Short answers, pulled from the story.
United Way's roots trace to 1887, when Frances Wisebart Jacobs and four colleagues in Denver, Colorado, formed the Charity Organization Society to coordinate fundraising for 22 agencies. The broader Community Chest model that evolved into United Way took shape when the first Community Chest was founded in 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio.
57% of United Way's donations come through payroll deductions, with an additional 20% from corporate donations.
William Aramony resigned on the 27th of February 1992 amid allegations he had used charity funds for personal expenses, including Concorde flights, $90,000 in limousine service, and a $459,000 condominium in New York City. In April 1995 he was convicted on 23 felony counts including conspiracy and fraud, sentenced to seven years in prison, and served six.
United Way raises funds primarily through workplace campaigns and distributes them to local nonprofits after deducting an administrative fee, which averaged 12.7% in 2002. Donors may designate gifts to specific organizations or causes; undesignated gifts go into a general fund allocated by local volunteer committees. About a quarter of US donations are currently designated.
Angela F. Williams became CEO of United Way Worldwide on the 15th of October 2021. She is the first female and African-American to hold the position, and previously served as CEO of Easter Seals and as executive vice president and general counsel of YMCA of the USA.
The United Way of Atlanta created the first 2-1-1 information and referral service in 1997 to help people find programs such as homeless shelters, tax preparation help, and rent assistance. The FCC granted the 2-1-1 three-digit code in 2000, and by 2005 the service reached all or part of 32 states and Washington, D.C., covering nearly half the US population.