United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region
Mission
UWFH’s mission is to work in partnership with our community to identify and address our region's most pressing issues. We inspire and engage individuals and organizations to invest together in overcoming those challenges.
Vision
Our vision is that all individuals and families have equitable access to the tools and resources to support their basic needs and ensure future successes. In doing so, we build a strong, vibrant, and inclusive community.
Values
Equity: We understand and acknowledge that we live in a world with systemic racism, economic disparities, and other forms of intersectional disadvantages. We are committed to addressing those inequities at the organizational and individual level
Human Dignity: We treat all people respectfully and operate in ways that celebrate everyone’s humanity.
Collaboration: We work collaboratively with each other, our partners, and our communities to make the most of our combined resources
Accountability: We hold ourselves accountable to high ethical, administrative, programmatic, and fiscal standards
Curiosity & Learning: We strive to ask questions rather than make judgements. We are committed to learning from our successes and our mistakes.
About
UWFH is the only flexible funding and convening organization specifically attuned to the needs of Franklin and Hampshire Counties and the North Quabbin Region. We provide general operating support to 64 programs of nonprofit agencies tackling the greatest needs of our community. Giving through UWFH allows donors to take a holistic approach to addressing the needs of our community by letting them invest a single gift into multiple programs working on different parts of the same problem. This increases the probability of real change. We use a volunteer-led process called community investment to evaluate the greatest needs of our region. We then invest in the best strategies and solutions to meet those needs.
UWFH runs the only diaper bank in our region. We provide over 100,000 diapers, pull-ups and wipes a year to 15 local pantries, family programs and doctor’s offices. Our Read!Learn!Succeed! program distributes thousands of new books every school year to early education students across Franklin and Hampshire Counties. Additionally, we run multiple drives throughout the course of the year for basic needs items, like food and backpacks, for children and families in our region.
UWFH is an independent local nonprofit organization serving Hampshire and Franklin Counties and the North Quabbin Region. We are governed by an independent board, of no less than 18 individuals, who represent key stakeholders across both counties including representatives from local businesses, community banks, government, healthcare, the nonprofit sector, and colleges and universities. As part of UWFH’s commitment to accountability and collaboration we have 7 standing committees who oversee the organization: Executive, Governance, Finance, Audit, Community Investment, Campaign and JEDIB (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging). UWFH has very low staffing costs and the day-to-day operations are run by a team of 4 full time, and 2 part time, employees.
Our funding comes primarily from a combination of workplace giving, both via employees of local businesses and corporate support, and gifts from individuals in our community. We do receive some foundation support and funding from the state for our diaper program. We also act as the local administrator for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which directs funding from FEMA to local nonprofit shelters, pantries and feeding programs.
We are a licensed affiliate of the United Way Worldwide, with rights to logo use, access to certain software and promotional materials, and are required to observe the United Way’s Code of Ethics and strict non-discrimination code. UWFH pays to UWW each year a licensing fee equal to 1% of the net proceeds of each year’s campaign revenue.