For more than 80 years, our United Way has brought people together to care for one another. We raise funds, mobilize volunteers, help to strengthen agencies, identify critical and unmet needs in the community and help to build collaborations with the public and private sector to meet those needs.
The United Way of Greater St. Louis is the best way to help build a stronger community:
- Because we give more than 90 cents of every dollar directly to agencies and initiatives that provide health and human services. That's three times more efficient than most charities. By reducing agencies' fundraising costs, we ensure more money goes directly to providing services to those in need.
- Because the money you give to the United Way stays here. Your donations help more than 1 million residents of the greater St. Louis area – 16 counties in Missouri and Illinois. Because we operate independently of other United Ways, the money raised in our community stays in our community.
- Because the money invested by the community is allocated by the community to quality agencies. Each year, a group of more than 400 trained community volunteers meet over many months to tour agencies, ensure they are meeting our quality standards and decide how to allocate the money raised in the community. Plus, through a combination of training, engagement, information sharing and performance assessment, the United Way helps both funded and non-funded local agencies become stronger assets to the community.
- Because we rely on and mobilize volunteers. Volunteers are the heartbeat of the United Way. More than 45,000 volunteers give thousands of hours of time to United Way each year by helping us raise and allocate money, serving on our board and giving back to the community. Their contribution of time and talent helps keep our fundraising costs low and provides the region with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of time.
- Because we help people find assistance. The United Way’s pivotal role in meeting the needs of our community positions it to effectively connect people with assistance. Each year our telephone and online information and referral services connect more than 33,000 people with information and assistance.