UWASC

What UWASC does

UWASC (United Way Association of South Carolina) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, serving as the unified coordination and advocacy body for 22 local United Ways across all 46 counties of the state. Founded in its current form in 2007 when Governor Mark Sanford appointed it custodian of the South Carolina Commission on National and Community Service via Executive Order 2007-24, the organization operates three core service lines: (1) SC 211, a free, confidential 24/7/365 information and referral service connecting residents to essential health and human services via phone (dial 2-1-1), text (211-211), and a searchable online database at sc211.org; (2) AmeriCorps SC, which administers over $13 million annually in federal resources as subgrants to 400+ project sites hosting 2,000+ active members in education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, economic opportunity, and disaster services; and (3) Membership Services providing capacity-building support to local United Way member organizations. The underlying technology platform consists of conventional websites (uwasc.org, sc211.org, volunteersc.org) with the SC 211 resource database adhering to Inform USA (formerly AIRS) standards.

Name

UWASC

Legal name

United Way Association of South Carolina, Inc.

Website

https://uwasc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UWASC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association coordinating 22 local United Ways across South Carolina's 46 counties, administering AmeriCorps SC federal funding ($13M annually, 2,000+ members) and operating the SC 211 information and referral service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Services: UWASC serves as a membership organization for 22 local United Ways across South Carolina, providing support, capacity building, and coordination services
2. AmeriCorps SC Federal Funding Administration: Manages over $13 million annually in federal resources distributed as subgrants to AmeriCorps programs statewide
3. Donations and Contributions: Individual and corporate donations supporting community programs and initiatives
4. Corporate Partnerships: Partnership with Dominion Energy South Carolina for EnergyShare utility assistance program ($1 million pledged)

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UWASC is the statewide 501(c)(3) membership association for 22 local United Ways serving all 46 South Carolina counties. It delivers the SC 211 24/7 information and referral service, administers the AmeriCorps SC state service commission (2,000+ members, 400+ project sites, $13M annual federal resources), coordinates volunteer matching through VolunteerSC.org, runs the EnergyShare utility assistance program with Dominion Energy, publishes the annual Self-Sufficiency Standard, and conducts public policy advocacy on health, education, and financial stability issues.

Product overview

UWASC operates as a membership association providing a portfolio of interconnected community services rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include SC 211 (24/7 information and referral service via phone, text, and web), AmeriCorps SC (national service program managing 2,000+ members across 400+ project sites), and Membership Services supporting 22 local United Ways. Additional programs include the Self-Sufficiency Standard research publication, EnergyShare utility assistance, public policy advocacy, and volunteer coordination through VolunteerSC.org.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SC 211 Free, confidential, 24/7/365 information and referral service connecting South Carolinians to essential health and human services including housing, food assistance, mental health, employment support, disaster relief, and utility assistance. Available via phone (dial 2-1-1), text (211-211), and searchable online resource database at sc211.org.
• AmeriCorps SC State service commission program that directs federal resources to locally driven initiatives with 2,000+ active members and 400+ project sites statewide. Provides national service opportunities in education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, economic opportunity, disaster services, and veteran/military family support areas.
• Membership Services Support and capacity enhancement services for local United Ways across South Carolina, including 22 member organizations serving communities throughout the state. Provides coordination, advocacy, and shared-services support.
• VolunteerSC.org Online platform connecting South Carolina residents with volunteer opportunities across the state. Provides volunteer matching, opportunity listings, and engagement pathways.
• EnergyShare for Small Business Program Partnership with Dominion Energy South Carolina providing up to $2,500 in one-time electric bill assistance for eligible small businesses, nonprofits, and houses of worship with 50 or fewer employees, with $1 million in total support pledged by Dominion Energy.
• AmeriCorps Education Award Matching Program (Segal Award) Program that connects AmeriCorps alumni with education award funding for tuition and fees through institutions of higher education. Participating institutions must provide a minimum $1,000 match scholarship annually. Over 180 institutions participate nationally.
• Self-Sufficiency Standard for South Carolina Annual research publication measuring income adequacy for working families in South Carolina, based on costs of housing, child care, food, health care, transportation, and taxes. The 2024 edition is published.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ AmeriCorps members serving annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dominion Energy South CarolinacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUWASC partnered with Dominion Energy South Carolina to temporarily expand the EnergyShare program, providing $1 million in utility bill relief for small businesses, nonprofits, and houses of worship. Qualified businesses can receive up to $2,500 in one-time electric bill assistance.
• Local United Ways of South CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 22 local United Ways serving communities across South Carolina's 46 counties. Members include United Way of Aiken County, Anderson County, Greenville County, Midlands, Trident United Way, and 17 others providing local health, education, and financial stability programs.
• AmeriCorps SC Partner OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 400 project sites hosting 2,000+ AmeriCorps members including City Year Columbia, Teach For America SC, Communities In Schools of SC, Healthy Learners, The Sustainability Institute, and others serving in education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and economic opportunity.
• ArtistYearminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlaces AmeriCorps Volunteers (professional teaching artists) in Title I partner schools across Laurens and Newberry Counties to expand access to arts education through direct instruction and youth development.
• College Advising CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlaces recent college graduates as full-time postsecondary advisers in high schools across South Carolina to help students develop plans for post-graduation including career exploration, financial aid, and college or workforce enrollment.
• The Breakthrough CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides summer academic programming in Horry, Georgetown, and Williamsburg Counties through AmeriCorps Teaching Fellows serving 8-9 week terms achieving 300 hours of service.
• Conservation Legacy - Southeast Conservation CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngages young adults in conservation service through partnerships with U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and The Nature Conservancy to restore lands, improve outdoor infrastructure, and enhance ecosystem resilience.
• National Mental Health Corps South CarolinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram deploying 10 full-time AmeriCorps members to deliver evidence-based prevention and early intervention mental health activities, building a sustainable mental health workforce pipeline.
• America's Service CommissionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization leading the National Direct Consultation initiative for AmeriCorps State programs. UWASC's SCCNCS participates in online multi-state consultation form coordinated through this entity.
• National Service and Volunteerism Organizations (Segal Award Matching)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 180 institutions of higher education matching AmeriCorps Education Awards for tuition and fees. AmeriCorps alumni can earn education awards totaling over $11,000 to continue education or pay student loans.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 211 San Diego: Regional 2-1-1 provider offering 24/7 information and referral services across San Diego County. Direct service-delivery peer to UWASC's SC 211, operating the same hotline + online database model at regional scale.
• Points of Light / HandsOn Network: National nonprofit focused on volunteer mobilization and service, operating in a similar space to UWASC's VolunteerSC.org and AmeriCorps SC program portfolio. Comparable as a volunteerism and civic-engagement platform player.
• Volunteer Florida: Florida's State Service Commission and the entity designated to administer AmeriCorps funding in Florida. Mirrors UWASC's SCCNCS/AmeriCorps SC roles and governance structure, making it the most direct programmatic peer.
• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization of the United Way movement, to which UWASC's 22 local United Way members ultimately affiliate. Operates the same membership/advocacy/fundraising coordination model at national scale, making it the natural direct counterpart for UWASC's state-level stewardship role.
• VolunteerMatch: National online volunteer matching platform directly comparable to UWASC's VolunteerSC.org product, serving overlapping users (volunteers and nonprofits) with similar technology-enabled matching.
• United Ways of California: State-level United Way association aggregating multiple local United Ways in California. Closest functional analog to UWASC in terms of member-services, advocacy, and statewide coordination responsibilities, just at a larger geographic scale.
• CaliforniaVolunteers: California's state service commission that administers AmeriCorps and volunteer programs statewide. Comparable to UWASC's AmeriCorps SC and VolunteerSC.org functions in a larger but analogous state-government-aligned nonprofit.
• Findhelp (formerly Aunt Bertha): National social-services search and referral network connecting users to programs for housing, food, utilities, and more. Closest commercial-platform analog to UWASC's SC 211 information and referral service.

Broad incumbents

• Independent Sector: National membership organization and policy advocate for charities, nonprofits, and foundations. Shares UWASC's advocacy-and-membership DNA but operates at the national level rather than serving a specific state.
• National Council of Nonprofits: National membership association of nonprofits that advocates on policy and provides capacity-building support across the nonprofit sector. Comparable in mission (nonprofit support, advocacy, capacity building) but national in scope rather than state-scoped.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uwasc
• Facebookfacebook.com/uwasc12
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uwasc
• Instagraminstagram.com/americorpssc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 UWASC