Frequently Asked Questions

United Way is a global non-profit with a mission to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good. We do this by bringing together people and resources to address community challenges and deliver local solutions across our four impact areas: youth opportunity, healthy community, financial security, and community resiliency. With deep roots in tens of thousands of communities worldwide, United Way is working towards a future where every person in every community can reach their full potential. 

We are committed to maximizing the impact of every dollar entrusted to us. For each dollar donated to United Way Worldwide, 85 cents supports our mission. 

United Way Worldwide may retain up to 15% of each donation to cover our administrative costs. Funds donated to local United Ways are subject to the overhead rates of the local United Way, which varies across our network. In the U.S., the network-wide overhead rate is 14.5%, which is well below industry standards. United Way helps hundreds of other nonprofits maintain low overhead rates, too. If you want information about your local United Way’s expense or overhead rates, contact your local United Way here. 

Thank you for supporting stronger communities! You can donate online here and explore other ways to make a gift here. Checks should be made out to United Way Worldwide and sent to:

United Way Worldwide
PO Box 358086
Pittsburgh, PA 15251-5086

For wire transfers, please contact Bruce Friedman, United Way Worldwide's Chief Financial Officer, for more information.

We're glad you asked! To find out about volunteer opportunities, connect with your local United Way here. 

Follow your local United Way on social media to stay informed about volunteer events, check out their website, or give them a call. Any way you choose to do it, tapping into your local United Way helps you take action to make your community a stronger place for all. 

While each United Way focuses on the specific needs of their communities, the work of our collective network centers around four impact areas that support our ambitious goal of ensuring all can thrive. These are: healthy community, youth opportunity, financial security, and community resiliency. You can learn more about our impact areas, here.

Local United Ways are distinct nonprofit organizations with employees who live and work in their communities. They are as unique as the communities they serve, developing their own priorities and programs in response to local needs. If you are interested in connecting with your local United Way, start here.

If you want to partner with United Way locally, or in your corporate headquarter region, connect with your local United Way here. If you're interested in partnering with United Way Worldwide, you can find out more about our partners and collaborative impact work here.

For over a century, workplaces have facilitated giving campaigns in support of essential community organizations, offering employees the opportunity to help neighbors in need. United Way is a grateful beneficiary of campaigns with public and private sector partners. 

We feel strongly that charitable giving should always be a personal matter and decision. If you have felt pressured to donate to a workplace campaign, we encourage you to raise those concerns directly with your local United Way, which you can find here.

211 is a vital service connecting millions of people in need to local support and essential health and human service resources. 211 connects 99 percent of communities in the U.S. and Canada with critical services such as utilities and food assistance, and housing support. More than half of the 211 systems in the U.S. are operated by United Ways and United Way Worldwide is the only organization with staff fully dedicated to supporting the North American 211 network.

Compensation for United Way Worldwide leadership is overseen by an Executive Compensation Committee of the Board of Trustees. They assess performance and compensation annually, maintaining competitiveness with comparable nonprofit organizations and effective stewardship of organization resources.

We're glad you're interested in joining our community! We have 12K passionate, dedicated people working in our global network. They joined United Way to make a positive difference in the world -- mobilizing communities to action so everyone can thrive. To see current job postings, check out the careers area of our website. You can also reach out to your local United Way directly for information about internships or job opportunities. Find your local United Way here. 

Most program funding happens locally, so we encourage you to reach out to your local United Way to learn more.  (You may want to check out their website first, to learn about their funding priorities.)