Volunteer Red Feather

An illustration of a red feather with blue text over it and blue stars surrounding it. 

The United Way Worldwide is a non-profit organization that coordinates a coalition of charitable organizations across the world, having its roots in the Colorado based Charity Organization Society started in 1887. In the early 1930s, many Community Chests, the forerunners of the United Way system, adopted the red feather as a symbol of service and volunteerism to the community.The United Way fundraising campaign was also commonly referred to as the "Red Feather" campaign. During the 1980s, formal societies established throughout Florida used the red feather as a symbol to recognize higher level community leaders. Today some United Way organizations continues to give "Red Feather" awards to honor their outstanding individuals who had made an impact on the United Way and the local community.