About Us

United Way of Denton County has been mobilizing resources to advance the common good since 1951. We are local and autonomous, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit (community based) organization with a governing board of directors.

Advancing the common good is less about helping one person at a time and more about changing systems to help all of us. We are all connected and interdependent. We all win when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable, when people are healthy.

United Way’s goal is to create long-lasting changes by addressing the underlying causes of these problems. Living united means being a part of the change. It takes everyone in the community, working together, to create a brighter future.

United Way of Denton County’s Community Investment Committees focus on the building blocks of a good life in the area of Education, Income and Health.

• Education – Helping Children and Youth Achieve Their Potential
• Income – Promoting Financial Stability and Independence
• Health – Improving People’s Health

United Way of Denton County is an efficient charitable organization with an administrative cost of 12% of all funds pledged for administrative expenses. This is one of the lowest overhead costs for a non-profit organization in America. United Ways goal is to maximize and add value to the amount of dollars going to community needs. The extensive use of volunteers allows United Way to maintain a small staff and low overhead.

United Way of Denton County offers a resource distribution system that is accountable; caring; responsive; and creative. It is regarded by donors; the community; and partnering agencies as an effective and efficient means for allocating funds to provide the greatest impact on community needs and issues.

The more than 1,300 United Way’s throughout America are organizations, made up primarily of experienced volunteers that help meet health and human service needs through a vast network of local charitable groups, community based organizations and volunteers. Each United Way is an independent community resource governed by a local board of experienced volunteers. Through a single community wide campaign, United Way raises funds to help meet local community impact goals.

Apart from government, United Ways support the greatest variety of health and human services in the country, reaching people from all walks of life and all income groups. Voluntary contributions to United Ways support local community impact goals to help our children and youth achieve their potential; promote financial stability and independence; and provide access to health and support programs and services.

Some of these service providers are nationwide agencies that have local chapters. Some are small, one-of-a-kind, local agencies. United Way funding patterns are flexible.

• United Ways fund only nonprofit, tax-exempt charities:
• That are governed by volunteers;
• Who submit to an annual, independent, financial audit;
• Who provide services at reasonable cost;
• And maintains a policy of nondiscrimination.

United Way of America is a national service organization. Although it provides fund-raising assistance, the national association does not raise or allocate funds. United Way of America’s volunteer Board of Governors adopted a dues formula to assist local United Ways in determining the extent of their financial support of the association. The formula suggests the payment of dues equal to less than 1 percent of dollars raised for the local community. These voluntary contributed dues from United Ways enable United Way of America to provide programs, support services and materials in the areas of training; planning; allocations; government relations; labor relations; fundraising; communication; national agency relations; research; tax, legal and accounting changes; and data collection. Through committees of volunteers and United Way professionals, United Way of America also develops and provides model programs and guidelines to assist United Ways in maximizing their service to communities.

The United Way movement is a flexible system that has responded and adapted to changing social conditions; human needs; and community impact goals. United Ways have a commitment to assessing community needs and directing funds where they are needed the most, always balancing the cost with community benefit. United Ways see themselves as resources for their communities, not one part of it. United Ways are not vested in a given pattern of services, but are committed to their mission of mobilizing the caring power of communities.