About Us
History
Our Legacy in Motion
As United Way of Massachusetts Bay celebrates its 90th year of impact in our region, we’re reflecting on the stories and the people who have shaped our work. This anniversary, we’re shining a light on the stories that show what happens when people and partners come together through United Way to create a legacy of lasting change. From housing and early childhood to crisis response and systems change, each story reflects United Way’s role in advancing bold solutions and strengthening communities across Massachusetts. Together, these stories celebrate a legacy in motion, one built on partnership and leadership over decades that is still unfolding today.
United We Respond to Crises
From wartime efforts in the 1940s, to disaster response after the Great Blizzard of 1978, through our Covid-19 Family Support Fund in 2020, we are built to respond quickly when our neighbors need help with helping hands and fast funding.
Thanksgiving Project
Launched in 1999 as a catered meal for 10 families and funded by an anonymous donor, The Thanksgiving Project has grown into an annual event that now reaches more than 16,000 families facing food insecurity across Greater Boston.
War Time Response
Within just over 60 days of the Pearl Harbor attack, United Way mobilized 30,000 volunteers and 400,000 donors to raise $7.7 million, demonstrating how collective action can power an immediate, large-scale response swiftly and effectively in moments of national crisis.
Support for 9/11 Families
After the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001, United Way held a “Walk for Unity” to raise money for local families who had lost loved ones and partnered with Catholic Charities of Boston to provide emergency financial assistance in during the weeks and months following the attack.
Foreclosure Crisis
When the foreclosure rates rose over 140% in 2008, United Way launched the Community Support Fund to provide emergency assistance for basic needs. Among the first investments was a $300,000 commitment to the City of Boston’s Food + Fuel Campaign.
Pandemic Response
The Covid-19 pandemic tested communities in unprecedented ways, demanding a response at an equally unprecedented scale. In 2020, United Way launched the Covid-19 Family Support Fund to provide flexible financial assistance to residents experiencing lost income and wages. Within its first six months, the fund supported more than 300,000 households. United Way ultimately raised $13.7 million from 14,000 donors and overall mobilized more than $40 million in pandemic recovery efforts.
Chelsea Eats
Faced with distributing 40,000 pounds of food weekly during the height of the 2020 pandemic, the City of Chelsea partnered with United Way to launch Chelsea Eats, the largest guaranteed income pilot of its kind. About 2,000 people received up to $400 monthly on debit cards, improving access to food while reducing financial stress. Participants also reported fewer ER visits and hospitalizations.
Red Feather Volunteers
Volunteers in United Way’s earliest years were on standby in New York when Titanic survivors arrived, offering blankets, record cards, and quiet dignity. As the official Red Cross response unfolded, these volunteers sat with widows and helped grieving families start again. By the 1920s, a red feather had become United Way’s first logo that volunteers wore proudly to represent caring for neighbors in crisis.
Thanksgiving Project
Launched in 1999 as a catered meal for 10 families and funded by an anonymous donor, The Thanksgiving Project has grown into an annual event that now reaches more than 16,000 families facing food insecurity across Greater Boston.
War Time Response
Within just over 60 days of the Pearl Harbor attack, United Way mobilized 30,000 volunteers and 400,000 donors to raise $7.7 million, demonstrating how collective action can power an immediate, large-scale response swiftly and effectively in moments of national crisis.
United We Innovate
Change doesn’t come without innovation and creativity – two things United Way has embraced over decades of looking for ways to reimagine the delivery of services to people in the Commonwealth. Through trust in our partners and communities, we’ve put resources into initiatives that have led to groundbreaking successes.
Summer Step Up
Launched in 2021 in partnership with Governor Charlie Baker to reintroduce young students to the classroom following a year of remote learning, the Summer Step Up Program addresses school readiness through social, emotional, and academic support. It provides assistance to school districts and community partners for summer learning for Pre-K through 3rd grade. Since 2021, it has reached over 8,100 students across 30 school districts.
Financial Opportunity Centers
From Chelsea to Lawrence, Roxbury to Quincy and Lynn, a region-wide network emerged from 2012-2015 where financial stability was connected to economic opportunity. United Way launched a network of Financial Opportunity Centers that brought services like job training, housing assistance, education, financial coaching and tax preparation all under one roof in six locations. By 2015 the centers had served thousands of families, returned millions in tax credits and refunds, and put individuals on a path toward their own personal financial wellbeing.
Screen to Succeed
Since 2014, United Way's DRIVE program has worked to promote healthy childhood development by advancing equitable developmental screening and referral practices across communities. Screening helps families access the resources they need to thrive. Thanks to this initiative, 1,250 screeners have been trained, and 21,000 children have been screened.
BoSTEM
In 2015, United Way, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Boston Public Schools launched BoSTEM, uniting educators, nonprofits and industry partners to expand hands-on STEM learning and expose more children to STEM careers. The initiative grew to reach 10,000 students and engaged 80 corporate partners - connecting classroom learning to real opportunities and broadening youth pathways into STEM fields.
Shared Services
Launched in 2017, United Way's Shared Services MA is an incubator model driving growth in Massachusetts’ family childcare sector. It supports Black and Latina women educators in building stronger businesses through training in licensing, marketing, and operations, while improving quality and increasing wealth. Since 2022, its Licensing Support initiative has helped open 200 new businesses and expanded access by at least 1,200 childcare seats.
Boston Builds Credit
In 2017, United Way partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Financial Empowerment and LISC Boston to launch Boston Builds Credit, a first-of-its-kind citywide movement aiming to help 25,000 residents reach a prime credit score (660+) by 2025. With over 200,000 Bostonians unscored or with poor credit, the initiative offers workshops and 1:1 coaching to improve financial access and stability. The program is now stable and is transferring in management to Working Credit.
Summer Step Up
Launched in 2021 in partnership with Governor Charlie Baker to reintroduce young students to the classroom following a year of remote learning, the Summer Step Up Program addresses school readiness through social, emotional, and academic support. It provides assistance to school districts and community partners for summer learning for Pre-K through 3rd grade. Since 2021, it has reached over 8,100 students across 30 school districts.
Financial Opportunity Centers
From Chelsea to Lawrence, Roxbury to Quincy and Lynn, a region-wide network emerged from 2012-2015 where financial stability was connected to economic opportunity. United Way launched a network of Financial Opportunity Centers that brought services like job training, housing assistance, education, financial coaching and tax preparation all under one roof in six locations. By 2015 the centers had served thousands of families, returned millions in tax credits and refunds, and put individuals on a path toward their own personal financial wellbeing.
United We Create Change That Lasts
None of these achievements could have been done without our partners, supporters, volunteers, our neighbors with lived experience, community leaders, elected officials, and everyone who has contributed to our shared mission of unlocking opportunity across the Commonwealth.
Community Schools
Community Schools address students’ wellbeing by turning schools into community hubs with food pantries, health services, and more. In Massachusetts, Community Schools have reduced chronic absenteeism, and six have exited the lowest performing 10% of schools. In 2024, United Way co-launched a Community Schools Coalition to grow the movement statewide.
Success by 6
Success By 6 (SB6), a first-in-the-nation initiative led by United Way and volunteer chair Chad Gifford, mobilized business leaders to advocate for young children on Beacon Hill. Its efforts helped to expand children's health insurance coverage to 144,000 more Massachusetts children and served as a national model for the federal program that reached 5.7 million children in its first years. Success By 6 also advanced new investments in child care, early intervention, home visiting and the creation of the Invest in Children license plate. These license plates raised more than $5 million since 1998 for the Massachusetts Child Care Quality Fund administered by the Commonwealth.
Pay for Success
UWMB launched Massachusetts’ first Pay for Success initiative (2015-2021), redefining what’s possible in addressing chronic homelessness. The effort placed 1,055 high-need individuals into supportive housing, with 85% remaining housed after one year. Aligning public, private and nonprofit partners, this innovative model reduced reliance on emergency systems and saved $2.2 million, proving that housing with supportive services offers dignity and delivers cost-effective, lasting change.
CITC
In 2014, United Way, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) launched the Community Investment Tax Credit, a tax incentive structure that turned philanthropy into infrastructure. Since its inception, United Way has raised $30.9M through CITC and helped unlock over $3 billion, turning tax credits into affordable housing, small businesses and engines for neighborhood revitalization.
Community Schools
Community Schools address students’ wellbeing by turning schools into community hubs with food pantries, health services, and more. In Massachusetts, Community Schools have reduced chronic absenteeism, and six have exited the lowest performing 10% of schools. In 2024, United Way co-launched a Community Schools Coalition to grow the movement statewide.
Success by 6
Success By 6 (SB6), a first-in-the-nation initiative led by United Way and volunteer chair Chad Gifford, mobilized business leaders to advocate for young children on Beacon Hill. Its efforts helped to expand children's health insurance coverage to 144,000 more Massachusetts children and served as a national model for the federal program that reached 5.7 million children in its first years. Success By 6 also advanced new investments in child care, early intervention, home visiting and the creation of the Invest in Children license plate. These license plates raised more than $5 million since 1998 for the Massachusetts Child Care Quality Fund administered by the Commonwealth.
Take a Deeper Dive
Interested in taking a closer look at our innovative insights, expertly researched data and more? Check our research and reports.