United Way of Southeast Louisiana

What United Way of Southeast Louisiana does

United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community impact organization founded in 1924 and headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. Operating as an independent local affiliate of United Way Worldwide, UWSELA serves seven parishes (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington) with a mission to eradicate poverty across Southeast Louisiana. The organization employs 101-250 staff across five regional offices and delivers free services through physical Prosperity Centers, community partner networks, and resource navigators.

UWSELA's core portfolio spans four strategic pillars: Financial Stability (Prosperity Centers offering financial education, coaching, credit counseling, and benefits screening; IDA Project 4:1 matched-savings program with 550+ families achieving homeownership since 2006; free VITA tax preparation; Moving Families Forward two-generation case management), Health (N.O. Mental Health Collaborative, Hospitality Cares crisis grants up to $2,500, SingleCare prescription discount partnership), Youth Opportunity (Dolly Parton's Imagination Library early literacy, Youth Investments, grade-level reading initiatives), and Community Resiliency (Resiliency Center co-launched August 2025, RETURN reentry initiative, disaster resources). Civic engagement programming includes the Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice (12-week U.S. Constitution course with Loyola University New Orleans College of Law) and the Five Awake documentary supporting domestic violence legislation. The organization operates without proprietary technology products, relying on standard nonprofit management systems and case management tools.

UWSELA's revenue model is entirely philanthropic: individual donations (tiered from $250 Women United memberships to $1M+ Tocqueville Society recognition), corporate workplace giving campaigns (Top 60 Most Generous Workplaces program), corporate sponsorships (Entergy, Ochsner, Pan-American Life, Regions Bank, Delta Utilities), and grants. Notable fundraising signals include Entergy employees raising $7.7 million through a single annual campaign and Women United investing $4.2 million in local programs since 2002. Donor cultivation occurs through five affinity groups (Women United, Young Leaders United, Retire United, Tocqueville Society, Mission Ignition) and events including the annual Tocqueville Gala. The organization is governed by an independent board chaired by Dr. Takeisha Davis, with President & CEO Michael Williamson and EVP & COO Charmaine Caccioppi leading executive operations.

Name

United Way of Southeast Louisiana

Legal name

United Way of Southeast Louisiana

Website

https://unitedwaysela.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Financial capability programs
• Workplace giving campaigns
• Disaster resilience services
• Free tax preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through one-time and recurring donations, with giving levels starting at $250 for Women United membership up to $1,000,000+ for Tocqueville Society recognition levels. The organization promotes tax-deductible contributions with claims of $1 donated creating $36.18 in community impact.
2. Workplace Giving Campaigns: Corporate workplace campaigns allow employees to give through payroll deduction. Top 60 Most Generous Workplaces are recognized annually. Campaign toolkit provided to corporate partners.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support, in-kind donations, and employee engagement. Sponsors include Entergy Corporation, Ochsner Health, Pan-American Life, Regions Bank, and others at various sponsorship tiers for events like the Tocqueville Gala.
4. Program Services Revenue: Free services including VITA tax preparation, Prosperity Centers financial education, IDA matched savings, and other programs are funded through grants and donations rather than service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

United Way of Southeast Louisiana is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community impact organization that delivers free programs across financial stability, education, health, and disaster resilience for residents of seven parishes in Southeast Louisiana. Core service offerings include Prosperity Centers for financial education and coaching, VITA free tax preparation, IDA matched savings programs, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library early literacy, RETURN prisoner reentry, and the Resiliency Center for disaster preparedness, all funded through individual donations, corporate workplace giving campaigns, and grants.

Product overview

United Way of Southeast Louisiana operates as a community impact organization offering a portfolio of programs organized around four key frameworks: Financial Stability (Prosperity Centers, IDA Project, VITA tax assistance, Moving Families Forward), Health (Mental Health Collaborative, Hospitality Cares, SingleCare), Youth Opportunity (Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Youth Investments, N.O. Campaign for Grade-Level Reading), and Community Resiliency (Resiliency Center, RETURN reentry program, Disaster Resources). The organization also runs affinity groups (Women United, Young Leaders United, Retire United, Tocqueville Society) and civic engagement initiatives (Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice, Five Awake documentary). Most programs are free services delivered directly to residents, with donor engagement and corporate partnership components supporting the overall mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prosperity Center: One-stop financial stability center offering financial education and coaching, credit building and counseling, benefits screening, and income tax assistance
• Women United
• Young Leaders United
• Retire United
• Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice
• Five Awake
• Resiliency Center
• RETURN Initiative

Products and services

• Prosperity Centers One-stop financial capability centers offering financial education, coaching, credit counseling, benefits screening, matched savings programs, and free tax preparation assistance across seven parishes in Southeast Louisiana. Services are free to eligible residents.
• IDA Project (Individual Development Accounts) Matched savings account program helping low-income individuals save toward long-term assets (home, business, education, vehicle, home repair) with a 4:1 match on savings. 550+ families have achieved homeownership through the program since 2006.
• Hospitality Cares Crisis grant program offering emergency financial assistance up to $2,500 for eligible hospitality workers, including housing, medical, and utility bill support. Administered with Louisiana Hospitality Foundation for workers at businesses with active United Way workplace campaigns.
• Free Tax Help - VITA IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to individuals and families earning less than $67,000 annually.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Early literacy initiative providing new, age-appropriate books monthly to children from birth to age five, free of charge regardless of family income.
• Moving Families Forward Two-generation family stability program partnering with the Siemer Institute to provide case management, financial coaching, and supportive services for families facing homelessness.
• N.O. Mental Health Collaborative Collective impact network advancing equitable access to behavioral health care through coordination, capacity building, and needs assessment in New Orleans.
• Resiliency Center Permanent, storm-hardened collaborative hub for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, operated with Rebuilding Together New Orleans. Unveiled on August 29, 2025, the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
• RETURN Initiative (Restoration and Empowerment Through United Reentry Network) Prisoner reentry initiative providing three-phase support (incarceration, transition, community reintegration) to help formerly incarcerated individuals secure employment, housing, and stability. Operates in Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes.
• Youth Investments Summer impact grants and out-of-school programming investments supporting youth development in Orleans Parish, focused on serving young people of color below the ALICE Threshold.
• Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice 12-week civic education course on the U.S. Constitution created with Loyola University New Orleans College of Law to foster civil discourse and civic engagement. Nearly 100 graduates to date.
• SingleCare Prescription Discount Card Partnership with SingleCare (formerly FamilyWize) providing free prescription discount cards to help community members afford medications.
• Delta Utilities Cares (DU Cares) Natural gas bill assistance program providing up to $250 per eligible household for Delta Utilities customers experiencing financial hardship, in partnership with Delta Utilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 550+ families achieved homeownership through IDA Project since 2006
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• United Way of Greater Atlanta: Another large regional United Way affiliate with a similar multi-county service area, workplace giving campaigns, Prosperity Center-style financial stability programs, and 2-1-1 navigation services—directly comparable operating model and donor structures.
• Greater New Orleans Foundation: Regional community foundation listed as a UWSELA community partner; competes for the same corporate, individual, and institutional philanthropic dollars in Southeast Louisiana and provides overlapping grantmaking, disaster recovery, and civic programs.
• Baptist Community Ministries: Listed as a UWSELA community partner; operates as a faith-rooted grantmaker in Greater New Orleans funding health, education, and poverty-relief programs—directly comparable donor-advised style funding model and target beneficiaries.
• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans: Provides social services, disaster response, and case management in the same seven-parish footprint, competing for the same Catholic donor base and serving overlapping ALICE and vulnerable populations.
• Salvation Army of Greater New Orleans: Operates emergency assistance, housing, and disaster relief programs in the same region with a comparable faith-rooted, donation-driven social services model and corporate workplace giving partnerships.
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Orleans: Runs the same IDA-style asset-building pathway (homeownership for low-income families) as UWSELA's IDA Project, in the same regional service area, with overlapping corporate volunteer and sponsor relationships.
• American Red Cross Southeast Louisiana: Competes for disaster preparedness and recovery funding in the same parishes, with comparable corporate workplace giving campaigns and a focus on vulnerable Gulf Coast populations.
• Louisiana Association of United Ways: Statewide United Way umbrella organization; coordinates and advocates for Louisiana United Way affiliates including UWSELA, with overlapping donor and policy agendas.
• Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana: Provides reentry, housing, behavioral health, and family stability services in the same parishes, with a similar donation- and grant-funded direct-service model targeting ALICE and justice-impacted populations.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: Global parent network of which UWSELA is an affiliate; provides brand standards, network effects, and shared fundraising platforms while UWSELA operates as an independent 501(c)(3) governance entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCL_lKEomwx8zRRnRqQe_53w
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnitedWaySELA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unitedwaysela
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitedwaysela
• Xx.com/UnitedWaySELA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about United Way of Southeast Louisiana