Founded in 1952, the Monadnock United Way is an autonomous and independent organization governed by a Board of community members. Our accountability is to our local volunteers and donors. Decisions on which programs to fund and all other operating and policy decisions are made here in the Monadnock Region.

The United Way of America is a national service and training center for 1,400 local United Ways across the country. They provide training, research data, models of effective practices and other support to local United Ways. Local United Ways are not chapters of the national organization; they are governed by people in their own communities.

Although the Monadnock United Way is best known for conducting an annual campaign which provides funding for needed services to people in the region, community building represents an equally major effort. Monadnock United Way collaborates with a variety of partners to help identify and address emerging issues and specific human service needs. These partners include social service providers, foundations, local government, education and the medical community.

The Monadnock United Way has an endowment, which has been managed by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation since 1987. These funds are permanently restricted and invested to provide a source of income for the Monadnock United Way administrative budget. The current goal of the Monadnock United Way Board of Directors is to develop a sufficient endowment to cover the annual operating expenses assuring annual donors that 100% of each gift to the annual campaign goes directly to agency services.

The Monadnock United Way area covers the southwestern region of New Hampshire and consists of the following towns: Alstead, Antrim, Bennington, Chesterfield, Spofford, Dublin, Fitzwilliam, Francestown, Gilsum, Greenfield, Greenville, Hancock, Harrisville, Hillsboro, Deering, Windsor, Hinsdale, Jaffrey, Keene, Marlborough, Marlow, Mason, Nelson, Munsonville, New Ipswich, Peterborough, Richmond, Rindge, Roxbury, Sharon, Stoddard, Sullivan, Surry, Swanzey, Temple, Troy, Walpole, Westmoreland and Winchester.