Frequently Asked Questions

What is United Way?

United Way is a global network of more than 1,000 independent nonprofit organizations working to improve lives and strengthen communities. Each local United Way is governed by its own volunteer board, listens to the needs of its own community, and invests in strategies that create lasting change.

Heart of Missouri United Way is your local United Way, serving mid-Missouri for more than 80 years. While we are part of an international movement, we operate independently — raising local dollars, making local decisions, and investing in local solutions.

United Way brings together people and organizations who care about their community — nonprofits, businesses, schools, government partners, labor, faith groups, and thousands of residents — because the biggest challenges can’t be solved by one organization alone.

As part of a worldwide network, we also benefit from shared learning, innovation, research, and best practices, helping our community access proven solutions that work across the country and around the globe.

What does Heart of Missouri United Way do?

Heart of Missouri United Way mobilizes our community to take action so every person can thrive. 

For eight decades, we have partnered with local nonprofits, businesses, schools, government agencies, and community members to co-create solutions to mid-Missouri’s most pressing challenges.

We take a comprehensive, community-driven approach:

  • listening deeply to local needs
  • responding to urgent and emerging challenges
  • investing in strategies that address both immediate crises and the root causes that create them.

Our work includes a combination of grantmaking, direct initiatives, partnerships, and communitywide coordination. Our core initiatives include:

  • ASPIRES Project
  • Community Impact Grants
  • Give 5
  • Read Across Columbia

(Explore each initiative in the What We Do page)

Across all areas, we unite people and organizations to strengthen the systems that support families — from education to economic mobility to basic needs. We focus on long-term solutions, not temporary fixes, and we track outcomes to ensure every investment makes a meaningful difference.

Because when our neighbors do well, our entire community grows stronger.

Does my gift to Heart of Missouri United Way really make an impact?

Yes. Every gift to Heart of Missouri United Way creates measurable, communitywide impact.
Your donation supports a coordinated network of programs, partnerships, and initiatives that address urgent needs while also strengthening the systems that help people thrive. 

Here’s how your gift makes a difference: 

  1. You support a full ecosystem of services — not just one program.

Your gift fuels a range of high-impact efforts, including: 

  • Community Impact grants that strengthen essential local nonprofit programs
  • 211, which connects thousands of people each year to food, housing, mental health care, and critical resources
  • Read Across Columbia and other education initiatives that support early literacy and long-term success
  • Collaborations with schools, health partners, local government, and businesses to tackle complex community challenges
  1. Your gift is multiplied through partnerships and leveraged resources.

United Way brings additional dollars, volunteers, expertise, and in-kind support into our community. By coordinating these resources, your contribution goes further and helps more people. 

  1. You help create long-term change rooted in data and accountability. 

We invest in strategies that are researched, measured, and evaluated — ensuring that funded programs deliver real results. We track outcomes, share progress, and hold ourselves and our partners accountable. 

  1. You support both immediate help and long-term solutions. 

From crisis response to prevention and system-level improvements, your donation helps people today and strengthens the community for tomorrow. 

Your gift is more than a donation — it’s an investment in a stronger, healthier, more connected community. 

How does Heart of Missouri United Way decide where funding goes?

Heart of Missouri United Way invests in strategies that make the greatest impact for our community. Funding decisions are guided by:

  • Local needs, identified through community conversations, data, and collaboration with partners
  • Volunteer-led review panels, made up of trained community members who evaluate programs and initiatives
  • Clear goals and measurable outcomes, to ensure dollars are directed where they can make the largest difference
  • Equity, evidence, and community voice, so investments reflect the realities and strengths of the people we serve

Every funding decision is made locally by volunteers and staff who understand our region’s needs. We track results and share outcomes publicly so donors can see the impact of their investment.

Why should I give through Heart of Missouri United Way instead of directly to one nonprofit?

Giving through United Way means your gift goes further.

United Way supports a coordinated network of programs, partnerships, and initiatives that work together to address both immediate needs and the root causes behind them. No single organization can tackle issues like housing stability, early literacy, mental health care access, or financial security alone.

When you give through Heart of Missouri United Way, you support:

  • a broader system of care
  • nonprofit partners working collaboratively
  • proven strategies backed by data
  • long-term, sustainable solutions

Your gift becomes part of a community-wide effort that is bigger than any one organization — and creates impact none of us could achieve alone.

Can I designate my gift to a specific nonprofit or area of work?

Yes. Heart of Missouri United Way honors donor intent within our established designation guidelines. 

Donors may designate their gift to: 

  • any of our currently funded partner agencies, or
  • Read Across Columbia, our only United Way initiative eligible to receive designated gifts 

Designations to partner agencies are applied as part of that agency’s overall funding and do not influence future grant decisions by the Board of Directors. 

If a designation is made to an organization that is not a currently funded partner agency, we will attempt to contact the donor to redirect the gift. If we do not receive a response, the gift will be treated as undesignated and invested in our work across the community. 

While designations are always honored, undesignated gifts provide the greatest impact, allowing Heart of Missouri United Way to invest flexibly across programs, partnerships, and initiatives where the community’s needs are greatest. 

How does Heart of Missouri United Way ensure my gift is used responsibly?

Accountability is at the heart of everything we do – it is one of our core values. 

United Way ensures responsible stewardship through: 

  • Volunteer-led oversight of funding decisions
  • Regular program monitoring and review
  • Outcome reporting to track progress and results
  • Transparent financial practices and independent audits
  • A locally governed volunteer Board of Directors 

Every partner program and initiative must show measurable results and strong financial management. We work closely with fund recipients to ensure your investment is making the greatest possible impact.

What services, programs, and initiatives does my gift support?

Your donation supports a coordinated network of investments designed to help people in our community thrive. This includes: 

  • Community Impact Grants to local nonprofits
  • Direct initiatives, such as:
    • ASPIRES Project
    • Give 5
    • Read Across Columbia
  • Information & referral services, including 211
  • Collaborations and system-strengthening work, bringing organizations together to address shared challenges
  • Support for community coordination during extraordinary events, such as activating CoMoHelps with partners during widescale disruptions.  While we are not an ongoing crisis response agency, we work with community partners when unified action is needed. 

Your gift strengthens both immediate supports and long-term solutions that create a healthier, more connected mid-Missouri.

Who benefits from my donation?

Your donation helps individuals and families across mid-Missouri — not just those experiencing poverty. 

People who benefit include: 

  • children building early literacy skills
  • seniors accessing support and connection
  • adults seeking job training or financial stability
  • families navigating emergencies like food insecurity or housing instability
  • caregivers, veterans, students, and many others 

When one person succeeds, our whole community becomes stronger. That’s why Heart of Missouri United Way invests in strategies that support people today and improve the systems that shape tomorrow.

Is my Heart of Missouri United Way contribution tax-deductible?

Yes. Heart of Missouri United Way is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donors receive a record of their gift for tax purposes.

Does Heart of Missouri United Way pressure people to give at work?

No. Heart of Missouri United Way does not support or condone coercive giving. Workplace campaigns should be welcoming, educational, and voluntary. Participation is always a personal choice.

We encourage employers to create a positive campaign experience focused on awareness, impact, and community pride — never pressure. 

I’m not sure I can afford to give. What are my options?

Every gift makes a difference, and Heart of Missouri United Way offers flexible, accessible ways to participate: 

  • Payroll deduction (if offered by your employer), allowing you to give just a few dollars each pay period
  • One-time gifts, made whenever it works best for you
  • Recurring monthly gifts, which spread giving out over time in small, manageable amounts
  • Participating in workplace campaign activities, such as bake sales, raffles, special events, or onsite food trucks — fun, low-cost ways to give back and join in your company’s community spirit.
  • Giving through volunteerism, advocacy, or in-kind support, which make a meaningful impact even if a financial gift isn’t possible right now 

No one is ever pressured to give. We invite people to engage in the way that feels right for them — through giving, volunteering, connecting, or simply learning more about our community’s needs.