Darke County United Way

What Darke County United Way does

Darke County United Way is a private 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Greenville, Ohio, that raises and redistributes charitable donations to address health, education, and financial stability needs across Darke County. The organization is staffed by two paid employees (Executive Director Kandace Braddam and Administrative Assistant Barbara Arnett) and governed by an 18-member board of directors, with operational support from over 100 volunteers. It is affiliated with United Way Worldwide and operates within a single fixed geographic market (Darke County, Ohio), with no disclosed expansion outside that county.

The organization's revenue model relies entirely on donations and grants, including annual workplace giving campaigns with payroll deduction, leadership giving ($1,000+), planned and endowment gifts, and targeted grants (notably from AEP for the Bridge the Gap Fund). Funds are distributed through a curated network of 22-23 partner non-profit 501c3 agencies and direct programs including Bridge the Gap Fund ($2,500-$30,000 annually in emergency assistance), Dolly Parton Imagination Library (since January 2010, serving 2,149 active children at ~$26/child postage cost), Stuff A Bus (over $9,600 in school supplies), and the Familywize prescription discount program distributed through local pharmacies and government offices. Fundraising events include the 35th Annual Live United Golf Outing and an annual Chicken BBQ fundraiser.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; operations run on a basic website (built by OneEach Technologies), email, PayPal donation links, and community partnerships. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, combining annual fall workplace campaigns, signature fundraising events, and volunteer engagement through HandsOn West Central Ohio and VolunteerMatch.org. The moat is primarily the United Way brand combined with the convenience of a single county-wide giving vehicle that aggregates and redistributes donations across multiple vetted partner agencies, with allocation decisions made by 30 community leaders and accountability enforced via IRS 990 filings and annual audits.

Name

Darke County United Way

Legal name

Darke County United Way, Inc.

Website

https://darkecountyunitedway.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Darke County United Way is a 501c3 nonprofit in Greenville, Ohio that raises donations and distributes funds to 22-23 partner agencies to address health, education, and financial stability needs across Darke County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Community fundraising
• Nonprofit social services
• Emergency financial assistance
• Early childhood literacy
• Volunteer coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Campaign Donations: Primary fundraising campaign conducted annually in the fall, collecting donations from community members, employees through workplace giving, and local businesses. Donors can give through payroll deduction, one-time cash gifts, or online donations via PayPal.
2. Leadership Giving: Donations of $1,000 or more qualify as Leadership Giving, offering potential tax advantages. These larger gifts provide significant funding support.
3. Planned Giving and Endowment Gifts: Charitable trusts and planned giving arrangements allow donors to make permanent investments in the quality of life in Darke County, ensuring long-term financial stability.
4. Grant Funding: The organization pursues grants to fund specific programs such as the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (postage costs) and the Bridge the Gap Fund (shelter, utility, medical assistance).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Darke County United Way raises charitable donations through annual community campaigns and distributes those funds to 22-23 partner non-profit 501c3 agencies and direct community programs serving Darke County, Ohio residents. The organization also runs its own community service programs including the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for early childhood literacy, the Bridge the Gap Fund for emergency financial assistance, the Stuff A Bus school supply drive, the Familywize prescription discount program, and workplace giving campaigns.

Product overview

Darke County United Way is a non-profit charitable organization operating as a single unified entity rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization offers a portfolio of community service programs including emergency financial assistance (Bridge the Gap Fund), early childhood literacy (Dolly Parton Imagination Library), school supply drives (Stuff A Bus), prescription drug discounts (Familywize), volunteer coordination, workplace giving campaigns, and fundraising events. The organization also manages a network of 22 partner non-profit agencies and accepts donations through multiple channels including online, payroll deduction, and planned giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bridge the Gap Fund Emergency assistance program providing $2,500-$30,000 annually in direct financial assistance for shelter, utility, and medical costs to Darke County residents experiencing short-term financial hardship, with grant support from AEP.
• Dolly Parton Imagination Library Early childhood literacy program mailing age-appropriate books monthly to children from birth to age 5 across Darke County; currently serves 2,149 children with 2,754 graduates since launch.
• Stuff A Bus Annual school supply collection drive that gathers and distributes supplies to children across multiple Darke County school districts (Ansonia, Arcanum, Bradford, Franklin Monroe, Greenville, Mississinawa Valley, Tri Village, Versailles, and Anthony Wayne Preschool), collecting over $9,600 worth of supplies annually.
• Familywize Discount Drug Program Prescription drug discount card program available to Darke County residents, with cards distributed free of charge at partner locations including local pharmacies, the Department of Health, Job & Family Services, Community Action Partnership, Comprehensive Health, and Community Unity.
• Partner Programs Network Network of 22-23 vetted non-profit 501c3 partner agencies (including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club of Greenville, Cancer Association of Darke County, Community Action Partnership Emergency Shelter, Community Unity, EverHeart Hospice, and others) that receive United Way funding allocations to deliver health, education, and social services.
• Live United Golf Outing Annual fundraising golf tournament held at Stillwater Valley Golf Course in Versailles, Ohio, raising funds for Darke County United Way community programs.
• Chicken BBQ Fundraiser Annual chicken dinner fundraiser featuring Romer's Chicken, sold as pre-sale tickets at $10 each, including chicken, applesauce, dinner roll, and chips.
• Annual Giving Campaign Annual fall fundraising campaign accepting donations through online PayPal giving, payroll deduction via local employers, one-time cash gifts, leadership giving ($1,000+), planned giving, and endowment gifts.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer coordination program connecting individuals with opportunities at Darke County United Way and its 22-23 partner agencies, including allocation committee roles, board positions, mass mailings, and event support, with partnerships linking to HandsOn West Central Ohio and VolunteerMatch.org.
• Workplace Giving Campaign Program Workplace giving program providing campaign coordinator training, campaign toolkits, and promotional materials to local employers for running annual employee giving campaigns with payroll deduction options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,149 children currently enrolled in Dolly Parton Imagination Library; 4,903 total children served since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Dolly Parton Imagination Library / Dolly Parton FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Program started in Darke County in January 2010. Dolly Parton Foundation provides books free of charge; Darke County United Way pays postage ($26/child) and distributes books to children from birth to age 5.
• HandsOn West Central OhiocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteer partner organization that runs the RSVP program. Connects volunteers with opportunities at Darke County United Way and partner agencies throughout the county.
• FamilywizecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide drug discount cards to Darke County residents. Cards available at United Way office and partner locations throughout the county.
• United Way WorldwideflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with United Way Worldwide network. Uses campaign toolkits and follows United Way standards for administrative fees on designated donations (up to 25% for standard gifts, exempt for $1,000+ leadership gifts).
• Blue Angels 4-H GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYouth volunteer group that helped sort school supplies during Stuff a Bus campaign.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Dayton Foundation: Larger regional community foundation in the same Ohio region that manages donor-advised funds, endowments, and pass-through grants. Comparable in mission (community philanthropy) but operates at substantially larger scale.
• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization that Darke County United Way is affiliated with. Sets brand standards, campaign toolkits, and administrative fee policy that govern the chapter's operations.

Direct peers

• Shelby County United Way: Adjacent Ohio county United Way with comparable rural-county demographics and similar annual campaign and partner-agency model. Shares a regional Big Brothers/Big Sisters chapter with Darke County.
• United Way of Greater Dayton: A nearby regional United Way chapter serving the greater Dayton area, operating the same federated fundraising model, workplace giving campaigns, and partner-agency grant allocations. Most directly comparable given overlapping Ohio geography and similar program mix.
• Miami County United Way: Neighboring county-level United Way in Ohio with a comparable rural-county footprint, single-chapter model, and similar partner-agency structure. Highly comparable in scale and operating dynamics.
• Auglaize County United Way: Another neighboring rural Ohio United Way chapter with a similar small-staff operating model and county-wide partner agency grantmaking approach.
• Darke County Foundation: Local community foundation serving the same Darke County geography. Competes for charitable dollars through endowment-style giving and pass-through grants, providing a direct comparison to UW's community-fundraising role.
• Mercer County United Way: Adjacent west-central Ohio county United Way with comparable scale and rural community focus. Closest geographic peer chapter for benchmarking campaign revenue and program mix.
• Preble County United Way: Another nearby Ohio county United Way chapter with very similar rural-county scope, small-staff structure, and partner-agency grantmaking model. Useful direct comparable for size benchmarking.

Others

• Dolly Parton Imagination Library (Local Affiliates Network): National program that Darke County United Way is a local affiliate of. Comparable in delivering the same early-literacy program model in other counties; useful for benchmarking Imagination Library unit economics and reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/darke-county-united-way-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Darke County United Way