NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Frank Bond, a founding member of the community chest, had the honor of cutting a cake at the 1956 annual meeting to mark the 20 years since its establishment. 

 

The organization had successfully grown over the past 20 years and, by the end of the decade, would see its campaign drives pass the $100,000 mark and the number of agencies under its umbrella grow to 17. 

 

The community chest had also changed names, becoming a United Fund, a natural outgrowth of its establishment to bring multiple local social service campaigns under one umbrella, and would include both Clarksburg and Stamford, Vt.

 

But that impetus for its founding would continue to bedevil the United Fund as more organizations, some national, would continue to compete for local dollars. 

 

At the beginning of the decade, Executive Secretary Estelle Howard said there were still too many independent appeals and that "serious thought must be given to this problem."

 

"Competition for the contributors' dollar, for volunteer workers' time and for publicity are getting out of bounds," she said.