What We Do
For more than a century, United Way of Central Iowa has played a unique role by bringing together people from every part of our community—donors, volunteers, advocates, nonprofit organizations, community leaders, elected officials, and people with lived experience.
TOGETHER, we look at the big picture when it comes to the future of our community to identify gaps and best leverage points to create sustainable impact.
We are UNITED in taking on some of our community's critical challenges, addressing them at their roots through investments and strong partnerships. In addition, we identify specific barriers limiting our community's ability to provide equitable opportunities to EVERY central Iowan.
United Way of Central Iowa invests in hundreds of local nonprofit programs focused on creating progress in the 5 Elements of a Thriving Community: Essential Needs, Early Childhood Success, Education Success, Economic Opportunity, and Health & Well-Being.
As we look to the future, the way we work in the community is evolving to reflect and respond to the changing needs of central Iowa. Every hard puzzle, just like every challenge we face, has a solution. We can't get there without you!
United Way of Central Iowa Looks at the Big Picture
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Unite
We bring together donors, volunteers, businesses, nonprofits, faith-based and community leaders, elected officials, experts, and those with lived experience to address our community's critical issues.
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Strategize
We get all the right people in the room to break down central Iowa’s toughest challenges to their root causes and develop research-based, comprehensive strategies to make significant and sustainable progress. Specific strategies are developed for each issue under all 5 Elements of a Thriving Community.
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Take Action
Once sound strategies are set, we take action. We invest in or create initiatives designed to make progress under our UNITED to THRIVE strategies. We convene coalitions, advocate for public policy, raise awareness, mobilize volunteers, and more.
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Evaluate
We create metrics toward our success and continuously evaluate the results of our investments, holding every initiative and partner accountable to make meaningful progress. Our volunteer leaders have identified key indicators of success, various community metrics to set goals and measure progress.
Investing In Central Iowa
The funds raised by United Way of Central Iowa are invested in community programs and initiatives addressing the real challenges people are facing right here in central Iowa, which is why real people just like you help determine where those donations go.
Investment decisions are made by groups of volunteer leaders called "cabinets." Our Investment Cabinets are made up of local experts in the areas of Essential Needs, Early Childhood Success, Education Success, Economic Opportunity, and Health & Well-Being. The generous gifts donated are united in ways that most powerfully improve lives in our community.