UW is going downhill. - Resource Development United Way Employee Review

3.0
Oct 6, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I have worked for UW in Philly for about 6 years. When I arrived, the organization was a well oiled machine. The CEO during the majority of my tenure, J.M., was one of the most energetic and gregarious CEOs I have ever met. Her energy was infectious -- I felt that we were truly a team that wanted to do great things for the community, so working at UW didnt feel like a typical job. It felt like we had a purpose. I actually could feel and hear the impact (no pun intended) my work has done for others. When I got to work every morning, I had zero desire to cause myself harm like I would at other corporate jobs. My fellow coworkers were pleasant, the atmosphere was relaxed. Days off were abundant. Business casual. Summer hours. Early dismissal fridays. Diverse. Salary was pretty good for the amount of work I was doing. I can honestly say that most of those positive attributes are still there. The building's location is even awesome, right in the middle of the city. However...

Cons

J.M. was on the way out, and the temperament of everyone changed for the worst. We received a new CEO, one many felt did not mesh well with UW's vibe. It was all downhill from there. More meetings about trivial matters. I also started noticing that gossip/backstabbing became more frequent, (especially in management) I had to stay at work longer and people were just randomly resigning/getting fired. I'm talking about people who were there for years, smiling to my face one day, shouting to the heavens about UW's message and strangely gone the next. I'd log into my computer every morning and see " So and So is no longer working at UW." Jeez, we lost another one. I figured that something was fishy. It was then I had a feeling that one day, others would get that same email about me. Turns out I was right, unfortunately. I digress. Cons -- For starters, I started losing my autonomy. The merger with other UWs brought in new overlords and more people to please. Cue the micromanagement. Cue the "we dont want to disappoint the new CEO" meetings. Cue the unnecessary changes to an already established system. Naturally, this caused the once oiled machine to explode into a million pieces. UW is not the utopia it once was. It's now another run of the mill corporate america environment. If you can stomach that, you'll be ok.

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5.0
Apr 10, 2026
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CEO approval
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Pros

People were very nice and cooperative

Cons

Not any that I would speak of

2.0
Jun 18, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The mission is meaningful and the work itself can be deeply rewarding. Colleagues are talented, dedicated, and genuinely care about the community they serve. For the right person, that camaraderie carries a lot of weight.

Cons

Over the past two years, this organization has undergone significant and painful change. A revolving door of senior leadership, including the abrupt loss of key executives, created instability that trickled down to every level of staff. Layoffs followed, and then a steady stream of voluntary departures that leadership appeared either unable or unwilling to address meaningfully. Under new leadership, nearly every quality-of-life benefit that made nonprofit-level salaries feel worth it has been reduced or eliminated: fewer sick days, increased healthcare costs, loss of Summer Fridays, loss of Thanksgiving week, and a shift to more required in-office days. The cumulative effect is an organization that asks a great deal of its staff, in salary sacrifice and mission commitment, while systematically withdrawing what made that trade-off feel fair.

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