COOKE COUNTY UNITED WAY INC

What COOKE COUNTY UNITED WAY INC does

Cooke County United Way Inc is a locally-governed 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization headquartered at 114 E Main Street, Gainesville, Texas. Founded in 1955 (with predecessor activity dating to the mid-1940s as the "Community Chest"), the organization operates an annual fundraising campaign that channels donations from individuals, workplaces, and corporate partners into grants distributed across 14 local partner agencies. Its 2026 campaign goal is $380,000, and in 2025 it distributed $270,000 to funded agencies. Total community investment over the past decade is reported at $3,654,783, with 14,071 unduplicated residents assisted and 1,486 volunteer hours contributed.

The organization does not operate a technology platform or proprietary product suite; its functional role is fundraising intermediation, grantmaking, and direct program delivery. Core programmatic areas are Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, and Financial Stability. Recent direct-service program launches include the Lunch with a Leader mentoring initiative (launched September 2025 in partnership with Gainesville ISD's W.E. Chalmers Elementary School) and the ALICE financial hardship simulation for high school students (launched February 2026). The organization also coordinates access to the Texas 2-1-1 resource hotline through a partnership with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Annual flagship events include Power of the Purse and the Celebration Luncheon.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable donations and event proceeds rather than product or service sales. The go-to-market motion is community-led and workplace-driven: Pacesetter companies (a named cohort of ~15 corporate, governmental, and educational partners) anchor fundraising through employee payroll deductions, with additional revenue from the Power of the Purse event and the United We Serve banking partnership with First United Bank. The organization maintains a national affiliation with United Way Worldwide for training and shared advertising but operates as an autonomous local entity with its own Board of Directors. Operational staffing is minimal at approximately one full-time plus one part-time employee, supplemented by a part-time Resource Development Coordinator placed via a work-study arrangement with North Central Texas College.

Name

COOKE COUNTY UNITED WAY INC

Legal name

Cooke County United Way Inc

Website

https://cookeuw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cooke County United Way is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Gainesville, Texas that runs annual workplace fundraising campaigns to fund 14 local partner agencies addressing health, youth opportunity, and financial stability across Cooke County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Fundraising and Grant Distribution

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Community fundraising campaigns
• Nonprofit grant funding
• Workplace giving campaigns
• Volunteer mobilization programs
• Human services coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainesville

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. Donations and Campaign Contributions: Annual fundraising campaign raising money from donors to fund local partner agencies. Donations collected through workplace campaigns, online pledging system, payroll deduction, and direct giving.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cooke County United Way is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit that mobilizes donors, volunteers, and workplaces to raise funds through annual campaigns and distributes those donations to 14+ local partner agencies in Cooke County, Texas. The organization coordinates community investment across four impact areas: Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, Financial Stability, and Community Resiliency. One donation funds multiple nonprofits, with local volunteers reviewing and evaluating funded programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Workplace Giving Campaign Annual fundraising campaign engaging donors and employees through workplace campaigns with payroll deduction, online pledging, and the 5 Days to Give United format. Available to individuals and Pacesetter companies in Cooke County.
• Power of the Purse Annual Event Annual ladies' night out fundraising event benefiting the United Way campaign. Presented by First United Bank with Prada sponsors including Trident Process Systems and Gainesville Fire Department.
• Lunch with a Leader Mentoring Program School-based mentoring program at W.E. Chalmers Elementary School partnering Pacesetter company employee volunteers with students needing academic, mental, and emotional support through reading, tutoring, games, and communication.
• ALICE Financial Hardship Simulation Three-week financial hardship simulation program for GHS High School Key Club juniors and seniors, teaching budgeting, resource utilization, empathy, and community resources through the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) lens.
• 2-1-1 Community Resources Hotline Information and referral service in partnership with Texas Health and Human Services Commission that connects Cooke County residents with over 60,000 state and local health and human services programs.
• Partner Agency Grant Funding Annual grant funding program that distributes campaign proceeds to 14 local nonprofit partner agencies. In 2025, $270,000 was distributed to agencies serving child advocacy, youth development, senior nutrition, and emergency assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,000+ people's lives improved annually through funded partner programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First United BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Power of the Purse event and partner in United We Serve banking program where customers receive $50 bonus when giving $100 to Cooke County United Way
• Bezner InsurancecoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company demonstrating leadership by encouraging employee participation and providing financial support
• Callisburg ISDcoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company participating in annual campaign
• City of GainesvillecoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company supporting community campaign
• Employees of Safran Seats USAcoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company with employees in leadership providing mentoring through Lunch with a Leader program
• First State BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company and Community Excellence Award recipient ($100+ per capita and 80% participation)
• Gainesville ISDcoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company; partner in Lunch with a Leader mentoring program at W.E. Chalmers Elementary; hosts Key Club for ALICE simulation
• Molded Fiber Glass (MFG Texas)coreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company and Presidential Award recipient (50% increase over last year giving)
• Muenster ISDcoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company participating in annual campaign
• Muenster State BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company and Small Business Award recipient (100% participation of 2-24 employees)
• Nortex CommunicationscoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company, Arley Daurity Award recipient (100% participation of 25+ employees), Community Excellence Award recipient
• North Central Texas CollegecoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company; work-study partnership with CCUW that hired Cassandra Leopard part-time at no cost to the organization
• North Texas Medical CentercoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company and past board chairman provider (Leaha Sweeney, Past Chairman)
• PetroflexcoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company participating in annual campaign
• Trident Process SystemscoreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Pacesetter company, Silver Award recipient ($50+ per capita and 50% participation), Prada sponsor for Power of the Purse
• Texas Health and Human Services CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates 2-1-1 Texas program connecting citizens with over 60,000 state and local health and human services programs
• Gainesville Fire DepartmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssisted with Power of the Purse fundraising event and is Prada sponsor for the event
• United Way WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation providing training and national advertising; local United Ways are autonomous with their own Board of Directors
• W.E. Chalmers Elementary School (Gainesville ISD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Lunch with a Leader mentoring program connecting Pacesetter company volunteers with students needing support through reading, tutoring, games, and communication

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Salvation Army of North Texas: Regional nonprofit providing direct social services (food, rent/utility assistance) in North Texas — competes for donor dollars in the same Cooke County donor pool while also being a potential grant recipient partner.
• Red Cross North Texas Region: Large humanitarian nonprofit operating a regional chapter across North Texas that solicits workplace giving from many of the same employers as Cooke County United Way.

Direct peers

• United Way of Denton County: Adjacent-county United Way affiliate in North Texas serving a similar suburban/rural mix with comparable workplace campaign and Pacesetter-style corporate fundraising models.
• United Way of Tarrant County: Larger North Texas United Way affiliate operating the same federated-giving model with workplace campaigns, partner agency funding, and community impact focus.
• Heart of Texas United Way (Waco): Mid-size Texas United Way affiliate serving a similarly rural/small-metro geography with comparable workplace campaign fundraising and local agency funding.
• United Way of Metropolitan Dallas: Major-metro United Way affiliate running the same annual campaign and grant-distribution playbook but at meaningfully larger scale across the DFW region.

Broad incumbents

• Communities Foundation of Texas: Large regional community foundation operating across North Texas with grantmaking, donor-advised funds, and partner agency funding — overlapping Cooke County United Way's grant-distribution role but at much greater scale.
• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization to which Cooke County United Way pays dues for training, branding, and standards — provides the federated network affiliation that CCUW leverages locally.

Peers

• Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation: Community foundation in north-central Texas serving a comparable rural/small-metro footprint with grantmaking to local nonprofits — a direct alternative model to United Way's federated giving approach.

Others

• Texoma Council of Governments: Regional planning body serving Cooke County and surrounding areas with social services coordination — adjacent to CCUW's mission rather than a direct fundraiser peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/481797425167119
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooke-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 COOKE COUNTY UNITED WAY INC