Who we are
Fostering an Equitable, Engaged, empowered Community
United Way of Central Iowa is committed to addressing the challenges our community faces. We are nimble and responsive in the way we work within the community to focus on not only meeting basic needs – but on growing, prospering, and thriving.
Engaging our community to address critical issues
United Way of Central Iowa holds a unique role in our community as a convener and mobilizer, engaging every voice in our community to empower all. Central Iowa looks to United Way to bring everyone together, find alignment to address issues, identify strategies, and execute collectively on those strategies.
Critical Community Issues
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10%
of Central Iowans are food insecure.
In central Iowa, 10% of the population is food insecure, including 15% of children under age 18 - that’s nearly 23,000 children.
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7%
of central Iowa youth ages 16-19 are disengaged from school or work.
Experts agree that youth disengagement (not being enrolled in school or being under-employed) can be a determining factor in contributing to youth violence.
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75%
of central Iowa children under the age of 6 have both parents or caregivers in the workforce.
Iowa ranks #1 in the nation for the percentage of households in which all parents or caregivers of young children are in the workforce. Access to safe, affordable childcare and other workforce supports are critical to a thriving, robust economy.
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57%
of youth in Iowa do not receive the mental health services they need.
Our state falls short of the number of mental healthcare providers needed to meet this challenge. In Iowa, there are 570 individuals for every 1 mental health provider.
THE 5 ELEMENTS OF A THRIVING COMMUNITY
The 5 Elements of a Thriving Community are interconnected areas of focus United Way of Central Iowa uses to create strategies and set goals to improve the lives of every person in our community.
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"United Way’s impact is one of the reasons why our region is such a special place. It seems that both as individual citizens as well as companies in central Iowa, we are all focused on making sure this is a great community to live for everybody, not just for some."
Mike McCoy
CEO, NCMIC
Integrity & Stability
Responsible and Trustworthy Since 1917
United Way of Central Iowa has earned a four-out-of-four-star rating each year since 2004 from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent evaluator of charities and nonprofit organizations. Charity Navigator’s four-star rating recognizes United Way’s sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. Less than 1% of the thousands of charities evaluated that have achieved four-stars for ten years in a row or more.
United Way of Central Iowa has received a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world's largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. The seal is given to nonprofits who have achieved the highest level of transparency through disclosures, information made available to the public, and accuracy and frequency of updates.
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Mailing Mamas Honored with Governor’s Volunteer Award for Decades of Service
For more than 37 years, a remarkable group of women known as the Mailing Mamas has been quietly but powerfully shaping central Iowa’s nonprofit...Read More -
Nearly 30,000 Books Donated to Support Central Iowa Kids Through Stuff the Bus Book Drive
Thanks to the incredible generosity of employees from more than 25 organizations and countless individuals across the community, United Way of...Read More -
Dave Stone Receives 2025 Dr. Alma Salazar Bridge Builder Award
United Way of Central Iowa is proud to share that Dave Stone, our Advocacy Officer, has been honored with the 2025 Dr. Alma Salazar Bridge Builder...Read More