United Way for Southeastern Michigan Executive Office Records

Accession Number: 
UR002607
Extent: 
36 linear feet (35 SB, 1MB, 1 OS)

The United Way for Southeastern Michigan (UWSM) has its origins in the establishment of the Detroit Community Union in 1917. UWSM, called the United Foundation until it’s official name change in 1989, was formed in 1948 through the merger of the Detroit Community Chest and other Detroit charities, and came to be affiliated with the national United Way organization in 1970. UWSM was an umbrella organization providing funding for a wide range of social welfare agencies in the Metropolitan Detroit area, and worked closely with the United Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit (UCS), which was primarily concerned with streamlining and planning the delivery of social services in the city. The two merged in 1995 to create the UWCS, which existed until 2005, when the UWCS merged with the United Way of Oakland County to create a new body once again called the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. This final incarnation exists to this day. The Executive Office oversaw the various departments within UWSM and its later incarnations, and was headed by the President and Executive Vice President of the organization.

This collection is very closely related to the UCS Executive Office Record collection. It covers an overlapping timeframe, and primarily consists of records generated by the UF/UWSM executive offices prior to the UF/UCS merger and the creation of UWCS. Also included are some UWCS records, and a few records from the second organization to bear the UWSM title. Files include board and committee meeting materials, strategic and long term planning records, records on associated agencies and special projects, records relating to the renovation of the joint UF & UCS headquarters in the Comerica building, records about the UF & UCS merger, and records relating to the United Way’s relationship with labor organizations.

Date: 
1949-2006, bulk (1970-1995)
Attachment(click to download)
UR002607.pdfUR002607_guide.pdf146.15 KB