Dwight D. Eisenhower photo

Memorandum on the Community Chest and United Fund Campaigns.

August 04, 1954

To the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies:

This fall Community Chests and United Funds all over the country will conduct their annual campaigns for financial support of 19,500 separate, local health and welfare organizations as well as for the United Defense Fund. In addition, over 500 of these community campaigns will seek support for such national agencies as the Red Cross and those fighting heart disease, cancer, polio, tuberculosis, cerebral palsy and many other health problems. The goals of these campaigns will aggregate over $290,000,000. Their very size and the wide range of their valued services require that we accord them a primary place in our voluntary giving.

I have assured the leaders of United Community Campaigns of America, representing local Community Chests and United Funds, of the cooperation of the Federal Government. To this end I have approved the appointment of the Honorable George M. Humphrey, the Secretary of the Treasury, as Vice Chairman for the Federal Government of United Community Campaigns.

I am confident that you will extend the full cooperation of your Department in each community throughout the United States and its territories and possessions where it conducts its operations. Such cooperation should include the effective solicitation of all employees, the acceptance of equitable unit goals and the setting up of an adequate collection method for the convenience of those who wish to make contributions on an installment basis.

It is my hope that all employees will give generously--not because they must, but because they may--keeping in mind the wide variety and large number of organizations they will be supporting through their gifts to this single appeal.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

Dwight D. Eisenhower, Memorandum on the Community Chest and United Fund Campaigns. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/232435

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