New York, circa 1922-1950

Documents concerning the YWCA of Buffalo's relationship with the Joint Charities and Community Fund, their leadership rosters and studies. The YWCA of Buffalo has a very active industrial department offering an array of programs that include worker education and labor movement education. These activities sometimes attract accusations of spreading propaganda and communist ideas. Several incidents of criticism from the community eventually lead to a strained relationship with the Joint Charities and Community Fund who claims that the radical programs of the industrial department compromise the chest's ability to gain support from some community members. Extensive correspondence, statements, meeting notes and reports follow the situation from start to finish and include a historical overview of the events leading up to the conflict. Following these documents are lists of professional and volunteer leadership and several association studies. The studies, conducted by the association or outside groups, are often used to inform program direction, evaluate the community needs and assess association performance. Included are self studies, a youth movement survey, a community study and a study of the industrial program.