Since its establishment in 1985, the Union of Charitable Societies, based in Nablus, has been responding to the evolving and pressing needs of the Palestinians in the West Bank. It has mainly focused on providing health, and educational services as well as agricultural extension to a large segment of the Palestinian society whether in urban or rural areas. These services have significantly helped in steadfastness of the people in their homeland.

After the advent of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), the Union continued to offer its services, this time in coordination and cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and other government agencies in general. In a way, the Union's services after 1993 have been complementary in harmony with its goals and purposes.

The successive boards of the Union have been democratically elected in line with the basic constitution and bylaws. There has been also coordination and cooperation with its Jerusalem and Hebron counterparts through a coordinating committee (established in 1977) representing all the three unions. The Union was active in another front. It participated in the establishment of Jerusalem-based Palestinian General Federation of Charitable Societies. That was after the declaration of the establishment of a Palestinian state in Algiers in 1988.

Since its foundation, the Union has been successively headed by a number of local figures: the late Andalib al-Amad, the late Midhat Sabi' Kan'an, the late Izzat Abdo As-Sajdi and Mr. Fathi Ali Shadid.