United Way of Greater Nashville

What United Way of Greater Nashville does

United Way of Greater Nashville is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1921 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, operating as a regional affiliate of United Way Worldwide. The organization's mission is to mobilize community resources so that every child, individual, and family across a nine-county Middle Tennessee service area (Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Houston, Montgomery, Robertson, Stewart, and Williamson) can thrive. It functions as a community convener and fund mobilizer rather than a direct service operator: in 2024 it invested $42.57 million through partnerships with 250+ organizations, distributing funds to 184 funded partner agencies and engaging 184 workplaces in workplace-giving campaigns that raised $18.5 million alongside $33.9 million in grants and other funding, supported by 24,254 individual donors.

The organization's portfolio spans four programmatic pillars. Financial empowerment is delivered through the Financial Empowerment Center (free one-on-one counseling that has served 11,890 clients and reduced debt by $39M+ since 2013), VITA free tax preparation for households earning under $84,000, and SNAP Employment & Training, for which United Way serves as the primary statewide intermediary across all 95 Tennessee counties. Education programs include the Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee mailing free books monthly, Raise Your Hand tutoring for grades K-4, Read to Succeed early-childhood curriculum, and Raising Readers Nashville. Basic-needs services are anchored by the 24/7 211 Helpline (64,354 community referrals), The Family Collective homelessness-prevention program (1,671 families housed since 2014), and disaster-response services operating as fiscal agent for Long-Term Recovery Groups. Health initiatives include Ryan White Part B HIV/AIDS care (1,312 people served) and the Williamson Prevention Coalition for substance abuse prevention.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded, not commercial. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time, monthly recurring, and bequests through the Hickory Legacy Society), corporate workplace campaigns and matching gifts (200+ corporate partners including Amazon, HCA Healthcare, Kroger, and Jackson Financial), government grants (Metro Nashville, Tennessee Departments of Health, Human Services, Labor & Workforce Development, and Mental Health), and foundation/institutional grants (Joe C. Davis, Memorial, MOTT, Cities for Financial Empowerment, and others). Donor-advised fund partnerships with Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, DAFgiving360, and Bank of America extend giving channels. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Underlying technology infrastructure is composed of standard nonprofit tools — Donately for donation processing, Salesforce for FEC case management, and CommunityOS for 211 resource-database management — with no proprietary technology platform development.

Name

United Way of Greater Nashville

Legal name

United Way of Greater Nashville

Website

https://unitedwaygreaternashville.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United Way of Greater Nashville is a 501(c)(3) public charity that mobilizes resources across nine Middle Tennessee counties, funding 184+ partner agencies that deliver financial empowerment, education, basic-needs, and health services to children, individuals, and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Community impact services
• Nonprofit fundraising campaigns
• Workplace giving programs
• Social service programs
• Community grant funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through one-time and monthly recurring donations, with options for designated gifts to specific programs (Giving Kids an Equal Chance, Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, etc.) or the general Community Fund. Donors can give via credit card, bank account, PayPal, or mobile wallet.
2. Workplace Giving Campaigns: 184 workplaces participate in annual workplace giving campaigns, raising $18.5 million in 2024 through employee payroll deductions and corporate matching gifts. Corporate partners run campaigns to unite teams for community impact.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: 200+ corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies partner with United Way through corporate gifts, matching funds, grants, and event sponsorships. Corporate Champions contribute $5,000 or more annually.
4. Government Grants: Grants from government entities including Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County, Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Department of Human Services, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
5. Foundation and Institutional Grants: Grant funding from foundations and institutional donors including Cities for Financial Empowerment, Google Fiber, Governor's Books from Birth Foundation, Joe C. Davis Foundation, Maddox Charitable Fund, Maximus Foundation, Memorial Foundation, MOTT Foundation, and others.
6. Donor-Advised Funds: Donors recommend grants from their donor-advised funds held at Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, DAFgiving360, Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund, and other institutions. One-time and recurring grant recommendations support United Way programs.
7. Planned and Legacy Giving: Bequests, IRA charitable distributions, charitable trusts, life insurance policies, and securities donations allow donors to include United Way in estate planning. Members of the Hickory Legacy Society have made planned gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

United Way of Greater Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes charitable resources from individual donors, workplace campaigns, corporate partners, and government/foundation grants, then deploys those funds through 150+ partner agencies and direct programs serving nine Middle Tennessee counties. Direct client services include the 24/7 211 Helpline, Financial Empowerment Center counseling, free VITA tax preparation, SNAP Employment & Training, family homelessness prevention, early childhood literacy, HIV/AIDS care, and disaster response.

Product overview

United Way of Greater Nashville operates as a nonprofit community impact organization rather than a product company. Its 'offerings' are social service programs delivered directly and through 185+ funded partner agencies across nine Middle Tennessee counties. The core portfolio includes: (1) Financial Empowerment programs — the Financial Empowerment Center providing free one-on-one counseling, VITA Free Tax Preparation for households under $84,000, and SNAP Employment & Training as statewide intermediary; (2) Education initiatives — Imagination Library delivering monthly books to children, Raise Your Hand tutoring for K-4 students, and Read to Succeed early childhood education; (3) Basic Needs services — 211 Helpline providing 24/7 resource referrals, The Family Collective preventing family homelessness, and disaster response programs; (4) Health programs — Ryan White Part B HIV/AIDS care and Williamson Prevention Coalition substance abuse prevention; (5) Volunteer engagement through Hands On Nashville. In 2024, the organization invested $42.57 million through partnerships with 250+ organizations, serving 212,232 people who improved their quality of life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Family Collective: Program focused on preventing and ending family homelessness by connecting families to sustainable opportunities and disrupting cycles of poverty
• Financial Empowerment Center
• VITA Free Tax Prep
• SNAP Employment & Training
• Raising Readers Nashville
• Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee
• Read to Succeed
• Raise Your Hand
• 211 Helpline
• United We Win
• Tocqueville Society
• Young Leaders Society
• Patricia Hart Society
• Hickory Legacy Society
• Hands On Nashville

Quantifiable outcome

• 41,561 individuals increased household self-sufficiency; 56,319 increased literacy proficiency; 212,232 improved quality of life; 374,263 basic needs met
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Hands On NashvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHands On Nashville is United Way's primary volunteer engagement partner, offering hundreds of monthly volunteer opportunities including VITA tax prep, Raise Your Hand tutoring, Read Baby Read, disaster response, and community events. This partnership enables United Way to mobilize thousands of volunteers annually.
• United Way of Greater ChattanoogacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way of Greater Nashville joined UWGC's 211 Service Region, bringing a localized approach to call center operations with personalized support. UWGC manages 211 region-wide.
• HCA Healthcare FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to reduce maternal health disparities and launch a maternal health resource navigation line through 211, connecting families especially in rural areas to essential services.
• Community Foundation of Middle TennesseecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for disaster relief efforts including COVID-19 Response Fund and Tornado Response Fund, pooling resources for community recovery.
• Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Mayor's Office to administer $10M+ in CARES Act funding and operate the Financial Empowerment Center. Joint disaster response coordination including tornado and winter storm recovery.
• Governor’s Early Literacy FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Dollywood Foundation to deliver Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee, mailing age-appropriate books monthly to children at no cost to families.
• AmazonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner and top campaign participant. Presenting sponsor of Charles Strobel Legacy of Service Award at Strobel Volunteer Awards. Active workplace campaign and matching gift program.
• HCA HealthcaremajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion partner and presenting sponsor of Adult Volunteer Award at Strobel Volunteer Awards. Active workplace campaign participant with generous employee giving and matching programs.
• KrogermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Champion and disaster response partner. Presenting sponsor of Disaster Response Award at Strobel Volunteer Awards. Active in workplace campaigns and community initiatives.
• 150+ Funded Nonprofit Partner AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit agencies across nine counties receive results-oriented funding through United Way's volunteer-driven community impact funding process. Includes organizations focused on basic needs, education, financial stability, and health.
• Mayor John Cooper / Metro NashvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOVID-19 Response Fund chaired by former Senator Dr. Bill Frist, raising $5M+ for nonprofit partners serving those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
• Jackson Financial Inc.majorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the 40th Annual Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards, recognizing inspirational volunteer service in Middle Tennessee communities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: Parent network and global brand umbrella for United Way of Greater Nashville. Comparable as the federated system setting donor expectations, brand standards, and 211 operating models; not a direct fundraiser competitor.

Direct peers

• United Way of Greater Chattanooga: Sister United Way affiliate that now operates the 211 region UWGN joined. Same federated brand and workplace-giving model, adjacent Tennessee geography; relevant for 211 infrastructure and benchmark comparisons.
• Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee: Local philanthropic institution serving the same nine-county Middle Tennessee region, pooling charitable giving through funds and grants. Direct peer in community-level resource mobilization and a documented disaster-response co-partner of UWGN.
• Hands On Nashville: Volunteer-engagement partner of UWGN connecting individuals to service opportunities. Overlapping program scope (VITA, Raise Your Hand, Days of Action) and shared Strobel Volunteer Awards make it the closest functional peer.
• Catholic Charities of Tennessee: Faith-rooted social services nonprofit serving vulnerable populations in Tennessee with case management, basic needs, and immigration support. Comparable multi-service nonprofit peer serving overlapping populations in the same region.
• Nashville Rescue Mission: Local nonprofit providing shelter, food, and recovery services in Nashville. Comparable as a basic-needs / homelessness service provider in the same geography that UWGN's Family Collective and basic-needs portfolio addresses indirectly.

Others

• Center for Nonprofit Management (Nashville): Nashville-area capacity-building intermediary serving Middle Tennessee nonprofits with training and consulting. Adjacent peer that supports UWGN's funded partner agencies and shares the same regional nonprofit ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund: National intermediary that co-funds and supports the Financial Empowerment Center network including UWGN's. Comparable as the operating partner for the FEC model and a peer in evaluating financial-counseling scaling and impact.
• Dollywood Foundation / Imagination Library: National early-literacy program partnered with UWGN to deliver Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee. Comparable on the literacy / education-outcomes side and a relevant peer for early-childhood book delivery scaling.

Regional players

• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville: Local housing nonprofit serving the same Middle Tennessee footprint. Peer in addressing family stability through housing pathways that complement UWGN's Family Collective homelessness-prevention focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UWNashville
• YouTubevimeo.com/uwnashville
• Facebookfacebook.com/UWNashville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uwnashville
• Instagraminstagram.com/uwnashville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Greater Nashville