United Way of Northeast Florida

What United Way of Northeast Florida does

United Way of Northeast Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1924 and headquartered at the Jessie Ball duPont Center in Jacksonville, Florida, serving residents across nine Northeast Florida counties (Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, St. Johns as primary; Columbia, Hamilton, Putnam, Suwannee via 211/988). The organization runs a coordinated portfolio of direct-service programs including the 24/7 211 information and referral helpline (with a database of 1,495+ community resources), the 988 Florida Lifeline crisis line, Mission United (Veteran care coordination), RealSense (free IRS-certified tax preparation), Full Service Schools (school-based resource centers in eight locations), Achievers for Life (drop-out prevention), Ride United (transportation), and the Eviction Diversion Program. It also convenes the First Coast Relief Fund disaster-response vehicle jointly with four other regional philanthropies.

The business model is donation- and grant-driven. Funding is raised through individual donations (tiered giving societies ranging from Atlantic Circle at $500/year to Tocqueville Society at $10,000+/year), workplace giving campaigns, corporate partnerships, and grants from foundations and government sources. United Way redistributes a significant share of funds as community investment grants (e.g., $4.4M and $5M cycles to 35+ nonprofits) and operates on a fiscal year ending June 30, with 86% of revenue reportedly funding programs per the most recent Form 990. Revenue streams are diversified across donations, corporate giving, foundation grants, and government contracts. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Darnell Smith of Florida Blue, with a leadership team including President & CEO Melanie D. Patz and senior VPs across Operations, Philanthropy, Finance, Marketing & Communications, Community Impact, and Crisis & Community Navigation. Its 2030 strategic plan — the ALICE Promise — commits to increasing resource referrals by 50%, employing 5,000 additional young adults, and repairing 450 senior-owned homes across three impact areas: healthy community, financial security, and youth opportunity.

Name

United Way of Northeast Florida

Legal name

United Way of Northeast Florida

Website

https://unitedwaynefl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

United Way of Northeast Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1924 that connects residents across nine Northeast Florida counties to health, crisis, Veteran, tax, and education services through 211/988 helplines, Mission United, RealSense, and Full Service Schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Resident Support Services (RA Training Support, On-Call Coordination, Crisis Response Liaison) (EDAEAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Crisis intervention services
• Veteran support programs
• Community grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Fundraising Campaigns: United Way raises funds through annual fundraising campaigns, individual donations (one-time and recurring), workplace giving programs, and special initiatives like the United for Mental Health Fund. The organization operates various giving societies (Atlantic Circle $500+, Leaders United $500+, Women United $1,000+, Emerging Tocqueville $2,500+, Tocqueville Society $10,000+) to cultivate donor relationships.
2. Corporate and Workplace Giving: Corporate engagement programs engage hundreds of local companies in workplace giving campaigns, employee volunteerism, and CSR partnerships. Companies can run United Way campaigns, provide volunteer opportunities, and access the RealSense tax filing program for employees.
3. Grant Funding and Foundations: United Way receives grant funding from foundations and government sources including The Jim Moran Foundation ($1M for housing), JPMorganChase ($650K capacity-building), and federal funding through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Florida Department of Children and Families for programs like Mission United and 988 Lifeline.
4. Community Investment and Grantmaking: United Way distributes millions in grants to local nonprofit and grassroots organizations. In recent cycles, awarded $4.4 million to 35 organizations and $5 million in basic needs and financial well-being grants across the service area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

United Way of Northeast Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that links people, resources, and ideas to address pressing community issues in Northeast Florida. It operates direct-service programs including the 211 helpline, 988 Florida Lifeline, Mission United (Veteran care coordination), RealSense (free tax preparation), and Full Service Schools (school-based mental health and basic needs support), while distributing grants to local nonprofits and mobilizing donors, volunteers, and corporate partners.

Product overview

United Way of Northeast Florida operates as a nonprofit social services organization offering a coordinated portfolio of direct service programs and community initiatives. The core service offerings include United Way 211 (24/7 helpline for health, human and social services), 988 Florida Lifeline (mental health crisis support), Mission United (Veteran care coordination), RealSense (free tax preparation), and Full Service Schools (school-based resource centers). These programs are supported by ancillary services including Ride United (transportation), the First Coast Relief Fund (disaster response), and Eviction Diversion Program (housing stabilization). The organization also operates leadership giving societies (Tocqueville Society, Women United, Atlantic Circle, Leaders United) and educational programs (Stein Fellowship, Meet ALICE Experience) to engage donors and build community awareness. The strategic framework is anchored by the ALICE Promise 2030 initiative targeting financial instability across three impact areas: healthy community, financial security, and youth opportunity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• United Way 211: 24/7 helpline connecting people to essential health, human and social services
• 988 Florida Lifeline
• RealSense
• Mission United
• Full Service Schools
• ALICE Promise
• Stein Fellowship
• United for Mental Health Fund

Products and services

• United Way 211 24/7 helpline connecting individuals and families to essential health, human and social services, with a searchable database of 1,495+ community resources accessible by phone, text, and online.
• 988 Florida Lifeline 24/7/365 mental health and crisis support service providing judgement-free emotional support for individuals experiencing distress, suicidal thoughts, or substance use crises, via phone, text, and chat.
• Mission United Care coordination program launched in 2019 connecting active military, Veterans and their families to health, housing, employment, education, benefits, legal, and emergency assistance services through case management.
• RealSense Free IRS-certified tax preparation program for low-to-moderate-income individuals and families, offering in-person, secure drop-off, virtual filing, and self-file options to help families claim tax credits and refunds.
• Full Service Schools School-based resource centers providing mental health counseling, case management, basic needs support, tutoring, parenting help, and medical services at eight Family Resource Centers serving 100+ Duval County Public Schools.
• Ride United Free transportation service offering rides to eligible individuals to access essential services such as school, work, healthcare, and food across multiple counties in Northeast Florida.
• First Coast Relief Fund Disaster relief fund established in October 2016 to collect and distribute funds during times of crisis, having distributed nearly $9 million through 251 grants to 128+ organizations since inception.
• Eviction Diversion Program Housing stabilization program helping residents in Northeast Florida prevent evictions and maintain housing stability through case management and emergency assistance.
• Achievers For Life Drop-out prevention initiative helping struggling Duval County students stay engaged in school and graduate on time, with 99% of participants promoted to next grade level on time.
• Stein Fellowship Year-long community engagement and multi-generational mentoring initiative cultivating next generation philanthropic leaders among young professionals, pairing fellows with Tocqueville Society mentors.
• Women United Leadership giving society for women philanthropists giving $1,000 or more annually, providing networking events, volunteer opportunities, and community investment activities.
• Tocqueville Society Leadership giving society recognizing individuals for voluntary service and philanthropic leadership with $10,000 or higher annual gifts, focused on basic needs, financial stability, and opportunity building.
• Atlantic Circle Young professional giving group requiring $500 or more annual gift, offering philanthropy, volunteering, networking, and leadership development opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 281,000+ households served with financial hardship data and resources
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• The Community Foundation for Northeast FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of the First Coast Relief Fund established in October 2016. Five leading philanthropic organizations joined to create the Relief Fund which has distributed nearly $9 million through 251 grants to 128+ organizations.
• Jessie Ball duPont FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of the First Coast Relief Fund. United Way headquarters is located at the Jessie Ball duPont Center.
• Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of the First Coast Relief Fund working with other major funders on disaster relief coordination.
• United Way of St. Johns CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of the First Coast Relief Fund, serving St. Johns County and the broader six-county service area.
• Crisis Center of Tampa BaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide Mission United partner providing emotional support and linkages to community resources for Florida Veterans.
• Florida Veterans Support LinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide partner for Mission United providing Veterans with emotional support and resource connections via 1-844-MYFLVET.
• LISC JacksonvilleflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner$5 million housing development loan partnership to stimulate homeownership in low-income neighborhoods.
• Miller Electric CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting youth enrichment microgrants and community needs assessment in partnership with 904WARD and University of North Florida.
• 904WARDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in youth enrichment microgrant initiative and community needs assessment with Miller Electric and UNF.
• University of North FloridamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in community needs assessment and Stein Fellowship mentoring program pairing fellows with Tocqueville Society members.
• City Year JacksonvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization ensuring students achieve their full potential. James Ellout previously led City Year Jacksonville before joining United Way.
• LSF Health SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner988 Florida Lifeline funding partner providing behavioral health and substance use expertise for crisis intervention services.
• Ability HousingflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJacksonville nonprofit receiving $650,000 capacity-building commitment from JPMorganChase through partnership with United Way for affordable housing infrastructure.

Scale indicators25 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization for the United Way network, defining shared branding, network standards, and aggregated fundraising infrastructure. Comparable as the broader brand and operating-system layer that UNF plugs into.

Direct peers

• Community Foundation for Northeast Florida: Co-founding partner of the First Coast Relief Fund and fellow regional philanthropy institution in Jacksonville. Operates grantmaking, donor-advised funds, and community research functions — overlapping directly with UNF's grantmaking, ALICE research, and community investment mandates.
• United Way of St. Johns County: Direct co-founding partner in the First Coast Relief Fund and a neighboring United Way affiliate with overlapping service area in St. Johns County. Closest functional peer within the United Way network — operates a similar direct-service and grantmaking model at smaller scale.
• Jessie Ball duPont Fund: Co-founding partner of the First Coast Relief Fund and host of UNF's headquarters at the Jessie Ball duPont Center. Comparable Northeast Florida philanthropic foundation with overlapping grantmaking and capacity-building focus.
• Crisis Center of Tampa Bay: Statewide Mission United partner and 988 Lifeline coordinator providing crisis intervention, Veteran services, and emotional support across Florida. Direct operational peer for UNF's 988 and Mission United program lines.
• Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida: Co-founding partner of the First Coast Relief Fund and a regional community philanthropy institution serving Northeast Florida. Comparable in funder-network role, donor cultivation, and disaster-response coordination with UNF.
• Mental Health America of Northeast Florida: Regional mental-health advocacy and direct-service organization addressing many of the same Northeast Florida populations served through UNF's 988 Lifeline and Full Service Schools mental-health counseling. Comparable in mission overlap and referral ecosystem.

Regional players

• United Way of Central Florida: Another mid-sized regional United Way affiliate operating a similar portfolio (211, grantmaking, workplace giving, community impact programs) but serving the Orlando/Central Florida service area. Comparable in operating model, donor structure, and program scope; relevant for benchmarking peer UNF performance and cross-regional funder patterns.

Others

• City Year Jacksonville: Active UNF community partner and AmeriCorps dropout-prevention organization working within Duval County Public Schools. Comparable in K-12 student-support mission and shares the Stein Fellowship/United for ALICE donor network.
• LISC Jacksonville: Active partner on UNF's $5M housing development loan fund and JPMorganChase $650K capacity-building grant. A national CDFI focused on community development, comparable in affordable-housing/place-based initiatives that increasingly intersect with UNF's grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unitedwaynefl
• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedwaynefl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unitedwaynefl
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitedwaynefl

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Way of Northeast Florida