Help Improve Lives
United We Improve Lives
Why We Improve Lives
Since United Way of the Coastal Empire was founded in 1938, we have remained driven by volunteers and committed to improving lives through the caring power of our community. Whether it is a global crisis or one of life’s everyday storms, United Way is here.
Each year, decade after decade, our community comes together to support each other with a safety net of programs and services for the most vulnerable and pathways for upward mobility to help everyone thrive.
In our five-county region:
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed. These individuals are working hard but still living paycheck to paycheck, just one health crisis or major car repair away from catastrophe. Many people on whom our society relies every day are identified as ALICE. They earn more than the Federal Poverty Level but not enough to make a modest household budget work. This ALICE partnership will turn data into action and reshape the dialogue on financial hardship.
How We Improve Lives
Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024 Data
We collect over 300 outcome stats from the agencies and programs we fund. These are just a few examples showing the impact of our investments!
Support Nonprofit Programs
Through your investment to the Community Fund, United Way provides annual program grants to high-performing nonprofit organizations working on the front lines of our five-county service area. A single donation goes to support over 80 programs across more than 50 local nonprofits.
Provide Direct Assistance
Whether it’s offering emergency rental assistance, coordinating disaster response efforts, providing transportation support, organizing literacy programs, or funding initiatives that play a vital role in helping individuals and families navigate a range of challenges—United Way, through its County Service Centers and 211 Information and Referral Service, is dedicated to serving those in greatest need.
Connect Volunteers to Causes
Volunteers are at the core of United Way’s many volunteer projects and initiatives throughout the community – like Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, United Way Day of Action, and Read United Day. This past fiscal year, volunteer participation increased by 17%, with United Way Volunteers providing vital services to those in need. From preparing meals for the food insecure to tutoring students, cleaning up litter, and offering companionship to seniors, volunteers made a significant impact in our community.
Number of Volunteers
$662,117
worth of estimated value added to our region.
Housing Heroes
Through a partnership with the City of Savannah, 131 Housing Heroes volunteers completed minor home repairs and maintenance for 12 homeowners.
What your gift can do
$0.50 per day
($182 yearly)
- Provides financial literacy classes for 20 individuals
- Covers 18 speech therapy sessions for a qualifying family
- Purchases 60 bus passes for people struggling with transportation challenges
This is the gift that pays you back! When you donate this amount, you receive a Caring Club card that qualifies you for discounts at many local businesses.
$1.00 per day
($365 yearly)
- Serves 73 meals at a soup kitchen
- Provides critical prevention education to 400 people on bullying, internet safety, sex trafficking, and more
- Provides 10 people with 3 months of employment accountability counseling to help them obtain and retain a job
With this donation, you can join United Way Young Leaders, an active leadership group of people 40 and younger, for development and service opportunities, socials & more.
$3.29 per day
($1,200 yearly)
- Provides 400 seniors with a bag of groceries
- Sends 25 girls to science and technology programs
- Covers the cost of taking the GED test for 7 learners
This leadership commitment makes you a Beacon Society member, or with a gift of $10,000, you become an Alexis de Tocqueville Society member.