What is Rogers County United Way?

The United Way System is based on the concept of community volunteerism.  Founded in 1887 by a group of religious and lay leaders, the Charitable League Society of Denver, Colorado was the first such organization in the nation.  The society was formed in an effort to bring about a coordinated efficient way to help people in need.  Over the years these volunteer organizations have been known as Community Chests, Red Feather, United Foundation, etc., but in the early 1970’s most communities adopted the name United Way.  Every local United Way is unique and reflects the needs and concerns of the community it serves.

The Claremore Area United Way was created and governed by volunteers.  In 2003, the name was changed to Rogers County United Way, Inc.  It has an IRS 501© 3 tax-exempt letter, and are registered with the national trade association – United Way of America.  Services received from national association include usage of the United Way logo, national advertising from the NFL advertising television spots, training for volunteers, and research on local human service issues.

Governed by local volunteers, the Rogers County United Way has been building a stronger, more compassionate community.  The Board of Directors represents a cross-section of the community’s leadership.  The Board of Directors makes the decisions about how the local United Way funds shall be disseminated by assessing the community’s human service needs, meeting with service providers to discuss funding requirements, and approves the funding level for the various programs and agencies. 

The Board of Directors is divided into committees, such as the Allocations Committee, which reviews and studies agency financial reports, and submits recommended allocations for each agency to the full Board, making sure that all donations are spent on a legitimate, tax exempt, health and human service entity.  To be considered for United Way funding an agency must be a charitable health and human service organization; fully describe their array of services; demonstrate how they met local needs; and prove their cost-effectiveness and accountability to the community.

A second committee is the Campaign Committee, charged with annually selecting a Campaign Chair to run the campaign.  More recently, a Chair Elect has been chosen to assist the Campaign Chair.  This person will fill in for the Chair when needed, and see how it’s done.  As this position provides a method of learning, the Chair Elect then serves as the Campaign Chair the following year, upon approval of the Board.

Campaign volunteers are chosen by the Campaign Chair – persons who volunteer to dedicate their time and talents to raise the funds needed to reach the yearly goal.  These volunteers make up the committee whose job it is to achieve the goal. 

The Board of Directors meets monthly (or more often if needed) to ensure that the funds raised help people in need in the most effective way possible.  Helping youth learn and develop into healthy productive adults, strengthening families, promoting self-sufficiency and building safer communities are just a few ways that local United Way funds are utilized in Rogers County.