We fight for the education, health, and financial stability of everyone in Kankakee and Iroquois Counties.

About Us

For 80 years, United Way of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties has mobilized caring people to invest in communities where resources are needed most.

Funder. Thought Leader. Convener. Advocate. These words describe the roles that United Way plays within the Kankakee and Iroquois county region. We are connected to a network of United Ways and draw from those relationships, as well as those within the local philanthropic community, to refine how we allocate funds to maximize their impact.

OUR VISION

United Way envisions a world where all individuals and families achieve their full potential through education, income stability and healthy lives.

OUR MISSION

To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community to advance the common good. 

OUR VALUES

• Excellence | We focus on achieving the highest standards of organizational excellence and are committed to achieving our mission and vision. 
• Community-First Commitment | We place the needs of the community before our own interests. 
• Collaborative | We work toward shared goals that benefit us all, uniting our collective knowledge and power. 
• Visionary | We strive for a brighter future through our dedication to progress, imagination, and game changing solutions. 
• Transparence | We practice care, compassion, and honesty in the stewardship of resources and relationships entrusted to us by our community. 
• Empathy | We root ourselves in our shared humanity and treat each other with kindness and compassion. We are at our best when we honor the equal dignity and worth of all people, even in the face of conflict. 
• Equity & Inclusion | We will leverage our strengths to engage and include the voices in our community of those who have been traditionally marginalized.

Our Local History

We've been your neighbor for over 80 years, and we value that history! Listen through a "Walk Through The Decades" series we produced in celebration of our 80th anniversary with some help from a few of our workplace local partners.

We mobilize the caring power of Kankakee & Iroquois Counties by:

• directing resources to partners and communities across our geographic footprint,

• bringing direct service providers, business and philanthropic communities, and local institutions together to tackle some of the biggest issues affecting our region,

• raising awareness of community needs and advocating for sufficient resources to support human service provision.