How We Started & Who We Are
The United Way of the Pennyrile has its earliest roots in an organization called The Associated Charities of Hopkinsville which dates back as early as 1918. The Associated Charities of Hopkinsville had some of the characteristics of later united fundraising organizations; however, its primary purpose was welfare and individual charity cases. The Association was dominated by local Church leadership but was supported by community leadership.
Later, the fund drives for the war defense chests of World War I were born and known as the Community Chest. A united fundraising drive for charities in Hopkinsville was created in late October 1946. It was born at the request of a number of businessmen who had grown weary of the seemingly endless series of independent campaigns. The first session of Hopkinsville’s Community Chest, which was held in the Chamber office on East 9th Street, was attended by 26 Hopkinsville businessmen and women who had been called upon in prior years to do a large part of the soliciting for charity drives. It was the unanimous feeling of the group that a simple, unified charity drives each year would be more profitable for the agencies and far more satisfactory than separate campaigns and canvasses. The name Community Chest was then chosen and the Chamber of Commerce would serve as headquarters for the Community Chest.
The first year of the Community Chest was a huge success. A goal of $26,155 was set for the first campaign. The Community Chest exceeded its goal with $29,538.21 in cash and pledges raised. Several years later, a meeting of key leadership was held at the Memorial Building on February 20, 1958, to discuss the idea of beginning a new community-wide campaign to be called the United Giver’s Fund. The new name was then being used nationally and in most communities rather than Community Chest. Then again, in 1976, several more changes occurred and the name of the fund was changed to the Hopkinsville-Christian County United Way.
Today, our local United Way, which serves Christian, Todd, and Trigg counties, is known collectively as the United Way of the Pennyrile and continues to be the most successful health and human services fundraising organization in the community.
Financial Accountability
United Way of the Pennyrile is committed to maintaining the highest standards of financial accountability, transparency, and stewardship. Through careful oversight by a local volunteer board of directors, annual audits, and responsible allocation processes, the organization ensures that donor contributions are invested wisely and effectively to support community needs. Funding decisions are made locally and guided by volunteers who evaluate programs based on impact, outcomes, and fiscal responsibility, helping ensure that every dollar raised stays focused on creating meaningful change throughout the Pennyrile region.
Of each dollar donated by the public, approximately 18 cents is spent on the costs of administering the organization, including executive leadership and oversight, raising funds, and providing the appropriate stewardship of those funds. These costs are integral and necessary to Pennyrile United Way’s overall mission of improving lives and our community. Approximately 79 cents out of every dollar raised goes directly to helping people. The remaining 3 cents represents uncollectible pledges, one of the lowest rates in our industry.
Our overhead rate is very low in comparison to most charities and falls far below the 35% overhead threshold suggested by the Better Business Bureau as acceptable.