Bergen County’s United Way

What Bergen County’s United Way does

Bergen County's United Way (legal name: United Way of Bergen County) is a New Jersey–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1948 and headquartered at 6 Forest Avenue, Suite 220, Paramus. Since 2005, under President Tom Toronto, the organization has pivoted its mission toward building affordable homes across New Jersey, serving four primary beneficiary cohorts: working families, military veterans, seniors, and adults with autism and other neurodiversities (including licensed group home settings). The organization operates a full-service affordable housing development platform — managing site acquisition, financing structuring, construction oversight, and post-occupancy service coordination — and runs co-development through a joint venture with Madeline Corporation known as BCUW/Madeline Housing Partners LLC.

The portfolio comprises 44 active housing communities spread across 11 New Jersey counties, having delivered 36 completed projects serving more than 500 individuals since 2005, with a forward pipeline of 26 projects in pre-development across municipalities including Haworth, Hillsdale, Readington, Rumson, South Orange, Waldwick, Wanaque, and Warren. Award-winning, neighborhood-contextual design is a stated differentiator. Distribution channels are predominantly municipal partnerships (municipalities reach out to the organization to expand affordable housing supply) supplemented by online housing inquiry forms and the NJ 2-1-1 helpline for resource referrals.

The nonprofit's revenue model is donation-based and diversified across individual giving (website, workplace campaigns), planned giving/bequests and the Cornerstone legacy circle, stock and real estate gifts, special events such as the Annual Golf Outing, and grants (including a $150,000 TD Charitable Foundation award in May 2024). A complementary product, the Charitable Flex Fund, functions as an online charitable checking account and mobile app that allows donors to manage philanthropy across multiple nonprofits with consolidated tax receipts. The organization holds Charity Navigator recognition and a GuideStar Exchange Silver Seal for nonprofit transparency and operates with approximately 11 named staff, including President Tom Toronto, Chief Development Officer Gina Nicoletti Gilsenan, Housing Controller Peter Arbeiter, and Community Outreach Manager Heather Liebchen.

Name

Bergen County’s United Way

Legal name

United Way of Bergen County

Website

https://bergenunitedway.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bergen County's United Way is a New Jersey–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops and operates affordable housing communities for working families, veterans, seniors, and adults with autism and other neurodiversities across 11 counties. It co-develops projects through BCUW/Madeline Housing Partners LLC and funds operations via charitable donations, planned giving, events, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Development

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (623990), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (6233)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Public Housing & Social Housing Development/Modernization Programs (FSALAKAH), Independent Living Community Development & Construction (Senior Housing Developers) (HLADAAAH)

Keywords

• Affordable housing development
• Nonprofit housing services
• Supportive housing
• Charitable giving platform
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Paramus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donations through website, workplace giving campaigns, planned giving (bequests), stock gifts, and real estate donations. Donors can set up a Charitable Flex Fund account to manage their philanthropy.
2. Planned Giving: Bequests and estate planning gifts that provide legacy support. Donors are entered into The Cornerstone legacy circle.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual Golf Outing and other special events that raise funds for affordable housing construction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bergen County's United Way is a nonprofit affordable housing developer that plans, finances, builds, and operates housing communities for working families, military veterans, seniors, and adults with developmental disabilities across New Jersey. Its secondary offering is the Charitable Flex Fund, a donor-facing online and mobile platform that consolidates philanthropic giving across multiple nonprofits into a single account.

Product overview

Bergen County's United Way operates as a nonprofit affordable housing developer offering a portfolio of housing solutions and a charitable giving platform. The core offerings include: (1) Affordable Housing Development - managing the full lifecycle from site acquisition through construction and service coordination for communities serving adults with autism/neurodiversities, veterans, seniors, and working families; (2) Active Housing Communities - 44 completed communities across 11 New Jersey counties; (3) Communities Under Construction - new developments in various stages; (4) Charitable Flex Fund - an online charitable checking account and mobile app for personal philanthropy management. The organization partners with Madeline Housing Partners for development operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Housing Development End-to-end development and operation of affordable housing communities in New Jersey for working families, veterans, seniors, and adults with developmental disabilities, including site acquisition, financing, construction, and service coordination.
• Charitable Flex Fund An online charitable checking account and mobile app that lets individual donors support any nonprofit, track donations, and consolidate tax receipts across multiple charities from a single account.
• Active Housing Communities Completed and operating affordable housing communities across New Jersey providing supportive housing, licensed group homes, and affordable homeownership for adults with developmental disabilities, veterans, seniors, and working families.
• Communities Under Construction Housing communities currently under construction in New Jersey locations, with applications and leasing intake active for neurodiverse/IDD individuals, seniors, veterans, and working families.
• Future Communities (Pre-Development Pipeline) Pre-development pipeline projects of new affordable housing communities planned for various New Jersey municipalities, advancing toward construction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36 projects providing affordable homes to over 500 individuals with special needs, families, seniors, and veterans
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Madeline CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBergen County's United Way and Madeline Corporation work together as non-profit organizations to address the housing crisis in New Jersey. The partnership, BCUW/Madeline Housing Partners LLC, has constructed 36 projects providing affordable homes to over 500 individuals. The organization manages all aspects of development from site acquisition and financing to construction and service coordination.
• NJ 2-1-1 PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTom Toronto serves as board member of the NJ 2-1-1 Partnership, driving implementation of the 2-1-1 helpline on behalf of New Jersey's local United Ways and New Jersey State Government.
• Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey Investor CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTom Toronto serves on the board/investor council of the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey's Investor Council.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Habitat for Humanity of Bergen County: Local Bergen County Habitat affiliate building affordable homes for working families. Directly comparable to BCUW on geography (Bergen County) and mission (affordable home ownership for working families), though BCUW also serves veterans, seniors, and IDD populations.
• The Arc of New Jersey: Statewide nonprofit advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including through supportive housing. Directly comparable to BCUW's IDD/neurodiversity housing segment and the populations it serves in New Jersey.
• BRIDGE Housing: Nonprofit affordable housing developer focused on building high-quality affordable and mixed-income housing, including for special-needs populations. Closely comparable development approach and mission to BCUW.
• Madeline Corporation: Co-development partner in BCUW/Madeline Housing Partners LLC, a fellow NJ-based nonprofit affordable-housing developer. Strong operational overlap given the joint venture relationship on all 36 completed projects.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) NJ: National CDFI with a strong New Jersey office that finances and supports nonprofit developers of affordable housing. Comparable in mission and geography, though LISC is primarily a funder/intermediary rather than a direct developer.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Large national nonprofit affordable housing developer and CDFI that builds and finances affordable homes across the U.S. Comparable in mission to BCUW but operates at far greater scale, with LIHTC syndication capabilities that BCUW accesses via Madeline Housing Partners.
• Mercy Housing: National nonprofit affordable housing developer serving families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Comparable in resident mix and nonprofit development model, though operates at significantly larger scale across multiple states.
• Volunteers of America (Greater New York and New Jersey): National nonprofit operating supportive and affordable housing programs, including for veterans, seniors, and survivors of domestic violence. Comparable resident mix to BCUW but operates across multiple states with significantly larger scale.

Others

• Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey: Trade/advocacy association for supportive housing providers in NJ; BCUW's president Tom Toronto sits on its Investor Council. Provides policy, training, and advocacy that shape the operating environment BCUW depends on.

Regional players

• Housing and Neighborhood Services of Bergen County: County-level housing agency operating in the same Bergen County geography, administering federal and state housing programs. Comparable in resident focus and geography, though as a government entity rather than a nonprofit developer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bergenunitedway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Bergen County’s United Way