welfare problems. They created an organization to serve as an agent to collect funds for local charities, coordinate relief services, refer clients to cooperating agencies, and make emergency assistance grants. That year, Denver raised $21,700 and created a movement that would spread throughout the county to become the United Way.

Also in 1887, Denver religious leaders founded the Charity Organizations Society. This was the first "United Way" organization, which planned and coordinated local services and conducted a single fund-raising campaign for 22 agencies.

Then in 1913, the nation's first modern Community Chest was born in Cleveland, where a program for allocating campaign funds was developed. Community chests would become known for pooling resources to maximize support for a wide range of social issues.

When the original United Way of Massachusetts Bay incorporated in 1935, it was two years into the New Deal. FDR's Fireside Chats emanated over the airways. The Social Security Act was passed. And the Hoover Dam was completed. All were welcomed glimpses into a brighter future. People understood that their obligation was to care for human needs and protect each other from hardships. And to move forward meant to leave no one behind. This was post-depression America. This was our beginning.

Over 118 years after that first United Way was created in Denver, we're still focused on mobilizing the caring power of communities and making a difference in people's lives.