United Way
Maine Resources
United Way is a global nonprofit organization that brings together individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies to address pressing community issues. In Maine, several local United Way branches operate to improve lives by focusing on education, financial stability, health, and community resilience. These branches collaborate with local partners to provide essential services, mobilize volunteers, and advocate for systemic change.
Heart of Maine United Way
Service Area: Hancock, Kennebec, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington Counties.
Focus Areas: Mobilizes communities to improve lives through funding and supporting programs in education, income, and health services. It is the largest private funder of these services in the six-county area.
United Way of Androscoggin County
Service Area: Androscoggin and Oxford Counties.
Focus Areas: Works to improve health, education, and financial stability, aiming to make the community one of the best places for children and families. (unitedwayandro.org)
United Way of Aroostook
Service Area: Aroostook County.
Focus Areas: Enhances education, financial stability, and health. Programs include 211 Maine, FamilyWize, the High Five Turkey Drive, and Stuff the Bus, among others. (wagmtv.com)
United Way of Kennebec Valley
Service Area: All of Kennebec County.
Focus Areas: Aims to build strong, healthy communities; provide equal opportunities for children; and enhance financial stability for all residents. The organization partners with 58 local programs to deliver services in health, education, and financial stability, impacting over 32,000 lives annually.
United Way of Mid Coast Maine
Service Area: Brunswick, Harpswell, Lincoln, Knox, and Sagadahoc Counties.
Focus Areas: Supports early childhood education, financial stability, and healthy living. Aims to build a connected community where everyone belongs and can fulfill their potential.
United Way of the Tri-Valley Area
Service Area: Franklin County and the towns of Livermore and Livermore Falls in northern Androscoggin County.
Focus Areas: Dedicated to improving lives by addressing local needs through initiatives in education, financial stability, and health. Programs include the Community Energy Challenge and partnerships with local nonprofits to serve over 12,000 individuals annually.
United Way of Southern Maine
Service Area: Cumberland and York Counties.
Focus Areas: Addresses food insecurity, housing instability, access to healthcare, and childcare. Initiatives include staffing Homeless Service Hub Coordinators as part of MaineHousing's strategy to end homelessness.
Each United Way in Maine tailors its programs to meet the unique needs of its service area, striving to create lasting change and improve quality of life for all residents.
Regional Resources
Massachusetts
United Way of Massachusetts Bay
Service Area: Greater Boston and surrounding communities.
Focus Areas: Advances economic inclusion and wealth building, early education and out-of-school time, housing stability, crisis response, and community resilience. Collaborates with local partners to address the high cost of living and promote equitable development.
United Way of Central Massachusetts
Service Area: Worcester and 29 surrounding communities.
Focus Areas: Promotes youth opportunities, financial security, healthy communities, and community resilience. Initiatives include after-school programs, food security efforts, free tax services, and emergency relief funds.
United Way of North Central Massachusetts
Service Area: 22 communities including Fitchburg, Leominster, and Gardner.
Focus Areas: Focuses on education, health, and financial stability, supporting programs that enhance community well-being.
Service Area: 25 communities in Hampden County, Granby, and South Hadley.
Focus Areas: Addresses food insecurity, basic needs, financial wellness, mental health, and volunteerism. In 2023, distributed over 475,000 pounds of food to more than 2,700 individuals.
United Way of Greater New Bedford
Service Area: New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, and Wareham.
Focus Areas: Enhances healthy communities, youth opportunities, financial security, and community resiliency through partnerships and resource mobilization.
United Way of Greater Fall River
Service Area: Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Assonet, Westport, Tiverton, and Little Compton.
Focus Areas: Supports nearly 100 programs addressing health, youth development, financial stability, and community resilience, including initiatives for hunger and homelessness.
Service Area: 35 communities across Middlesex, Norfolk, and Worcester counties, including Framingham, Marlborough, and Franklin.
Focus Areas: Provides services in education, health, and financial stability, ensuring that funds raised in each community support local needs.
United Way of Greater Plymouth County
Service Area: 22 cities and towns in Greater Plymouth County.
Focus Areas: Addresses feeding families, housing and homelessness, access to affordable health services, support for children and youth, and job training and placement.
United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region
Service Area: Franklin and Hampshire counties, and the North Quabbin Region.
Focus Areas: Provides flexible funding and convening support to address pressing community issues, supporting a network of local agencies to meet basic needs and promote well-being.
United Way of South Central Massachusetts
Service Area: South Central Massachusetts region.
Focus Areas: Focuses on building healthy communities, creating youth opportunities, ensuring financial security, and enhancing community resiliency through various programs and partnerships.
Connecticut
United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut
Service Area: 52 communities in the 860 region, including Hartford, New Britain, Manchester, and Windham.
Focus Areas: Addresses child literacy, housing, wages, and life expectancy disparities to create equitable opportunities. Programs include early childhood education, workforce development, and basic needs services to support ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families.
United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut
Service Area: Greater Bridgeport, Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk, Stamford, and Southern Litchfield County.
Focus Areas: Supports ALICE households through initiatives like Prosperi-Key, a digital marketplace for resources and savings. Efforts include food and toy distributions, back-to-school programs, and community engagement via five regional councils.
United Way of Southeastern Connecticut
Service Area: New London County, encompassing towns such as Groton, Norwich, and New London.
Focus Areas: Provides early care and education, child development, employment training, health care, crisis intervention, shelter, and emergency/disaster services. In the past year, distributed 1.8 million meals and invested nearly $4.9 million into the community.
United Way of Greater New Haven
Service Area: Greater New Haven area.
Focus Areas: Works to end homelessness, improve education, fight hunger, and promote financial stability. Programs include the GNH Youth Network, New Haven Tutoring Initiative, and the Thriving Families Grant.
United Way of Greater Waterbury
Service Area: Greater Waterbury region.
Focus Areas: Supports health, education, and financial stability through community-driven initiatives and partnerships.
United Way of Meriden and Wallingford
Service Area: Meriden and Wallingford.
Focus Areas: Addresses local needs in health, education, and financial stability through collaborative community programs.
Service Area: Milford.
Focus Areas: Focuses on improving lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good in health, education, and financial stability.
United Way of Northwest Connecticut
Service Area: Northwest Connecticut.
Focus Areas: Works to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good in health, education, and financial stability.
Service Area: Southington.
Focus Areas: Focuses on health, education, and financial stability to improve lives and strengthen the community.
United Way of West Central Connecticut
Service Area: Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, and Plymouth.
Focus Areas: Aims to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good in health, education, and financial stability.
Service Area: Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and Shelton.
Focus Areas: Works to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good in health, education, and financial stability.
Rhode Island
Service Area: Statewide.
Focus Areas: Building racial equity and opportunities for all residents by uniting community resources. Provides services like the 211 helpline and supports initiatives in education and health.
Vermont
United Way of Northwest Vermont
Service Area: Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties.
Focus Areas: Addresses community needs through initiatives targeting substance misuse prevention, financial stability, basic needs access, mental health support, and family services. Programs include Working Bridges, Common Good Vermont, and the Mental Health Initiative.
Service Area: Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans, and Washington counties.
Focus Areas: Enhances health, education, and financial mobility through programs like Working Bridges and K.E.E.P. Financial Coaching. Collaborates with over 30 employers to support workforce stability and community well-being.
Service Area: Addison County.
Focus Areas: Improves lives by addressing health, education, and financial stability. Offers programs such as Vermont 211 and youth volunteer scholarships, and actively works on solutions to the local housing crisis.
Service Area: Rutland County.
Focus Areas: Focuses on health, education, and financial stability by uniting residents and resources to facilitate lasting positive change. Provides community impact grants to local nonprofits addressing critical needs.
Service Area: Lamoille County.
Focus Areas: Supports community initiatives aimed at improving health, education, and financial stability, tailored to the unique needs of Lamoille County residents.
Service Area: Windham County.
Focus Areas: Addresses local challenges by promoting health, education, and financial stability through community partnerships and targeted programs.
Service Area: Serves parts of eastern Vermont and central New Hampshire.
Focus Areas: Focuses on education, income, and health by mobilizing resources and partnerships to create lasting change in the communities it serves.
New Hampshire
Service Area: Over 85% of New Hampshire and Windsor County, Vermont.
Focus Areas: Investing in education, financial stability, and health by collaborating with nonprofits, businesses, and volunteers.
Service Area: Monadnock region of New Hampshire.
Focus Areas: Improving lives by mobilizing diverse partners and investing in programs that address financial stability and collective impact.
Service Area: Communities including Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Lyndeborough, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, and Wilton.
Focus Areas: Enhancing health, education, and financial stability through community-driven initiatives.
National Resources
United Way Worldwide - Improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good. Site has a search function to find United Way locations.
"We all have a stake in what befalls our fellow man. We all benefit when a child succeeds in school, when someone finds a job that will help them provide for their family, or when more people are able to access quality, affordable health care.
The solutions we create for communities around the world go beyond short-term charity for a few. When United Way’s support for Community Schools helps increase the graduation rate in the Vallejo City Unified School District by 11 percent in just three years, it’s not just the students, or even just the families of those students who benefit. Those proud graduates now have a much better chance of landing a job that pays a livable wage, of staying out of trouble with the law, and of living longer, healthier lives — and that translates into a safer, healthier and more prosperous community for everyone.
We rise or fall together. With your support, we are reaching for great new heights."