Philanthropy—is defined both as an act of giving and as a love of humankind. When we take care of one another, whether on a grand scale or through small acts of kindness, we become, at heart, philanthropists. Every day, the United Way changes lives for the better, instilling hope, renewing faith and inspiring others to action. Working with community members to set local priorities, our organization serves as a convener and catalyst for social change, all while supporting local programs and initiatives designed to make a real difference.

Campaign Messages

• By working together United Way and our community has become a positive force for change right here in Brandon. Due to the many donations of time, expertise and money, United Way of Brandon & District has become synonymous with the caring, compassionate, can-do attitude that makes our community such a great place in which to live. Whether keeping local children warm with our Coats for Kids program, helping people to better manage the challenges of visual impairment, or providing school supplies for 826 children in the Brandon School Division, United Way of Brandon & District has been here to help you and others in our community.
• We’re very proud of all the things we have accomplished together.We have a healthy, vibrant community when we all work together to ensure that critical care services AND support services are available. By offering a “hand up” instead of a “hand out,” we give people the tools they need to be self-sufficient and productive members of the community. The rapid pace of change in our community means that it is important to regularly assess the way the United Way works; to see if what has worked for the past 73 years can be improved upon so that United Way can continue to meet the needs of our community well into the future.
• To understand where we are going, its’ important to first understand where we’ve been. What was to become the United Way of Brandon began in 1938 as the Brandon & District Community Chest and War Bond Appeal. In those days the premise was to organize local volunteer resources to address specific critical needs in the community as well as raise funds for the war effort. While some of those needs might have changed – you won’t find United Way promoting war bonds anymore – the idea of responding to specific needs to make our community a better place has stayed the same. Our community is changing. Few could have foreseen even ten years ago the challenges we face today. These changes in our community include a dire lack of low-income housing, a critical shortage of youth shelter space, a substantial increase in traffic to our local food bank, and a need for expanded multicultural services in the community, to name just a few. United Way of Brandon has adopted an approach known as the “Community Builder” model. The challenge for United Way is to remain flexible while allowing for long-term development of solutions to community needs.