Michigan Association of United Ways

What Michigan Association of United Ways does

Michigan Association of United Ways (MAUW) is a 501(c)(3) statewide nonprofit association founded in 1947 and headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, serving approximately 30–36 member local United Ways across the state. Its mission centers on improving the lives of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households — a population estimated at 1.5–1.6 million Michigan households. Member local United Ways collectively raise and distribute over $90 million annually to local health and human service organizations; MAUW operates as the coordination, advocacy, and capacity-building layer above them.

The organization's core programmatic offerings are: (1) the ALICE Report, a biennial research product launched in 2014 and recognized as the most comprehensive depiction of financial hardship in Michigan; (2) Michigan 2-1-1, a free, confidential, 24/7/365 referral service connecting residents to roughly 40,000 services across 7,000 local, state, and national agencies, available in 180 languages via phone, text, and web (operated through a wholly-owned subsidiary, Michigan 211); (3) a Labor program operating the nation's largest Community Services Labor Liaison network, with 14 AFL-CIO liaisons engaging over 1 million active and retired union members; and (4) a public policy advocacy platform targeting state and federal policies on EITC expansion, affordable housing, accessible childcare, and postsecondary attainment.

MAUW is funded through a combination of member local United Way dues, charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations (e.g., Kellogg, Consumers Energy Foundation, Michigan Credit Union Foundation), government grants and contracts (including FY27 proposed $3.95 million in state funding for Michigan 2-1-1), and event-based revenue (e.g., the AFL-CIO Community Services School at $545–$795 per attendee). MAUW itself operates with a small central staff of 1–10 employees, executing its mission primarily through its 30+ member network, labor liaisons, and state agency relationships.

Name

Michigan Association of United Ways

Legal name

Michigan Association of United Ways

Website

https://uwmich.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Michigan Association of United Ways is a 501(c)(3) state nonprofit association founded in 1947 serving approximately 30 local United Ways across Michigan. It publishes the biennial ALICE Report on financial hardship, operates Michigan 2-1-1 connecting residents to 40,000+ community resources, conducts state policy advocacy, and coordinates labor-community partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Association / Community Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Nonprofit association services
• Community resource referral
• Financial hardship research
• Policy advocacy
• Labor community partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: MAUW receives charitable donations and contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support operations and programs serving ALICE households across Michigan.
2. Member Dues: Local United Ways pay membership dues to be part of the Michigan Association of United Ways network, which provides leadership, policy influence, and capacity building services.
3. Government Grants and Contracts: MAUW receives government funding including state support for Michigan 2-1-1 operations and policy advocacy work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Michigan Association of United Ways is a 501(c)(3) state association serving 30–36 local United Ways across Michigan. It delivers capacity building, policy influence, and shared resources to member United Ways, and operates the Michigan 2-1-1 community resource referral hotline connecting residents to ~40,000 services across 7,000 agencies. Its flagship ALICE Report provides biennial data on financial hardship affecting 1.5–1.6 million Michigan households.

Product overview

The Michigan Association of United Ways operates as a state association serving approximately 30-36 local United Ways across Michigan. Rather than a single unified product, it offers a portfolio of programs and initiatives centered around its core ALICE Project research, the Michigan 2-1-1 community resource hotline, public policy advocacy, and labor-community partnerships. Key offerings include the biennial ALICE Report providing financial hardship data, the Michigan 2-1-1 service connecting residents to 40,000+ health and human services, the Summer Stock Up food insecurity initiative, the annual Community Services School training program, and the Walt Campbell Awards recognizing union members' community service. The organization also publishes ALICE In Focus research briefs on specific demographics and operates a COVID Vaccine Hub public health initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ALICE Project / ALICE Report A comprehensive research initiative providing data on Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) households in Michigan, published biennially since 2014. The report details financial hardship statistics across demographics, geography, and household types to inform policy and community intervention for policymakers, member United Ways, and community stakeholders.
• Michigan 2-1-1 A free, confidential service connecting Michigan residents with local community-based organizations offering thousands of programs and services. Available 24/7/365 via phone (dial 2-1-1), text (ZIP code to 898211), or web at mi211.org, providing access to ~40,000 health and human services through 7,000 partner agencies with specialists available in 180 languages.
• Public Policy Advocacy Annual policy platform advocating for state and federal policies benefiting ALICE households, with priorities including Earned Income Tax Credit expansion, affordable childcare, accessible childcare, postsecondary attainment, and affordable housing. Provides leadership in policy influence for member United Ways.
• Labor and Community Services Program Program strengthening partnerships between Michigan union members and United Ways through 14 Michigan AFL-CIO Community Services Labor Liaisons who assist local United Ways with campaigns, implement educational core programs, and serve as advocates. Engages over 1 million active and retired union members statewide.
• Summer Stock Up Annual statewide campaign in partnership with Kellogg Company to restock shelves of Michigan's food banks and pantries. The initiative addresses summer food insecurity when schools close and families lose access to meal programs.
• Michigan State AFL-CIO Community Services School Week-long educational program held at the Walter & May Reuther UAW Family Education Center in Onaway, MI. Includes workshop sessions on poverty understanding, community resources navigation, and the ALICE project, plus a meal packing project for local food pantries. Open to union leaders and community members at tiered tuition rates.
• Walt Campbell Awards Dinner Annual awards dinner honoring Michigan union members for outstanding community service contributions, named after Walter Campbell, former Michigan State AFL-CIO Secretary/Treasurer and champion of United Way-Labor partnerships. Includes tiered sponsorship packages.
• Indicators of Well-Being Interactive data tool sponsored by the Michigan Credit Union Foundation that displays maps showing ALICE household percentages alongside additional well-being indicators including health care provider rates and severe housing problems, enabling better resource targeting for ALICE households.
• ALICE In Focus Research Series Subsequent research installments in the ALICE series highlighting specific demographic segments including People With Disabilities, Children, and Veterans, drawing from U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $90 million raised and distributed annually by member United Ways
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 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

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

• Michigan Credit Union FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 June 2024MCUF provides sponsorship for the Indicators of Well-Being tool, a new resource connecting ALICE rates with social, health, and economic statistics for Michigan stakeholders.
• Kellogg CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2022Kellogg Company partners with MAUW for the Summer Stock Up statewide food drive campaign, providing sponsorship to help restock Michigan food banks and pantries. In 2021, the inaugural campaign raised over $63,000 and collected 46,000+ pounds of food for 220 pantries.
• Consumers Energy FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLongstanding partner supporting the ALICE Project in Michigan, providing ongoing funding for research and presence of the ALICE Report statewide.
• United For ALICEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner providing ALICE methodology and data analysis. United For ALICE is a grassroots movement led by United Way of Northern New Jersey that has spread to 31 states including Michigan.
• MeijermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeijer partnered with MAUW and the State of Michigan for the MI Shot To Win Sweepstakes vaccine incentive program, powering the statewide vaccination campaign.
• Michigan Veterans Affairs AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Barry County United Way's Mission United program to provide housing and support services for veterans in crisis.
• City of KalamazoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partnered with United Way of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region for Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants program providing $5,000 grants to local microbusinesses.
• Foundation For ExcellenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation provides support for Kalamazoo Micro-Enterprise Grants program benefiting local small businesses.
• Dow CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDow partnered with United Way of Midland County for flood relief efforts after the May 2020 historic flood, contributing volunteer teams and resources to help rebuild affected homes.
• Michigan Nonprofit AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Nonprofit Day at the Capitol advocacy efforts, where local United Ways contributed to enactment of $50 million in nonprofit relief funds during COVID pandemic.
• State of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAUW works with State of Michigan on policy advocacy, COVID vaccine outreach, MI Shot To Win sweepstakes, and state budget funding for Michigan 2-1-1.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on MiBridges and Michigan Benefits Access, COVID Vaccine Hub program, and ALICE research collaboration with MDHHS Chief Deputy Director for Opportunity.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heart of West Michigan United Way: Member local United Way of MAUW. Directly comparable as a customer/member organization receiving MAUW's capacity-building and advocacy services, and one of the network's leading local United Ways running health and human services programs.
• 211.org: National 2-1-1 service coordination body. Directly comparable as the national-level governing and standards organization for 2-1-1 services, of which Michigan 2-1-1 (operated by MAUW) is the state-level affiliate.
• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization for the United Way network, of which MAUW is a state-level affiliate. Directly comparable as the parent trade body governing local United Ways and providing national-level coordination, branding, and standards.
• Michigan Nonprofit Association: State-level nonprofit membership association serving Michigan's broader nonprofit sector. Directly comparable as a peer state-level association providing capacity building, advocacy, and policy influence for nonprofit members in the same geographic market.
• United For ALICE: Research organization behind the ALICE methodology and data product that MAUW publishes in Michigan. Directly comparable as the methodology steward and source of the dataset MAUW uses for policy advocacy.
• Barry County United Way: Member local United Way of MAUW operating the Mission United veterans program. Directly comparable as a member organization delivering community services and the originator of a specialized program (Mission United) that MAUW could scale network-wide.

Emerging players

• Findhelp (formerly Aunt Bertha): Technology-forward social services resource search platform connecting users to community programs. Comparable as an emerging competitor in the community resource referral space where Michigan 2-1-1 historically dominated via phone/text.
• VolunteerMatch: Online platform connecting volunteers with nonprofit opportunities. Comparable as an emerging player in volunteer engagement technology — adjacent to MAUW's coordination of labor-union volunteers and member-United-Way volunteer programs.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National hunger-relief nonprofit network operating a federation of regional food banks. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the food security / human services space overlapping with MAUW's Summer Stock Up and broader ALICE-facing programs.
• Points of Light: National nonprofit focused on volunteer engagement and civic activation. Comparable as a larger incumbent working at the intersection of volunteerism and nonprofit mobilization — adjacent to MAUW's labor-driven volunteer coordination work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/miunitedways
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michigan-association-of-united-ways

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Michigan Association of United Ways