Our Mission

To create a lasting positive impact in Northumberland County through leadership and partnerships that mobilize resources in response to human and social priorities.

Our Values

• We operate with transparency and accountability
• We encourage and promote volunteerism and volunteer leadership
• We recognize that our donors, our volunteers and our staff are essential to our success
• We support innovation
• We practice inclusion
• We embrace the power of community partnerships

Our Vision

We are an organization that benefits the lives of individuals and families in Northumberland County. To achieve this:

• We focus on key communities priorities
• We support the programs that create a positive impact
• We partner to make our community stronger
• We honour the values of all of our donors, volunteers and staff

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.