United Way
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLiverpool, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
United Way firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- United Way
- Legal name
- United Way UK
- Website
- https://unitedway.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
United Way industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Community Programmes
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710), Social Assistance (624)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)
Keywords
Where United Way is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liverpool
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
United Way business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Corporate Partnerships & CSR: Large companies engage United Way UK to design and deliver CSR initiatives, volunteering programmes, and charitable giving campaigns. Revenue comes through corporate funding for bespoke community programmes.
- Individual Donations: Individual supporters make donations via credit card, PayPal, wire transfer, or cheque to support United Way UK's programmes.
- Grant Programmes (Give Local): Give Local grants awarded to local charities (totalling £45,000 across 30+ grants), funded through corporate partnerships and individual donations with payroll giving options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Reading Oasis programme - free for schools |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
United Way product offering
Product offeringCore offering
United Way UK is a registered UK charity (CIO, number 1153509) that designs, funds, and delivers community impact programmes across three pillars — health, education, and income. It connects corporate partners (3M, John Deere, Lenovo, Principal Financial Group) with schools, local charities, and disadvantaged individuals to deliver programmes such as Reading Oasis school libraries, Destination Digital inclusion, Give Local grants, youth employability support, and corporate volunteering. All programmes are free to end beneficiaries and funded through corporate partnerships and individual donations.
Product overview
United Way UK is a charitable organisation (CIO, registered charity number 1153509) that offers a portfolio of community impact programmes focused on three pillars: health, education, and income. Rather than a unified software product, the organisation delivers multiple distinct programmes including Reading Oasis (school libraries), Destination Digital (digital inclusion), Give Local (charity grants), Youth Programmes (employability support), Volunteering (corporate engagement), Bespoke Initiatives (custom CSR), GoStem (STEM career programme), and Joining Forces (digital skills for seniors). These programmes connect corporate partners, charities, schools, and individuals to create community-led solutions across the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Reading Oasis: A program that provides schools with library spaces, furniture, books, and resources to support children's literacy and reading skills.
- GoStem
- Give Local
- Destination Digital
- Day of Caring
- Joining Forces
Products and services
- Reading Oasis A programme that donates complete library spaces to schools where 30% or more pupils are eligible for free school meals, including furniture, hundreds of brand-new books (supplied by Scholastic), and resources for children, parents, and teachers. Provided free of charge to eligible schools.
- Destination Digital A digital inclusion programme that connects corporate partners with communities needing devices, internet access, training and support to avoid digital exclusion and poverty cycles. Targets older citizens, financially vulnerable individuals, and those lacking digital access.
- Give Local A grant programme that provides funding to small local charities across the UK. Includes the Give Local Grant which has awarded 30+ grants totalling £45,000 to grassroots charities such as Ablaze Bristol, supported by corporate partners and individual donors.
- Youth Programmes Bespoke programmes helping underrepresented young people (16-24 year olds, particularly NEET from low-income families) gain access to opportunities through partnerships with charities delivering employment mentoring and skills development (Circle Collective, Spear Harrow, Suited & Booted). Completely free to use.
- Volunteering Corporate volunteering programmes that connect companies with volunteer opportunities in local communities, including one-off events (Day of Caring) and multi-year projects (Global Month of Service with Lenovo). 400+ volunteers engaged with 1,800+ hours delivered.
- Bespoke Initiatives
- GoStem A STEM career programme co-designed with 3M for 16-21 year olds living near 3M manufacturing sites, providing interactive sessions with experts, mentoring support, site visit opportunities, and an accredited Silver Industrial Cadets award through delivery partner Engineering Development Trust.
- Joining Forces
Quantifiable outcome
- Reading standards increased from 60% to 93% after Reading Oasis installation at Nightingale Primary School
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use United Way
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
United Way technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
United Way partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 3McoreCo-designed GoStem programme with 3M for 16-21 year olds near 3M manufacturing sites (Skelmersdale, Newton Aycliffe, Atherstone). Includes STEM career exposure, mentoring, job readiness skills, and accredited Silver Industrial Cadets award. Also includes site visit opportunities and Day of Caring volunteering events.
- Principal Financial Groupcore3-year partnership launched September 2019 to promote employability and financial literacy among disadvantaged youth in London. Partnered with Circle Collective, Spear Harrow, and Suited & Booted. Year 1 exceeded targets: 300 young people supported, 189 improved skills/confidence, 130 placed into employment, 91 reported income/savings increase.
- John DeerecorePartnership since 2019 to combat poverty and improve education. Day of Caring adapted for COVID-19 to support Hope Nottingham food bank network. 16 employees volunteered 40 hours, packing 180 food parcels for 420 people. John Deere employees also serve as business mentors for ThinkForward charity.
- LenovocoreMulti-year partnership supporting Lenovo's Global Month of Service in Basingstoke and Glasgow. Activities include school renovations (Limington House School classrooms, Kirkriggs sensory garden). 47 volunteers worked 321 hours supporting 542 people.
- Pitney BowesminorCorporate volunteer activities including Day of Caring events.
- CostcominorGive Local campaign partner in partnership with United Way UK. Awarded 30 small charities grants totalling £45,000.
- ScholasticcoreBook partner for Reading Oasis programme. Provides hundreds of brand new books for each Reading Oasis library installation in schools.
- Engineering Development TrustminorDelivery partner for GoStem programme, providing accreditation (Silver Industrial Cadets award) for programme participants.
- ThinkForwardminorCharity receiving business mentoring support from John Deere employees for young people through personalized coaching programmes.
- VapormaticminorDay of Caring event creating 500 breakfast parcels for rough sleepers in Exeter.
- Century LinkminorHealthy Snacks Kits programme providing nutritious food support.
- United Way WorldwidecoreParent organization providing global network of 40+ countries and 130+ years of experience. United Way UK established in 2014 to apply global learnings locally. CEO Jane Hudson Jones attends United in Purpose annual conferences.
- Gary Von Lehmden and Kathleen GilmoreminorDonated Nightingale School's Reading Oasis. Gary von Lehmden served as Chair of United Way UK for 4 years before transitioning to trustee role.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
United Way competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Comic Relief: Major UK grant-making charity funding projects tackling poverty and social inequality across the UK and internationally. Comparable because of overlapping grant programmes to local charities and similar beneficiary population, though much larger scale.
- Barnardo's: One of the UK's largest children's charities, supporting disadvantaged children through services, advocacy, and direct delivery. Comparable because of overlapping focus on children, literacy, and youth outcomes, though at much larger scale with direct service delivery rather than intermediation.
- The National Lottery Community Fund: Largest funder of community activity in the UK, awarding grants to charities and community groups. Comparable because of overlapping grant-making role to grassroots UK charities, though a much larger and more institutionalized funder.
- The King's Trust (formerly The Prince's Trust): Major UK youth-focused charity that supports disadvantaged 11-30 year olds into education, employment and training. Comparable because of overlapping focus on youth employability and skills development, though at much larger scale and brand recognition.
Direct peers
- Reach Volunteering: UK charity that matches corporate professionals with board roles at other charities. Comparable operating model as a UK-based intermediary that connects corporate skills/people with charitable impact.
- Business in the Community: The Prince's Responsible Business Network, a UK membership organization that partners large companies with community causes. Comparable because it operates the same corporate-CSR-intermediary model in the UK with a focus on education, employability, and place-based programmes.
- United Way Worldwide: Parent global network of United Way UK. Operates the same community-led, corporate-CSR-intermediary model across 40+ countries with 130+ years of brand equity. Directly comparable because UK is the subject's umbrella body and shared branding/operating model.
- Charities Aid Foundation: UK-based charity that helps businesses and individuals give to other charities, including workplace giving, payroll giving, and charity banking. Closely comparable operating model as a UK intermediary between corporate/individual donors and frontline charities.
Others
- National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO): Umbrella body for the UK voluntary sector, representing and supporting charities and voluntary organizations. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant in the UK charity sector - not a direct competitor, but the membership body of which United Way UK is a member organization.
Emerging players
- Pilotlight: UK charity pairing senior business professionals with small charities to build their strategic and operational capacity. Comparable because of the corporate-skills-to-charity intermediation model, though with smaller scale and a coaching rather than programme-delivery orientation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
United Way social profiles
Digital presenceUnited Way financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
United Way leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
United Way funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
United Way M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about United Way
What does United Way do?
United Way UK is a registered UK charity (CIO, number 1153509) that designs, funds, and delivers community impact programmes across three pillars — health, education, and income. It connects corporate partners (3M, John Deere, Lenovo, Principal Financial Group) with schools, local charities, and disadvantaged individuals to deliver programmes such as Reading Oasis school libraries, Destination Digital inclusion, Give Local grants, youth employability support, and corporate volunteering. All programmes are free to end beneficiaries and funded through corporate partnerships and individual donations.
Is United Way a public or private company?
United Way is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was United Way founded?
United Way was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is United Way based?
United Way is headquartered in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does United Way make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Corporate Partnerships & CSR is the primary driver. The others are individual Donations and grant Programmes (Give Local).
Who are United Way's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Comic Relief, Barnardo's, The National Lottery Community Fund and The King's Trust (formerly The Prince's Trust). Direct peers are Reach Volunteering, Business in the Community, United Way Worldwide and Charities Aid Foundation. National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is listed as an others. Pilotlight is listed as an emerging player.
Does United Way have an API?
No public API is recorded for United Way.
What industry is United Way in?
United Way's product category is Charitable Community Programmes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAKAD, International & Local Implementing NGOs, with a secondary code of EDADALAG, Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE). Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.