Brian Gallagher

Brian Gallagher became president and chief executive officer of United Way of America in 2002 and immediately took on the challenge of leading the transformation of the organization to focus on community impact. A career veteran of the United Way system, Mr. Gallagher believes that the true measure of success for the United Way and other philanthropic organizations is bottom-line results: lives that are changed and communities that are shaped. Formerly the president of United Way of Central Ohio (UWCO) in Columbus, Mr. Gallagher helped create a very successful Family Housing Collaborative which addresses the issues of housing, day care, and job training simultaneously to break the cycle of homelessness. Today, he has raised the bar on the accountability, governance and transparency standards adopted as a requirement of membership for each of the 1,300 local United Ways across the country. The United Way was created in 1887 by a priest, two ministers and a rabbi in Denver, Colorado who recognized the need for cooperative action to address their city's welfare problems. They created an organization to serve as an agent to collect funds for local charities, as well as to coordinate relief services, counsel and refer clients to cooperating agencies, and make emergency assistance grants. Their movement would spread throughout the country. Today, the United Way is still focused on mobilizing the caring power of communities and making a difference in people's lives.