United Way at RIT

The Emerging Leaders Society is made up of hundreds of the region's most inspiring, proactive emerging leaders who are dedicated to making a positive local impact with their investments. EL is a group of individuals 40 years and under who connect with other local leaders and make an extraordinary commitment to serve our community.

United Way’s Emerging Leaders Society (EL) members are leading the way for a brighter future for the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes Region. As an EL member, your annual United Way investment of $500 or more will help thousands of local people while demonstrating your commitment to our community.

Emerging Leaders Society | United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes The Emerging Leaders Society is made up of proactive emerging leaders dedicated to making a positive local impact and serve our community!

United Way’s African American Leadership Society(AALS) was founded in 2005 and was originally named for Howard Wilson Coles to pay tribute to his passion for improving the lives of African Americans in our community. Coles was a journalist, historian, broadcaster, activist and humanitarian who became a vibrant voice for the African American community as Rochester’s first African American radio announcer and founder of The Frederick Douglass Voice newspaper.

United Way’s AALS members are leading the way for a brighter future for our region. As an African American Leadership Society member, your annual investment of $1,000 or more will help thousands of local people while demonstrating your commitment to our community.

African American Leadership Society | United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes United Way’s African American Leadership Society was founded in 2005 for those with a passion for improving the lives of African Americans in our community

80% of a person’s health and overall wellbeing is related to social determinants of health—those life experiences and conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.

How we improve health:
MEETING BASIC NEEDS
United Way partners with programs that help meet people's basic needs, including increased access to nutritious food, clothing, transportation, and shelter for youth and victims of interpersonal violence.

CREATING HEALTHY CONNECTIONS
Our partner programs help foster positive, sustaining social and emotional connections throughout an individual's lifespan. This includes improving the health and well-being of pregnant women, and families with young children, and helping older adults age safely in place.

HEALING FROM TRAUMA
People who have experienced trauma need opportunities to heal. United Way's partner programs provide environments that promote healing and recovery that build on the resilience within people, and avoid practices and services that may inadvertently re-traumatize individuals.

Health | United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes United Way partners with programs that help meet people's basic needs, including access to food, clothing, transportation, and shelter for youth and victims of interpersonal violence.

There are many opportunities to join a leadership giving network like the United Way Emerging Leaders Society(ELS). Check out ELS and other groups here: https://unitedwayrocflx.org/get-involved/leadership-giving-networks/

Your investment in United Way makes a huge difference for our community. Thousands of our neighbors don’t know where their next meal is coming from and don’t have a safe place to sleep. Domestic violence and child protective calls continue to grow. That’s why your donations to our United Way 2023 Campaign are so vital–they provide essential and sustaining support our nonprofit partners can depend on–supporting thousands of people in need to help change their lives for the better.

https://www.rit.edu/unitedway -to-give