Frequently Asked Questions
United Way of Greater St. Louis brings people, resources, and funding together to help individuals and families across our region live their best possible lives.
By supporting more than 150 local nonprofits, we address urgent needs and create long-term solutions—so our entire community can thrive.
Jump to the following FAQ categories:
About United Way
United Way of Greater St. Louis brings people, resources, and funding together with one goal – to help our neighbors live their best possible lives.
The organization supports more than 150 local nonprofits and focuses on five key areas:
- Basic Needs – Food, shelter, and transportation
- Early Childhood & Youth Success – Education and development programs
- Health & Wellbeing – Physical and mental health services
- Jobs & Financial Mobility – Job training and financial stability
- Crisis Response & Community Stability – Emergency and ongoing support
We also operate:
- 211, a free, 24/7 referral line that connects people to available resources and support
- The region’s largest Volunteer Center
- 100 Neediest Cases, a holiday support program that helps thousands each year
- United for Families, a stability and economic empowerment initiative to restore families to self-sufficiency and ensure kids stay in school
- Community Information Exchange, a network of regional partners virtually coordinate efforts to maximize resources and transform the delivery of programs and direct service offerings
Each year, United Way supports more than 1 million people—1 in 3 neighbors across a 16-county region (link to our reach page) in Missouri and Illinois.
This includes:
- Children and families
- Seniors
- Individuals who rely on programs and services to meet both immediate and long-term needs
From immediate assistance to long-term solutions, we’re here when it matters most.
United Way serves a 16-county region across eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois, including the greater St. Louis area.
For over 100 years, the 100 Neediest Cases program has supported thousands of individuals and families across the St. Louis region during the holiday season. In the most recent year, the initiative raised $1.7 million, providing assistance to more than 11,000 people.
This effort is a collaboration between the United Way of Greater St. Louis and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Through this partnership, every dollar donated goes directly to those in need. Contributions help cover essential items such as holiday meals, clothing, household necessities, medications, and other basic living expenses.
United for Families is a United Way stability and economic empowerment program that takes a two-generation, whole-family approach to helping families achieve self-sufficiency and keep children in school. Case managers partner with families to address immediate crises that may disrupt stability, connect them to resources that meet unmet social and health-related needs, and guide them from crisis situations toward long-term success.
The program focuses on personalized case management, flexible financial assistance, and shared accountability. Through this support, families can stabilize housing, keep children in their schools, secure better employment opportunities, and meet essential needs—strengthening the family unit and creating lasting positive outcomes.
United for Families currently serves up to 500 families each year across St. Louis City and County in Missouri, as well as St. Clair and Madison counties in Illinois.
211 is a free, confidential referral line available 24/7 that connects people to local resources.
By calling or texting 211, individuals can get help with:
- Food and housing
- Utility assistance
- Healthcare services
- Employment resources
Impact and Community Needs
Key challenges in the region include:
- Access to affordable housing
- Utilities
- Food insecurity
- Healthcare access
- Employment and financial stability
Nearly 40% of households struggle to meet basic needs, highlighting the importance of community support.
Donations begin making an impact immediately by supporting nonprofits that provide both urgent assistance and long-term services.
Your gift goes further.
Instead of supporting just one program, your gift strengthens an entire network of nonprofits working together to solve complex challenges. This allows one gift to address multiple community challenges.
Your impact helps:
- Provide food, shelter, and essential services
- Expand education and job opportunities
- Build stronger, more stable communities
United Way takes a collaborative, community-wide approach, funding a broad range of nonprofit partners rather than a single program.
This allows your donation to:
- Reach more people
- Address multiple issues at once
- Create lasting, system-level change
Your contribution to the community campaign provides stable, year-round funding to more than 150 nonprofit partners.
This means:
- Help is available every day—not just during crises
- Organizations can plan, grow, and serve more people
- Our community is stronger and more resilient
Donations and Transparency
How is my donation used?
Your donation is invested in vetted nonprofit partners and programs that address the region’s most urgent needs.
Funding supports our key impact areas:
- Emergency assistance (food, shelter, utilities)
- Education and youth programs
- Job training and financial stability services
- Health and mental health support
Between 85 to 90 cents of every dollar donated to the United Way of Greater St. Louis goes directly to community programs, services, and local agencies. The remaining portion is dedicated to operational overhead, administrative costs, and fundraising efforts to sustain future community campaigns
Yes. United Way of Greater St. Louis is a registered nonprofit organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our Federal Tax ID number is 43-0714167.
Yes. You can choose monthly, quarterly, or annual giving to provide consistent, year-round support.
Funds raised during the community campaign provide consistent, year-round support to more than 150 nonprofit partners
These organizations deliver services such as:
- Emergency assistance (food, shelter, transportation)
- Youth and education programs
- Job training and employment support
- Mental health and counseling services
This ensures help is available every day—not just during times of crisis.
The need in the St. Louis region is greater than ever.
- In 2025, United Way’s 211 referral line received over 250,000 requests for help
- Nearly 40% of households struggled to meet basic needs
Many individuals are seeking support for:
- Utility bills
- Food and clothing
- Healthcare
- Employment
Your support ensures our neighbors don’t face these challenges alone.
No. You can donate to United Way of Greater St. Louis at any time throughout the year by visiting stg-uwstl-blocksytest.kinsta.cloud/donate.
While many workplace campaigns take place during specific months, we combine all individual donations made year-round into the overall community campaign funding to support ongoing programs and services.
Getting Involved
You can volunteer through United Way’s Volunteer Center, which connects individuals and groups with meaningful opportunities across the region.
We have volunteer opportunities for:
- Individuals
- Families (including children and teens)
- Groups
- Employees
Yes. Companies can partner through:
- Workplace giving campaigns
- Sponsorships
- Employee volunteer programs (Service2Go)
By bringing people and organizations together to solve our region’s most pressing issues, United Way of Greater St. Louis is making our community a better place to live, work, and thrive. It’s more than a job. It’s a mission!
Each year United Way of Greater St. Louis works to amplify the impact we are making in the community by increasing visibility across our region. Through our awareness campaign, we partner with media region wide in our 16-county area to display messaging on/in billboards, print, radio, TV, digital and social media.
Our awareness campaign page features that communication for our partners who’d also like to cross promote or/and use some of these assets.
All upcoming events are listed on our events page.
United Way of Greater St. Louis hosts monthly podcasts that often feature interviews with the local non-profits we fund.
Many of our non-profit partners are also featured on our blog.