United Way has a longstanding commitment to Anchorage. For almost 70 years, we’ve partnered with nonprofits to uncover barriers that prevent Alaskans from thriving. Then, we develop solutions for them. We champion initiatives that contribute to families’ immediate and long-term wellbeing. Our Community Impact Agenda continues this tradition.
How did we get here?
1956
Community members formed United Good Neighbors: Greater Anchorage United Fund. They named Lucy Cuddy as our first Community Campaign chair. We began advocating for financial stability, healthy communities, and youth opportunities. Many nonprofits we supported still partner with us, like Camp Fire and Salvation Army.
1964
Following the Good Friday Earthquake, the Anchorage Visitor’s Center became our headquarters for our Community Campaign. We’ve supported Alaskans during emergencies and disasters from earthquakes to outbreaks. We’ll keep doing so too.
1978
Alaskans donated more than $1M to United Way to fund nonprofits that support our own neighbors. Our leader at the time, Malcolm Miner, said, “United Way has grown here in proportion to the degree of acceptance of the greater Anchorage community.” Thanks to ongoing support, we’ve grown to help more Alaskans thrive.
1984
“Well known as a fundraiser, our local United Way has sought to be more comprehensive, seeing its function as a servant of the community,” wrote Richard Weaver, a former president of our board, to explain why volunteering became one of our priorities. Since then, we’ve connected community members to nonprofits that need help.
1994
More than 400 workplaces ran campaigns to fund solutions that empowered more Alaskans to reach their potential. Three times as many workplaces participated, setting a record. The Community Campaign chair, Gregory Carr, knew we needed to increase our donors and volunteers—and most support came from new sources.
2000
We had been offering nonprofit services, which included trainings for Alaska nonprofit board members. Our work helping nonprofits transformed into Foraker Group, which continues our legacy. “The power of planning is that if you can articulate a future, it can be realized,” said Dennis McMillian, our executive director.
2007
Alaskans had expressed confusion and frustration about finding help when they needed it, which led to the creation of Alaska 211. On behalf of Alaska United Ways, we started operating 211 and answered our first calls that fall. Rather than giving up before accessing resources and services, Alaskans have relied on 211 as a GPS to help.
2013
We convened 40 community leaders from Anchorage School District, government, nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to help children stay on track academically. Together, we kicked off the 90 by 2020 partnership. It has helped more students graduate from high school ready to become productive citizens in our community.
2016
“More than 10 years ago, we decided that it wasn’t enough to provide support for needed services, we wanted to change the conditions that caused the need for those services,” said Michele Brown, our president and CEO from 2003 - 2020. Housing supports build financial security and a resilient community, and they’re integral for our efforts.
2020
From our CARES campaign to the Restaurant and Hunger Relief program, we oversaw several efforts in our community during COVID-19. Like our then-president and CEO Clark Halverson said, “Good, strong partners meant that if we didn’t have a solution to a problem, we had friends who did.” Though the year was rough, people found help and hope.
2025
Our current president and CEO Eric Utraq Billingsley is implementing our Community Impact Agenda. We’re paving the way to further advance community members. We’ll concentrate on helping them achieve financial security, have educational and professional success, and access reliable child care.
As you can see, our commitment to Anchorage has remained steadfast. We’ve always operated on the premise that improving community members’ lives helps everyone thrive. Though we began our work in 1956, our Community Impact Agenda continues our legacy.
Will you be part of the solution? Your involvement helps set you and your loved ones up for success, helps us achieve our goals, and helps ensure community members can have financial stability, live in a healthy community, and find opportunities to thrive.
Together, we can make sure Alaskans stay ahead.