United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region is profoundly concerned by allegations reported by news media regarding sexual harassment, retaliation and other inappropriate behavior at United Way Worldwide. We have reached out directly and formally to UWW earlier this month to express our concerns and call for swift action and accountability.

Our local United Way condemns the behavior being reported as wholly opposed to who we are and how we engage with our community. Our United Way is firmly committed to a culture of equity and respect that ensures a safe, inclusive workplace that values the diversity and talent of every person. We’re determined to live that commitment every day and in every way—from the ways we interact within our organization to the partners we engage with, the initiatives we lead and the programs we fund.

Our United Way has firm policies and practices that set forth zero tolerance for sexual harassment or retaliation of any kind, provide a safe and supportive process for reporting any concerns, and ensure rapid action should an incident occur. To underscore this commitment, we require all staff members to be trained on these policies and practices every year. Likewise, we continue our years-long focused work to strengthen our learning and embed equity throughout our organization. This includes performing our community impact work through an equity lens, pursuing ongoing training of all staff, building equity measures into staff performance reviews and organizational processes, and proactively advocating for racial justice and changing inequitable systems.

Ours is an independent, local nonprofit, so we are not directly involved in the situation being reported regarding UWW. However, we are part of a global network of local United Ways, and so we take responsibility for calling out actions or behaviors that are unacceptable in order to bring about change. We embrace that responsibility with conviction.

Finally, while we cannot comment on the specific allegations being reported, we can share the following statement from United Way Worldwide:

United Way Worldwide is deeply disturbed by any allegations of misconduct and pledges to eradicate such behavior from our organization. Maintaining a safe work environment – free from harassment and retaliation – and facilitating inclusiveness are hallmarks of UWW. We are committed to ensuring that these values are always a priority and guide how we operate as a community. The Boards of Trustees for United Way Worldwide and United Way USA have authorized an independent third-party investigation of the process by which certain allegations were handled, all relevant policies and procedures, and an assessment of the corporate culture that might have fostered any such conduct. We have encouraged employees to confidentially share any relevant information with investigators. A Special Committee comprising members of both Boards is overseeing the independent review with the support of outside advisors. We have shared with our employees and broader network that, while the Board is limited in what it can share while the review is in progress, we are committed to completing the investigation as expeditiously as possible.

President & CEO Chris Sargent, Board of Directors and Staff
United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region