The Indianapolis Council of Social Agencies began in 1923 to advise, coordinate, and plan the social work of the city of Indianapolis. The Council of Social Agencies was governed by delegates who represented the 12 most prominent social service agencies of the time. The Council of Social Agencies actively cooperated to advocate for social legislation and inform the public about relevant social issues. The council delegates also developed the reorganization plan of the Community Chest, precursor of the United Way. The Council of Social Agencies produced “A Directory of Social Agencies,” in 1924, the first booklet of its kind in the city to publish and promote safety net organizations.
The agency became independent of the Community Chest in 1950 as did the Health and Welfare Council and the Community Service Council (CSC) in 1961. With those changes, a citizen board of directors governed the agency. The board over the years included some of the city’s most prominent civic and philanthropic leaders. In 1951, the Council created the CASPER (Community Appreciation in Public Enrichment and Relations) Award to “encourage greater in-depth reporting of community services and problems.” Over the years, the award went to members of the media for their “outstanding work in the areas of health, welfare, recreation, and community services”. CASPER Award winners include Indianapolis Times and Indianapolis Star editor and columnist (1961) and Indianapolis News (1972, 1974), and seven-time winner, , a reporter for the and the .
The CSC returned to its original model when it merged with in 1977. For many years CSC retained its identity but operated as a division of United Way. The CSC continued to work closely with funding and policymaking bodies, both as a resource and a grant recipient. The council conducted needs assessments, managed interagency coordination and planning initiatives, and promoted human service policy development, all in keeping with the Council of Social Agencies’ founding objectives. CSC/United Way continued to produce the community resource handbook that became known as The Rainbow Book following the original “Directory of Social Agencies.”
From 1977 to 2000, CSC maintained its identity as the planning and research arm of the United Way. From 2000, CSC’s identity became fully absorbed into United Way’s operations. Other CSC functions have gradually spun off, discontinued, or integrated seamlessly into the United Way operations. The Information and Referral service became the independent agency Connect2Help, which operated the 211 social service hotline until February 28, 2020, when Connect2Help disbanded.
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