United Way of Snohomish County

What United Way of Snohomish County does

United Way of Snohomish County (UWSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Everett, Washington, that operates as a strategic community impact investor across Snohomish County. Founded in 1941 as the Everett Community Chest, UWSC coordinates charitable giving and deploys resources across four focus areas: Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Healthy Community, and Community Resilience. The organization serves a broad resident base, with particular emphasis on ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households, and delivers programs through direct service, partner agency networks, school-based channels, and the Carnegie Resource Center service hub operated jointly with Pioneer Human Services and the Snohomish County Human Services Department.

UWSC's programmatic portfolio includes Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (over 300,000 books mailed to children), Varsity Letter in Community Service, financial literacy and free tax assistance programs, a community reinvestment program, disaster relief, the federally funded Emergency Food & Shelter Program, the ALICE research and budget tools, and the 2-1-1 North Sound resource referral line. The 2018 launch of CORE: Creating Open Roads to Equity institutionalized the organization's systems-oriented approach to addressing poverty. UWSC does not develop proprietary technology platforms; its operational backbone consists of standard nonprofit fundraising, grantmaking, and referral tools.

The organization's revenue model is donor-funded philanthropic contributions from individuals, corporate giving campaigns, workplace giving, and planned giving, supplemented by government pass-through funds (e.g., EFSP, state matching for Imagination Library). UWSC is governed by a Board of Directors (chaired by Stan DeLizo) and led by Executive Director Inga Paige, who succeeded Brittany Williams in 2025. The organization completed its 2026-2029 Strategic Plan and faces near-term revenue pressure from the elimination of Washington State matching funds for Imagination Library.

Name

United Way of Snohomish County

Legal name

United Way of Snohomish County

Website

https://uwsc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United Way of Snohomish County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Everett, Washington that coordinates charitable giving and deploys community programs across Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Healthy Community, and Community Resilience for Snohomish County residents, particularly ALICE households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Human Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Community impact investing
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Youth development programs
• Disaster relief services
• Financial assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Everett

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Charitable Giving: United Way of Snohomish County raises funds through individual donations, corporate giving campaigns, workplace giving, and planned giving. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization relies on charitable contributions to fund community investment programs across its four focus areas: Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Healthy Community, and Community Resilience.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

United Way of Snohomish County is a nonprofit community impact investor that raises charitable donations through workplace giving, individual giving, corporate partnerships, and planned giving, then reinvests those funds into four strategic focus areas — Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Community Resilience, and Healthy Community — by funding its own direct-service programs and granting to vetted partner nonprofits. Programs include Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Free Tax Assistance, Financial Literacy workshops, the Varsity Letter in Community Service program, the CORE: Creating Open Roads to Equity initiative, the Carnegie Resource Center, and the North Sound 2-1-1 information and referral hotline serving Snohomish County, Washington residents.

Product overview

United Way of Snohomish County operates as a strategic community impact investor, offering a portfolio of community programs organized around four focus areas: Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Community Resilience, and Healthy Community. The organization delivers services both directly and through partner agencies, including early literacy programs (Dolly Parton's Imagination Library), youth development (Varsity Letter in Community Service), financial stability services (Free Tax Assistance, Financial Literacy), disaster relief, emergency food and shelter, and equity initiatives (CORE). Programs are accessible through service hubs like the Carnegie Resource Center and the 2-1-1 referral system. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather a collection of distinct community service programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CORE: Creating Open Roads to Equity: An equity initiative launched in 2018 that addresses systemic barriers and works toward equitable, community-led solutions for poverty.

Products and services

• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Free, age-appropriate books mailed monthly to children from birth to age five, designed to foster early literacy and a love of reading among Snohomish County children. Targeted at pre-K households and delivered through school and community partner enrollment channels.
• Free Tax Assistance Free IRS-certified income tax preparation services for ALICE and low-income households in Snohomish County, helping filers claim credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and maximize refunds at no cost.
• Financial Literacy Education Workshops and educational resources on budgeting, saving, debt management, and household financial planning, targeted at ALICE households and other Snohomish County residents seeking to build financial stability.
• Varsity Letter in Community Service Recognition program for high school students in Snohomish County who complete a substantial number of community-service hours, awarding an official varsity-style letter to encourage volunteerism and youth civic engagement.
• Community Reinvestment Program Grant program that reinvests donor dollars into vetted partner nonprofits delivering services aligned with United Way's four strategic pillars, extending organizational reach into youth, financial security, community resilience, and health outcomes.
• Disaster Relief Fund Flexible emergency fund that provides short-term financial assistance to Snohomish County residents impacted by disasters such as fires, floods, and severe weather when other resources are unavailable.
• Emergency Food & Shelter Program (EFSP) Federally funded pass-through program that distributes emergency food, shelter, and rental assistance to households in Snohomish County experiencing acute financial crisis, administered locally by United Way of Snohomish County.
• Greatest Needs Fund Unrestricted fund that allows United Way to rapidly deploy resources to address the most pressing unmet community needs in Snohomish County as they emerge, beyond any single programmatic pillar.
• CORE: Creating Open Roads to Equity An equity-focused community initiative led by United Way of Snohomish County to identify and address systemic barriers faced by underserved populations in the county, advancing equitable access to opportunity across all four strategic pillars.
• Carnegie Resource Center Resource hub serving Snohomish County's nonprofit partner ecosystem with shared tools, training, and capacity-building support to strengthen community organizations aligned with United Way's mission.
• North Sound 2-1-1 Free, confidential 24/7 information and referral service connecting Snohomish County residents to local health and human services resources via telephone and online, operated by United Way of Snohomish County as the regional 2-1-1 provider.
• ALICE Budget & Income Tools Online household financial self-assessment tools built on the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) framework, helping Snohomish County residents evaluate their household budget against a localized cost-of-living baseline.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ books delivered to young children in Snohomish County through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and minor.

• Washington StatekeyOthers · 1 December 2025Washington State had provided critical matching funds for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which have been cut from the Washington State budget, threatening the future of this program. United Way is seeking continued support to keep the Imagination Library program operational for local families.
• Pioneer Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with Pioneer Human Services and the Snohomish County Human Services Department, United Way of Snohomish County operates the Carnegie Resource Center (CRC) in Everett. The CRC serves as a service hub for individuals across Snohomish County, providing connections to housing, mental health, and substance use treatment services. Agencies with proficiency in these areas are onsite offering appointments to complete applications and assessments.
• Snohomish County Human Services DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSnohomish County Human Services Department partners with United Way of Snohomish County and Pioneer Human Services to operate the Carnegie Resource Center (CRC) in Everett. The county aims to fully engage the community and assist in finding and engaging supportive services for those in need.
• Housing Authority of Snohomish County (HASCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHASCO has several programs providing both housing and supportive services to assist homeless households. United Way of Snohomish County connects residents to HASCO resources and refers individuals to HASCO's Low Income and Homeless Resource Guide, emergency shelters, and housing programs.
• Snohomish Health DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way of Snohomish County refers residents to the Snohomish Health District for current information on cold weather shelter openings and closures, which vary seasonally based on temperature thresholds.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way of Snohomish County serves as the local affiliate for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program that mails high-quality, age-appropriate books to enrolled children from birth to age five at no cost to families. United Way has mailed more than 300,000 books to young children in Snohomish County, helping build the foundation for school readiness and academic success.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• United Way of Thurston County: Another Washington State United Way affiliate operating the same fundraising-plus-community-investment structure and ALICE research. Comparable size and programmatic scope to UWSC.
• United Way of King County: A larger United Way affiliate serving King County (Seattle metro) with the same community-impact-investor model across housing, financial stability, youth, and equity focus areas. Closest functional analog to UWSC, differing mainly by scale and metro geography.
• Community Foundation of Snohomish County: Local grantmaking foundation serving the same Snohomish County geography with philanthropic deployment, donor-advised funds, and community grants. Closest local peer for fundraising competition and grantmaking overlap.
• United Way of Pierce County: Sibling United Way affiliate in Washington State running the same ALICE-aligned community-impact framework with comparable programs (basic needs, financial security, youth). Directly comparable operating model and donor base type.
• Volunteers of America Western Washington: National-affiliate nonprofit operating housing, behavioral health, and basic-needs services in Western Washington. Comparable service mix and target population, with direct overlap on housing and emergency-shelter programming.
• Hopelink: East King County-based nonprofit operating integrated programs in housing, financial assistance, and basic needs. Comparable mission, target population (ALICE households), and service portfolio with overlapping 211-style referral work.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization for the United Way network. Sets standards, brand, and shared programs (e.g., 211) under which UWSC operates; comparable only at the framework level rather than local execution.
• Foundation for the Carolinas: Large regional community foundation demonstrating the institutional model that a mature United Way can evolve toward (grantmaking + donor-advised funds + community investment). Useful benchmark for UWSC's longer-term trajectory.

Regional players

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County: Local youth-development nonprofit serving the same county with overlapping Youth Opportunity use cases (literacy, college/career readiness). Competitor for youth-program funding and school-district partnerships within UWSC's geography.
• Habitat for Humanity of Snohomish County: Local housing-focused nonprofit; partner and partial competitor to UWSC on housing-assistance referrals. Comparable donor base and county-level community-investor positioning in the housing focus area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unitedwaysnoco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Snohomish County