United By Common Goals

There is a difference between United Way and United Way of Central Florida. It's subtle and it's huge, all at the same time. And it all has to do with governance.

The United Way is a network of local United Ways around the globe. As a local United Way, UWCF pays membership dues to United Way Worldwide and agrees to meet certain standards of excellence. We also share common goals, and we have access to their research, imagery, brand usage, and knowledge base so that we are always up to date on best practices.

That said, United Way Worldwide is not responsible for how we run UWCF. Our local board of directors makes the decisions about the way we operate, create our long-range plan, and guide the implementation of our mission, which they also determined. We focus on making measurable changes in education, income, and health, which is similar to other UWs around the world. However, where some may focus on eliminating hunger or increasing high school graduation rates, our local board and volunteers have decided we can do the most good improving early childhood education, helping people learn to stabilize family incomes, and getting people to take responsibility for their health. To top it off, all of the money that we raise here, stays here. We do not have programs outside of Polk, Highlands, or Hardee counties, let alone in international locations. Each local United Way supports programs within its own community.

Still a little confused? Think of a local school board. Standards come from the Florida Board of Education and the US Department of Education. The local school board, however, determines what curricula it will teach to meet those standards and which programs have the best impact on the students. It's the same with us. United Way Worldwide provides the guidance that helps us be the best local United Way that we can be, but at the end of the day, we are our own entity, and we determine how we LIVE UNITED.