Statements
Mission
We unite the community and mobilize resources so that every child, individual and family thrives.
Background
In 1922, coordinating fundraising in Nashville gained support during World War I with the success of the War Chest Campaign. After the war, four men continued this successful concept to support local health and human services as the Community Chest. Through the 1920s and 30s, the Community Chest drew steady donations of about $250,000 a year for 39 recipient organizations. In the 1940s, support for the Community Chest grew as companies began to allow once-a-year solicitations of employees in the workplace. The United Givers Fund (UGF), organized in 1954 with 40 agencies for relief programs such as food, clothing and shelter, changed to Nashville Area United Way in 1975, reflecting growth from a fundraising/allocations mechanism to a system working to solve community human services problems. This was the birth of United Way in Nashville as we know it today, and after several name changes, in 1999, became the United Way of Middle Tennessee, today called United Way of Greater Nashville (UWGN). In 1981, Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr. founded the first Alexis de Tocqueville Society, a society recognizing donors giving unrestricted gifts of $10,000 or more to UWMN. Dr. Frist invited trusted colleagues to join him in a revolutionary philanthropic venture to invest time, talent and dollars towards the greatest needs. As of 2020, more than 26,000 members worldwide had invested more than $10 billion in communities. The UWGN Tocqueville Society Alpha Chapter continues to have a strong presence today, with close to 700 members. Today, through partnership, United Way works with nonprofit partners and health and human services sector leaders to make Nashville a better community for all.
Impact
At United Way, we unite the community and mobilize resources so that every child, individual and family thrives. Together, we are working to create a community where every child receives a quality education, no one lives in poverty or poor health, and the most basic needs of our families are met. We bring individuals, businesses, nonprofits and government to the table to have the tough conversations, mobilize the resources and make the smart investments that will create lasting solutions for our region's most pressing issues. For more information, visit unitedwaygreaternashville.org and follow us on social media @UWNashville.
Needs
Increased volunteerism to raise awareness of community conditions and to increase community level engagement. Increased advocacy to create momentum to build public interest around solving the community's most pressing needs. More civic engagement by public and private sector leaders to address the root causes of problems. Collaboration to leverage existing resources to drive community condition change. Financial resources to sustain long term solutions.
CEO Statement
United Way of Greater Nashville engages cross-sector partners throughout the year to identify the most critical needs in our community. Working together, we co-design scalable strategies to break the cycle of poverty, give kids an equal chance, build strong, healthy communities and meet our neighbors' basic needs. We know that by working together we can better serve our neighbors and give every person an equal chance at a bright future.
Board Chair Statement
United Way of Greater Nashville's primary emphasis is in effective networks and partnerships, starting with the committed leadership of the Board of Trustees. Through collaboration with an extensive and diverse set of partners across multiple sectors, United Way measurably improves conditions and the lives of those most in need. These powerful partnerships also work to make Nashville a better place for everyone. United Way is the most effective organization when it comes to meeting the critical needs of Nashville's most vulnerable citizens. United Way is changing lives and building futures.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations - Philanthropy/Charity/Voluntarism Promotion (General) |
| Secondary Category: | Community Improvement, Capacity Building - |
| Tertiary Category: | Human Services - Human Services |
Areas Served
United Way of Greater Nashville (UWGN) encompasses Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Houston, Montgomery, Robertson, Stewart and Williamson counties in Tennessee. However, many UWGN community programs serve a broader client base in Middle Tennessee. For example, the 211 Helpline operates across 42 counties; Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) operates, on average, across 25 counties; and the Ryan White Initiative serves 95 counties across Tennessee.
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Stewart |
