About us

Origins of the Northumberland United Way date back to 1966 when a group of local businessmen, with the assistance of the Chamber of Commerce, started investigating the possibilities of establishing a United Appeal in Cobourg.

The premise of the United Appeal was to bring all local charities under one umbrella and hold an annual volunteer-based fundraising drive in the fall. The monies collected would then be allocated to the charities involved per their request.

The first United Appeal campaign was launched in the fall of 1969 and was aimed at raising funds for six local charities. Of these original six agencies (C.N.I.B., The Arthritis Society, Canadian Red Cross, Cobourg & District Scouts, Cobourg YMCA, and St. John Ambulance) three are still funded by the United Way today.

The number of agencies funded by the organization has grown from 6 to 13.

Our Mission

The Mission of Northumberland United Way is to improve lives and build community by engaging individuals and mobilizing collective action.

United Way is dedicated to improving the quality of life of all people in our communities and helping individuals, families, neighbourhoods and communities realize their full potential. United Way is a leader in understanding root causes of social issues and bringing together people and resources to create real change in people's lives, meaningful, positive, lasting change. Not just for today, but for the long term. And that means a better community for us all.