Greater Twin Cities United Way

Household stability: United Way's vision - episodes of homelessness and hunger are rare, brief and nonrecurring. United Way meets urgent needs by supporting nonprofits doing impactful work in the areas of housing and food and by connecting callers to food and shelter resources via its 211 resource helpline. United Way also makes lasting change to improve housing and food systems by leading the pathways home initiative focused on creating pathways to stable housing for young people, working with local partners to expand access to affordable and culturally relevant food, and advocacy efforts that support housing stability and food security. In 2023, United Way and its partners working in housing supported over 104,000 people, and the organization's coalition advocacy efforts resulted in more than $1 billion in new state investments toward stable and affordable housing. Grants from United Way's arise project supported more than 700 lgbtq+ young people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Callers to United Way's 211 resource helpline seeking information and support related to housing and utilities represented over half - 53 percent - of all 211 requests last year. Through United Way's home for good initiative, 1,400 families moving into stable housing received welcome home bins filled with household essentials like cleaning supplies and kitchen utensils. United Way's partner organizations working in food security provided food for nearly 460,000 people via food shelves or meal programs. More than 191,000 community members gained more secure access to food due to the support of United Way's partners. Individuals and families received nearly 51,000 culturally specific meals via United Way's flavors of our community initiative. Food was the third-most requested type of resource and the fastest-increasing request to United Way's 211 resource helpline, likely due to inflation.

Donor designations - gtcuw fundraising results also include contributions to United Way that donors direct to specific non-profit organizations. There were 5,654 donor designations to 1,214 agencies in 2023.

Educational success: United Way's vision - all young children and their families enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive, and all youth have the skills, relationships and mindsets to choose and direct their futures. United Way meets urgent needs by supporting nonprofits doing impactful work in early childhood education and career and future readiness, and by connecting callers to education resources via its 211 resource helpline. United Way also makes lasting change to improve the education system through its 80x3 initiative, which is focused on expanding early childhood trauma-informed care; career academies initiative, focused on expanding access to wealth-building careers for youth; and advocacy efforts that support quality childcare and young people's career readiness. In 2023, United Way and its partners provided early childhood and family education programming for more than 54,000 children and adults, and United Way's 80x3 initiative supported trauma-sensitive care for more than 500 children and more than 400 families. United Way's advocacy for children day brought together more than 400 children and parents to advocate for quality early childcare and education, and United Way's coalition advocacy efforts resulted in more than $2 billion in investments in childcare. Grants from United Way's women United initiative helped nearly 9,500 mothers and children grow their family stability through financial education and high-quality early learning. Youth programs supported by United Way's holistic grantmaking engaged more than 14,750 young people. More than 10,000 students deepened their career readiness through programs supported by career academies. United Way's action day initiative provided more than 45,000 students with backpacks full of school supplies for young people, and the organization's legislative coalitions successfully advocated for $4 billion in new public investments in higher education and youth career readiness.

Economic opportunity: United Way's vision - all adults enter the workforce prepared for skilled employment and increased wealth. United Way meets urgent needs by supporting nonprofits doing impactful work to provide job training and entrepreneurship support, and by connecting callers to employment resources via its 211 resource helpline. United Way also makes lasting change to improve systems by building educator-employer partnerships and advocating for policies that mitigate the impacts of the "benefits cliff." In 2023, partners funded by United Way disbursed nearly $27 million in entrepreneurship grants to communities of color throughout the Greater Twin Cities. United Way partners focusing on employment helped provide job training and counseling for nearly 12,000 adults seeking employment, with approximately 70 percent retaining their job for at least 12 months.united Way's 211 resource helpline: United Way's 211 resource helpline specialists provide information and referrals to statewide resources and services to help people meet their basic needs, including rental assistance, food programs, childcare, employment and more. In 2023, United Way responded to over 342,000 requests to 211 from across Minnesota, and housing continued to be the most requested resource, followed by utilities and energy assistance. Additionally, the data United Way secures through 211 about community needs informs its grant investments in housing, food, education and jobs, as well as its advocacy strategies in advancing equitable policies and state funding to support people experiencing poverty. 988 suicide and crisis lifeline: in 2023, Greater Twin Cities United Way continued offering support as a minnesota-based provider of the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline. When minnesotans call 988, local, trained and caring crisis counselors answer, providing emotional support for people experiencing thoughts of suicide, substance use or other mental health crises. In 2023, United Way crisis counselors answered over 24,000 calls to 988 a 36 percent increase over 2022. business and individual partnerships: United Way partners with companies and foundations to help build a strong philanthropic culture with volunteerism and employee giving opportunities to meet their corporate social responsibility goals and engage their employees in addressing community needs. United Way also connects people who share similar passions for developing solutions together and collaborates to help individuals and families achieve their philanthropic goals while creating a meaningful legacy.