United Way of Greater Lima

What United Way of Greater Lima does

United Way of Greater Lima is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered at 616 South Collett St in Lima, Ohio, serving Allen County. Operating under the United Way Worldwide federation umbrella (1,800 local United Ways globally), the organization mobilizes resources to address health, education, financial stability, and community resiliency needs through a Community Impact model. It is independently incorporated and governed by a local Board of Directors, with all funds raised locally staying in the community; a long-standing endowment allows 100% of campaign proceeds to be invested in programs.

The organization distributes capital through five structured grant mechanisms — Community Partners Grant, Small Opportunity Grant, Innovation Grant (seeded by the Virginia and Jack Crouse Community Fund), Small Project Grant, and Community Initiatives Grant — to a network of 200+ partner nonprofit agencies on three-year funding cycles with semi-annual impact reporting. It also operates the Allen 211 24/7/365 information and referral service (co-funded with the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board and United Way of Greater Toledo), the annual Day of Caring volunteer event, and public reporting/transparency infrastructure recognized by GuideStar (Platinum Seal), Charity Navigator (Four-Star), and Candid (Platinum).

Revenue is generated via annual workplace giving campaigns, direct donations (online via Classy.org and QGiv, by phone, and by mail), designated gifts, and a multi-decade endowment. The 2024 campaign raised over $1.2 million; 78 cents of every dollar reaches programs with a 22% overhead ratio. The customer/donor base comprises individual community donors, corporate partners (anchors include Cenovus Lima Refinery, Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor/UAW 1219, Mercy Health-St. Rita's, Lima Memorial, General Dynamics, and Superior Credit Union), labor unions (75+ year AFL-CIO partnership), and partner agencies. The organization operates with an 8-employee staff under President & CEO Erin W. Hardesty.

Name

United Way of Greater Lima

Legal name

United Way of Greater Lima

Website

https://unitedwaylima.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Way of Greater Lima is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Lima, Ohio, that raises charitable funds and distributes them through five grant mechanisms and the Allen 211 referral service to support health, education, financial stability, and resiliency programs across Allen County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Impact Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Community fundraising
• Nonprofit grants
• Social services referral
• Workplace giving
• Community impact investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lima

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Fundraising Campaign: Annual campaign raising funds from individual donors, workplace giving programs, and corporate partners. The 2024 campaign raised over $1.2 million for community members in need.
2. Community Investment: 100% of every dollar collected is invested locally in effective programs, services and initiatives. Funded through a three-year cycle with annual renewal applications and semi-annual impact reporting requirements.
3. Designated Gifts: Donors can designate gifts to United Way of Greater Lima Partner Agencies or another United Way. Designations do not reduce agency allocations through the Community Investment process.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

United Way of Greater Lima is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises charitable funds through annual workplace campaigns and individual donations, then distributes grants to local partner agencies in Allen County, Ohio. It operates the Allen 211 information and referral service and runs the annual Day of Caring volunteer event. Its mission focuses on improving health, education, financial stability, and community resiliency for Allen County residents.

Product overview

United Way of Greater Lima is a nonprofit charitable organization that mobilizes resources to create lasting community changes and improve lives in Allen County, Ohio. The organization operates through several interconnected programs and services: grant programs (Community Partners Grant, Small Opportunity Grant, Innovation Grant, Small Project Grant, and Community Initiatives Grant) that distribute funds to partner agencies addressing health, education, and financial stability; the Allen 211 Service providing 24/7 information and referral services; and the annual Day of Caring volunteer event. The organization also facilitates workplace giving campaigns and provides public reporting on transparency and financial stewardship. The organization uses Classy.org for online donations and operates under a Community Impact model that goes beyond traditional fundraising to bring people together to address root causes of community issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• United Way: United Way improves lives by uniting the caring power of community, focusing on health, education, and financial stability.

Products and services

• Community Partners Grant

Quantifiable outcome

• 78 cents of every dollar invested in programs and services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cenovus Lima Refinery & USW Local 624coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTop corporate donor and union partnership. Cenovus is committed to maximizing value by sustainably developing assets, integrating environmental, social and governance considerations. Located at 1150 S. Metcalf St. Lima OH 45804.
• Mercy Health - St. Rita'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor healthcare corporate donor committed to extending the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving health and well-being. Located at 730 W. Market St. Lima, OH 45801.
• Procter & GamblecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate partner providing branded products and services of superior quality and value. Located at 3875 Reservoir Rd, Lima, OH 45801.
• Lima Memorial Health SystemscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare system partner dedicated to improving quality of life by providing comprehensive health services in a family atmosphere. Located at 1001 Bellefontaine Ave. Lima, OH 45804.
• Superior Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial services partner building trusted relationships by delivering personalized financial solutions. Located at 4320 Elida Road Lima, OH 45807.
• General DynamicscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDefense contractor partner providing mission critical systems and products. Located at 1161 Buckeye Road, Lima Ohio 45804.
• Ford Motor Company & UAW Local 1219coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor manufacturing employer and union partnership. Ford's mission is to help build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue dreams. Located at 1155 Bible Road Lima, OH 45801.
• Lima/Allen County Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business association partner participating in Day of Caring volunteer events.
• Labor United Partnership (AFL-CIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 75 year partnership with the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Unions have been strong partners in workplace campaigns, encouraging union members to give and volunteer. Local union leaders serve on United Way of Greater Lima's Board of Directors including Jeff Adams (UAW 1219), George Davis III (Lima Firefighters IAFF Local 334), and Jack Miller (Lima Building Trades).
• Allen County Board of DDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDevelopmental disability services organization supporting individuals with developmental disabilities in Allen County.
• Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize, and Hardin CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder and partner in the Allen 211 information referral service initiative, providing 24/7 access to mental health services and substance abuse resources.
• United Way of Greater ToledocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional United Way partner co-supporting Allen 211 referral service initiative.
• The Ohio State University - Lima CampusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational institution partner hosting annual Day of Caring events and campaign kickoffs. Mission to build the future of western Ohio.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization for the 1,800-member United Way network. Provides brand standards, peer benchmarking, and shared infrastructure that UWGL leverages, but is itself a not-for-profit membership association rather than a fundraising operator—making it a broad incumbent rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Toledo Community Foundation: Regional community foundation in northwest Ohio with endowment-based grantmaking across health, education, and economic mobility. Comparable grant cycle structure, donor-advised fund model, and outcome reporting; useful peer for understanding the trade-offs between the United Way federated model and an independent community foundation.
• Greater Toledo Community Foundation: Large community foundation in the same northwest Ohio region with comparable donor base and grantmaking focus on health, education, and financial stability. Provides a useful scale and efficiency benchmark for UWGL's endowment and overhead performance.
• United Way of Central Ohio: Larger Ohio-based United Way serving the Columbus region. Comparable operating model, program mix, and donor activation approach, but at materially greater scale—useful as an upper-bound benchmark for what UWGL could grow into with regional expansion or consolidation.
• United Way of Greater Toledo: Neighboring regional United Way that directly co-funds UWGL's Allen 211 referral service. Operates the same federated model in northwest Ohio with workplace giving, grantmaking, and community impact programs serving a multi-county area—making it a closely comparable peer for benchmarking revenue, overhead, and program design.
• The Community Foundation of Greater Lima: Local community foundation serving Allen County with endowment-based grantmaking. Directly comparable in geography, mission (health, education, financial stability), and donor base, but structured as a pure grantmaker versus UWGL's federated fundraising-plus-grantmaking model.

Others

• 211 of Northwest Ohio: The 24/7 information and referral service co-funded by UWGL, Mental Health & Recovery Services Board, and United Way of Greater Toledo. A service that UWGL effectively co-operates rather than a competitor, but is a relevant peer for benchmarking technology, call volume, and outcome measurement in the social-services referral space.
• Allen County United Way (historical/predecessor name variations): Predecessor/legacy chapter branding under the same EIN; included for completeness to show UWGL's long local history. Operationally identical to the current entity.

Regional players

• West Ohio Food Bank: Allen County-based food bank partner that UWGL co-funds and that has distributed 100,000+ pounds of food to 900+ families through the partnership. Operates in the same geography and serves overlapping vulnerable populations, but is a single-mission direct-service organization versus UWGL's multi-cause community-foundation model.

Emerging players

• Habitat for Humanity of Lima/Allen County: Local Habitat affiliate operating in Allen County on affordable housing—overlapping with UWGL's financial stability and community resiliency pillars. Not a direct fundraiser competitor, but competes for some of the same corporate and individual donors in the same service area.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unitedwayofgreaterlima

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Lima