United Way is a local community movement of volunteers, program partners, corporate partners, and donors committed to advancing the common good by focusing on education, health, and financial stability. With a footprint that covers over 20% of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United Way of Southwest Virginia supports the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe, and the cities of Bristol, Galax, Norton, and Radford.
United Way of Southwest Virginia is creating sustainable solutions to build strong schools, strong families, and resilient communities. We partner with schools, community groups, and other nonprofits to grow local resources so that we can address local challenges. We support a 21-locality region that spans Lee County to the New River Valley.
When you give to a specific charity, you support a cause. When you give to United Way, your gift becomes part of a collective effort: to improve lives and strengthen our entire community.
You or a family member may have already benefited from a United Way-funded program without realizing it. People from all backgrounds benefit from youth mentoring programs, school-based child nutrition and education programs, job training programs, and other services provided by United Way of Southwest Virginia investments.
The local United Way Board of Directors carefully screens and selects the programs funded by your United Way contribution. After selection, these programs are closely monitored to make sure they produce positive, measurable results.
Your local United Way is led by a local Board of Directors and staff who represent the diversity of the community. The volunteer Board of Directors sets policy and strategic direction, oversees financial practices, and provides guidance on operational issues.
United Way of Southwest Virginia’s Corporate Partners help offset operational costs such as campaign materials, events, and administrative costs, allowing more donor dollars to local programs that advance our mission.
Our administration and fundraising overhead is 20.9%, far more efficient than the 35% recognized by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance or the 25% recognized by the USA Office of Personnel Management.
United Way of Southwest Virginia is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) eligible to receive tax deductible gifts. You should discuss the tax deductibility of your gift with a tax professional.
Your local United Way is made of volunteers and staff who are working to ensure a defined region has the resources it needs to succeed. Your local United Way makes all the decisions related to community investing. Your local United Way benefits from being part of the international United Way Worldwide (UWW) network made up of nearly 1,800 community-based United Ways in 45 countries and territories. United Way Worldwide provides guidance, training, development services, research, and national advertising. In exchange for these services, United Way of Southwest Virginia makes an annual payment to UWW equal to one percent of the dollars raised annually, and our Corporate Partners cover the cost. Thanks to our Corporate Partners, 100% of your gift stays here locally.
United Way Southwest Virginia does not fund, nor have we ever funded, Planned Parenthood services in our communities. United Way of Southwest Virginia has active partnerships with organizations including the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth that foster the commitment to ensuring a good quality of life and successful future of all children.
