United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties

Name

United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties

Legal name

United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties

Website

https://uwbfco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kennewick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals via online portal, pledge forms, and cash/check contributions. Donations support areas of greatest need or can be designated to specific agencies.
2. Workplace Giving Campaigns: Payroll deduction pledges allowing employees to contribute regularly through workplace campaigns. Processed and distributed to United Way each pay period. Major GTM channel for employee engagement.
3. Donor-Designated Gifts: Donors direct gifts to specific 501(c)(3) agencies. United Way processes and distributes these gifts quarterly. Service fee of 25% covers fundraising, collecting, processing and distributing.
4. Community Grants: Gap-filling grants to local nonprofits supporting early learning, student success, and basic needs. In 2025: $139,750 in grants plus $363,034 in donor designated gifts.
5. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for programs (Attendance Matters, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library) and events (Festival of Trees, Donor Leadership Event).
6. Planned Giving: Legacy giving options including donor-advised funds, stock gifts, IRA charitable rollovers, and bequests through wills or trusts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes charitable giving and community programs to improve outcomes for children from birth through middle school in the Tri-Cities region. Its core offerings center on three pillars: Early Learning (Lantern text-message parenting tips and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library book gifting), Student Success (Attendance Matters school-based mentoring and toolkit), and Critical Services (gap-filling community grants to vetted local nonprofits).

Product overview

United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties operates as a nonprofit community organization offering a portfolio of programs and services focused on improving outcomes for local children from birth through middle school. The core offering consists of three programmatic pillars: Early Learning (Lantern text messaging service and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library book gifting program), Student Success (Attendance Matters® Mentoring Program with companion toolkit), and Critical Services (Community Grants to local nonprofits). The organization also hosts major fundraising events including the Festival of Trees Gala, Donor Leadership Event, Mariachi & More Festival, and River of Fire Festival. These programs work together to advance early literacy, enhance student attendance and success, and expand access to basic needs services for families in Benton and Franklin Counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Attendance Matters®: A registered trademark mentoring program that connects chronically absent students with trained adult mentors to improve attendance, attitudes toward school, and future success. Operating since 2021.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
• Lantern

Products and services

• Lantern Text Messaging Program Free evidence-based text-messaging service that delivers age-appropriate parenting tips, child development resources, and local community event information to caregivers from pregnancy through preteen, available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Targeted at families with young children in Benton & Franklin Counties.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL) Book-gifting program run in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library that mails one age-appropriate, high-quality book each month to children ages birth to 5 at no cost to families living in covered zip codes. Designed to improve early literacy and kindergarten readiness for local children in Benton & Franklin Counties.
• Attendance Matters® Mentoring Program School-based mentoring program that places trained AmeriCorps adult mentors in elementary and middle schools to build relationships with chronically absent students and improve their attendance, attitudes toward school, and future success. Targeted at schools and families in Benton & Franklin Counties.
• Community Grants Program Gap-filling grants program that funds vetted local 501(c)(3) nonprofits delivering services in three priority areas — kindergarten preparedness, student success, and basic needs — for children from birth through middle school. Also administers donor-designated gifts processed quarterly with a 25% administrative fee.
• Festival of Trees Gala and Auction United Way's largest annual fundraising gala, held each November, featuring a full-service dinner, live and silent auctions, and a dessert dash. Generates major philanthropic revenue for local children and family programs in Benton & Franklin Counties.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,461 local children received books at no cost; 65,028 books mailed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library / The Dollywood FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023United Way partners with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to mail age-appropriate books to children ages birth-5 each month at no cost to families. In 2025, 6,461 local children received books through this program. Washington State funding was eliminated in 2025, doubling costs.
• Lantern (Bright by Text)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLantern delivers evidence-based, personalized text messages to caregivers from pregnancy through preteen. Messages include tips, activities, and local event information. Available in English, Spanish, and Arabic.
• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmeriCorps program placing trained mentors in schools for the Attendance Matters Mentoring Program. Federal AmeriCorps funding was terminated in 2025, requiring program adaptation.
• Attendance WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit focused on reducing chronic absenteeism. Provides research and resources for Attendance Matters program.
• Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState education agency providing information on attendance, absenteeism, and truancy for Attendance Matters toolkit.
• APH (American Printing House for the Blind)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBraille Tales Print/Braille Book Program partnership providing accessible book options for children who are blind or visually impaired.
• JustServeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVolunteer matching platform connecting volunteers with local nonprofit opportunities.
• Benton Franklin Early Learning AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of early learning organizations. All members considered Lantern Community Partners.
• B5 (Thrive at B5)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRefugee Resettlement Program partner. 2025-2027 Funded Partner providing tutoring for 100 K-8 students learning English.
• Children's Reading FoundationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor2025-2027 Funded Partner providing books, tools, and training for 500 families through Let's READ! program.
• Elijah Family HomescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor2025-2027 Funded Partner providing housing and wraparound support for 75 children and parents in recovery.
• Grace CollectivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor2025-2027 Funded Partner providing trauma-informed training for 75 women, improving stability for 100 children.
• Restoration Community ImpactcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor2025-2027 Funded Partner providing food, clothing, and hygiene essentials for 1,800 children and families through market popups.
• SARC (Support Advocacy Resource Center)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor2025-2027 Funded Partner providing 24/7 trauma-informed advocacy and support for 300 children and caregivers facing violence or abuse.
• Tri Cities Diaper BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor2025-2027 Funded Partner providing diapers for 500 local children to enable families to return to work, school, or apprenticeship.
• TROT Tri-CitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor2025-2027 Funded Partner providing horse-assisted activities for 70 children with disabilities.
• ICCU (Idaho Central Credit Union)majorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Attendance Matters supporter and sponsor. Also presenting sponsor of River of Fire Festival.
• Greater Health NowminorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Attendance Matters supporter organization.
• Mentor WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2026 Attendance Matters supporter providing mentorship program expertise.
• BMOminorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Attendance Matters supporter organization.
• BattelleminorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Attendance Matters supporter organization.
• Baker Boyer BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library supporter.
• WSECUminorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library supporter.
• 3 Rivers Community FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library supporter.
• Legends CasinominorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library supporter.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Feeding America:

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-development nonprofit with overlapping mission (K-12 attendance, mentoring, family engagement). Much larger scale; competes for the same corporate workplace-giving dollars and youth-outcomes philanthropic funding.
• United Way Worldwide: Parent network of 1,800+ United Ways globally. While not a competitive peer, it sets brand standards, programmatic frameworks, and shared services (Candid transparency, common branding) that directly shape UWBFCO's operations and positioning.

Direct peers

• United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County: Mid-sized United Way chapter with comparable geographic concentration, multi-program portfolio, and event-driven fundraising mix. Useful peer for benchmarking programmatic efficiency and revenue per capita in a similarly-sized catchment.
• United Way of Central Ohio: Mid-sized regional United Way chapter with an explicit focus on childhood education and family stability outcomes. Operates a similar three-pillar programmatic structure and uses community grants to local nonprofits as a core funding lever.
• United Way of King County: Largest United Way chapter in the Pacific Northwest operating under the same global United Way brand with similar workplace-giving, community grant, and direct-program models. Directly comparable on mission, structure, and revenue model, just at materially larger scale in the Seattle metro.
• Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington: Regional faith-based social services nonprofit operating across Eastern Washington with similar programs in family support, basic needs, and crisis services. Competes for the same workplace-giving, individual donations, and corporate sponsorships in overlapping Washington geography.

Regional players

• 3 Rivers Community Foundation: Local Tri-Cities community foundation that is simultaneously a partner (2026 DPIL supporter) and a potential peer in fundraising, grant-making, and donor-advised fund services within the same Benton & Franklin County geography.
• Benton-Franklin Community Action Committee: Local community-action agency serving the same Benton & Franklin Counties geography with overlapping anti-poverty, early childhood, and family support programs. Direct geographic peer for impact metrics and donor/funding overlap.
• United Way of the Columbia-Willamette: Pacific Northwest United Way chapter serving the Portland metro. Directly comparable mission, structure, and workplace-campaign model; operates in an adjacent but non-overlapping geography from the Benton & Franklin Counties catchment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1121358496701645&type=3
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-way-of-benton-franklin-counties

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties