United Way of the Big Bend Inc

Our History

On February 11, 1943, nine concerned citizens chartered United Way of Leon County. It was founded with the purpose of raising and distributing funds to charitable and character building agencies. United Way of Leon County broadened its scope on June 20, 1990, incorporating seven neighboring counties, and changed the name to United Way of Big Bend.

Over the years, United Way of Big Bend has remained true to its founding goals. We are dedicated to supporting human service agencies in the Big Bend region, helping those living in the ALICE population and below, and creating collaborative strategies that result in long-lasting, positive change.

Our Vision

To be the region’s trusted leader for addressing our community’s most vital concerns

Our Mission

To raise awareness, mobilize resources and find collaborative, targeted solutions for our community’s most vital concerns

Our Goal

To support the success of families, individuals, and a thriving community

our strategic direction

Our strategic direction positions UWBB to be more effective than ever in serving as the trusted strategic leader and convener for identifying and addressing the needs of those living in poverty and the working poor (ALICE). Our goal is to shrink these populations in the future by focusing our collective resources on Economic Development through Workforce Enablement. Three goals and five priority outcome areas support this focus. The three goals are to help this population gain access to basic necessities, achieve economic stability and develop skills to either help gain employment or move up the economic ladder. Five funding priority outcomes anchor the three goals.: Housing, Early Learning (to include elementary age and younger), Safety Net, Health & Mental Health, and Skills Development.

Our Values

Leadership: We stand at the forefront of creating community impact in the Big Bend region, engaging and connecting with others who share our commitment to work for the greater good of our community while also being good stewards of shared resources.

Accountability: We are dedicated to working with others who are able to help consistently deliver outstanding community results and are willing to adapt when needed to achieve better results.

Integrity: We strive to build lasting relationships based on honesty and trust. We seek open communication with our donors, our community partners, and community-at-large and are responsive about our philosophy and our process at all times.

Collaboration: We actively seek input and embrace others who share a collaborative spirit.

Focus: We are performance driven through the lens of addressing our community’s most vital concerns based on clear objectives and rigorous measurement.

Respect: We welcome and value different perspectives and are committed to connecting with transparency, dignity, and respect.