THE UNITED-WAY SYSTEM AT THE CROSSROADS - COMMUNITY-PLANNING AND ALLOCATION

United Way (UW) organizations have long portrayed themselves as perfor ming three core functions for local communities: fund-raising, communi ty planning, and fund-allocation. Contradictory forces increasingly th reaten the ability of UW organizations to perform all of these core fu nctions. Some remain hidden and unacknowledged for some period of time . Many UW systems face the same challenges: how to raise funds, addres s needs, and respond to diverse constituencies; how to manage conflict s with adjacent United Ways; and how to create and maintain internal c onsensus to address these challenges effectively These are important q uestions for understanding how organizations relate to their environme nt and for understanding U.S. society. The scope of United Way systems is impressive and plays a key role both in shaping community percepti ons of problems and as a major avenue through which the corporate sect or takes an active role in local communities.