Memorandum on United Fund and Community Chest Campaigns.

[ Released August 17, 1957. Dated August 16, 1957 ]

To the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies:

This fall, United Funds and Community Chests make their annual appeals across the land and among Federal civilian and military personnel for the support of many thousands of charitable organizations. These include such national agencies as the Red Cross, USO, and those working to eliminate disease and secure the health of us all. For these splendid purposes, they seek to raise more than $380,000,000.

We, in Government, want to assume our full share of support of the many private health and welfare organizations which make up the great humanitarian heart of the national community. The United Fund and Community Chest campaigns provide us with an opportunity for exercising the traditional American quality of neighborliness.

The Honorable Marion B. Folsom, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, will serve as Vice Chairman for the Federal Government of United Community Campaigns. Under the recently adopted Federal policy on voluntary fund-raising, I am confident everyone will extend full cooperation to the Vice Chairman in these campaigns.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER