About Us

Our Mission Statement:

"To inspire, unite, and empower the people of Adams County to reach their full human potential."

YOU are United Way

For 86 years, United Way of Adams County has addressed issues in our community. In 2013 United Way started addressing the three most critical areas we face: education, financial stability, and healthy living in children and adults. Under the guidance of the Community Building Council and the leadership delegation, three community initiatives were launched with seed funding provided by United Way.
 
The response to this new work has been exciting. Each of these initiatives has attracted volunteers, partnering organizations and resources. But most importantly, we’ve seen a surge of engagement – people are committed to making change happen in our community. United Way is proud to serve as the pillar organization for this work.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

Equity is the foundation of our work, from our investment of community resources to our interactions with the public.  We define equity as the presence of justice and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems.  We commit to equality as a core value and practice to advance our mission of connecting people, resources, and organizations to create a thriving community for everyone.  Our mission compels us to prioritize historically marginalized and systematically excluded people.  It is necessary to focus on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, as well as other intersectional identities, to end the historical, social and systematic inequalities that exist in our county.
 
United Way of Adams County, Inc. recognizes the value of inclusiveness by encouraging the full participation of all individuals in fulfilling its mission of mobilizing people in our community to care for one another. United Way of Adams County, Inc. recognizes the strengths of a diverse society of different individuals, cultures and perspectives whose knowledge, skills and talents enrich us as a people. United Way of Adams County, Inc. encourages inclusion of diverse members of our community in its operations and decision-making.
 
- Originally adopted by the Board of Directors on December 18, 2001
- Reviewed by the Board of Directors on March 25, 2021
United Way of Adams County cares deeply about the trust our donors place in us. That's why our Board of Directors is considering adopting a Donor Privacy Policy. This policy puts into writing what we have practiced for many years. We believe this policy strongly aligns with our core values of Leadership, Partnership, Responsiveness, Integrity and Good Governance. 
 
Here's some important highlights from our donor privacy policy.
  • We will never trade, share or sell donor personal data. We never have, and we never will.
  • United Way employees are required to sign a confidentiality statement as a condition of employment.
  • Designations: If a donor chooses to direct a portion of their donation to another United Way or agency, we provide your name, address, employer, and designation amount to the organization receiving your donation. Designation information will not be shared with the donor’s employer. Donors have the option to remain anonymous when making their donation.
  • We publish the names of Leadership donors (gifts of $500 or more) in our Annual Report. Donors may opt out at any time by contacting us or by ticking the box on their pledge form.
For more information or questions, contact Amanda Goings, Director of Administration at 217-222-5020.
It’s clear United Way is well on the way to shifting from a transaction based organization – raising and allocating funds, to an action-oriented, results driven model focused on mobilizing the people with the passion, expertise and resources to get things done. Our number of volunteers has surged along with financial support and new partnerships. The annual campaign yielded a record level of giving and the amount of grants, commitments to initiatives and in-kind support has exceeded our expectations.
 
United Way’s success is due to people who are passionate about this community. Thanks to our partners and stakeholders who give their time, talent and resources to get things done. We are blessed with a talented and dedicated staff, a committed board of directors and a community full of energized volunteers who truly LIVE UNITED. We are proud of the work and grateful for the engagement and support of so many in our community.