United Way to invest $21M into human service agencies
The $21 million investment will benefit 138 programs run by 121 nonprofit agencies.
By the MVI
United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania announced investments of $21 million over the next three years to human services agencies across the region.
This funding initiative coincides with the launch of a public fundraising campaign to raise $40 million for a new endowment, established in honor of the organization’s 100th anniversary in 2027.
“This $21 million investment is vital and needed now more than ever,” said United Way President and CEO Bobbi Watt Geer, Ph.D. “The number of funding requests to United Way grew by 30% since our last multi-year grant cycle in 2023. This is a reflection of unprecedented needs our partner agencies are seeing in the community, often from people who have never sought help before. Meeting these needs is one of the reasons we’re asking the public to help us meet our goal of raising $40 million in honor of our 100th anniversary in 2027.”
United Way’s $21 million investment will benefit 138 programs run by 121 nonprofit agencies across Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties through 2029. Investments are in four categories: meeting basic needs, moving to financial stability, building for success in school and life, and capacity building to strengthen the nonprofit sector.
Funded agencies are listed on United Way’s website: https://uwswpa.info/funded- agencies.
About the public campaign
United Way’s new endowment, called the Fund for Transformation and Resilience, will power at least $2 million more in investments each year. United Way has raised $20.5 million so far from foundations and corporations toward its $40 million goal and is now asking the public to donate. Endowment dollars raised are above and beyond United Way’s ongoing fundraising of more than $30 million each year.
“This new endowment will make it possible for United Way to achieve three key goals: meeting increasing community needs, responding to unforeseen emergencies, and investing in innovative projects that bring nonprofits together to meet challenges that no single organization can meet on its own,” Watt Geer said.
United Way has also launched Give Big United 100th anniversary, an online giving campaign in partnership with Pittsburgh Magazine, powered by $70,000 in matching funds from Comcast. Give Big runs through June 30, 2026 and marks the launch of the public campaign.
