Centre County United Way

OUR MISSION The mission of the Centre County United Way is to improve lives by prioritizing needs and mobilizing human and financial resources to positively impact the education, financial stability and physical emotional health of our neighbors. WHAT WE DO We create opportunities for a better life for everyone in Centre County by raising money in an annual fundraising campaign to invest in programs available to Centre County residents. We are all connected and interdependent; the idea that we all win when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable and when people are healthy. It is less about helping one person at a time and more about making sure the systems are in place to help everyone in Centre County. We are committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment. We maintain an environment free of discrimination, including harassment. We prohibit discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, gender expression, gender identity, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. HOW WE DO IT We focus on the basic things that we all need for a good life: education, food, shelter, income, good health and a strong support system. We research the needs of our community, bring the right people and ideas together, leverage contributions collected from the community, and invest in programs that have proven results. Our funding model ensures collaboration, efficiency and accountability. Why It’s Important One single agency can not solve our community’s problems alone, especially in these tough economic times. That is why Centre County United Way is so important. By working together, united, we are providing individuals and families with support for food, utilities, shelter, counseling, child care, medical care and a long list of vital services that make a vast safety net for our community. What Can You Do Become a part of it. Live United. You can volunteer, you can advocate and you can invest in our community by giving to Centre County United Way. However you choose to give, you can inspire hope and create opportunities for a better tomorrow. Process Centre County United Way is a volunteer-driven organization. The core of our support is workplace, corporate and individual giving. Our funds are distributed via a systematic review process involving dozens of trained, local volunteers who evaluate funded programs for fiscal stewardship and the attainment of targeted program outcomes. We prioritize community need through strong connections with community leaders, service providers and service recipients throughout the county. We review and implement recommendations from needs assessments conducted by community collaboratives -- and we often lead the charge in the establishment and work of those collaboratives.