United Way Puerto Rico

What United Way Puerto Rico does

United Way Puerto Rico is a 58-year-old nonprofit federation founded in 1966 and headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The organization mobilizes individual donors, corporate partners, and volunteers to fund and support over 100 affiliated nonprofit organizations delivering services across four pillars: education, health, financial stability, and resilient communities. Its primary technology asset is the 211 Information and Referral Center, a computerized database connecting callers to 4,000+ public and private service agencies across Puerto Rico, accessible via the 211 short code and online at 211pr.org.

The organization generates revenue through multiple streams: voluntary workplace payroll deduction campaigns (primary channel), corporate donations and matching programs, individual contributions (online, phone, mail, securities), government employee campaigns (Campaña Benéfica de Empleados Públicos and Federal Combined Campaign), special events, and major grants. It operates tiered leadership giving programs including Círculo de Honor ($1,000+ annually) and the Alexis de Tocqueville Society ($10,000+ annually). Key community initiatives include Sembrando Futuro (early childhood development), BienEstar (pediatric obesity prevention), Women United, Vive Unido (annual celebration), and Regala un Día (corporate volunteerism).

United Way Puerto Rico operates within the United Way Worldwide network spanning 40+ countries, holds a Charity Navigator 4-star rating, and maintains a 41-person staff supporting 200+ corporate partners, 101,287 social investors, and 6,525 active volunteers. The organization has historically distributed over $300 million to affiliated nonprofits and has played a recurring role in disaster response (Hurricanes Hugo, Georges, Irma, Maria; earthquakes; COVID-19). It rebranded from Fondos Unidos de Puerto Rico to United Way de Puerto Rico in 2020 under a licensing agreement with United Way Worldwide, and appointed Dra. Glorymar Rivera Báez as President and CEO in 2024.

Name

United Way Puerto Rico

Legal name

United Way de Puerto Rico

Website

https://unitedwaypr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United Way Puerto Rico is a 58-year-old nonprofit federation in San Juan that mobilizes workplace giving, corporate partnerships, and 101,000+ individual donors to fund 100+ affiliated nonprofits and operate the 211 Information and Referral Center serving 686,000+ Puerto Ricans annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising services
• Workplace giving campaigns
• Community development programs
• Humanitarian aid services
• Social impact programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Juan

HQ country

Puerto Rico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workplace Payroll Deduction Campaigns: Employees of participating companies contribute through voluntary payroll deduction. The donation is automatically deducted from paychecks and goes directly to United Way Puerto Rico for distribution to affiliated nonprofit organizations via volunteer committees.
2. Corporate Donations: Companies make direct corporate donations as part of their annual fundraising campaigns. Many companies also match employee contributions (corporate matching programs).
3. Individual Donations: Direct contributions from individuals via phone (211 or 787-268-5353), website, mail (check/money order), credit cards/PayPal, direct debit, securities transfers, bequests/testaments, and monthly subscription plans ($9.99/month).
4. Leadership Giving Programs: Circle of Honor (Círculo de Honor) requires annual contributions of $1,000 or more. Alexis de Tocqueville Society requires minimum donations of $10,000 in personal capacity. These high-level donor programs provide premium engagement opportunities.
5. Government Employee Campaigns: Administration of the Campaña Benéfica de Empleados Públicos (Public Employees Charitable Campaign) and Federal Combined Campaign in Puerto Rico, allowing government employees to contribute through payroll deduction.
6. Special Events: Revenue from events such as Regala un Día volunteer days, Vive Único celebration, golf tournaments, and other fundraising activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

United Way Puerto Rico is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1966 that mobilizes workplace giving campaigns, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and grants to fund community programs across Puerto Rico. The organization operates the 2-1-1 information and referral helpline and runs targeted initiatives in education, health, financial stability, and environmental conservation.

Product overview

United Way Puerto Rico operates as a nonprofit federation that mobilizes communities to improve quality of life through four pillars: education, health, financial stability, and resilient communities. Its product portfolio is organized around community impact initiatives — centered on the 2-1-1 de Puerto Rico information and referral service — and specific programs including BienEstar (pediatric obesity prevention), Sembrando Futuro (early childhood development, encompassing APRENDO training, Born Learning trails and parks, and Ciudad Amiga de la Niñez recognition), Regala un Día (corporate volunteerism), Women United (female empowerment), and Vive Unido (annual commemorative event). Donor programs include the Círculo de Honor ($1,000+ donors) and Alexis de Tocqueville Society ($10,000+ donors). Fundraising is facilitated through voluntary payroll deduction campaigns, direct donations (online, phone, mail), and corporate sponsorships. The organization supports over 100 affiliated nonprofits and coordinates volunteer engagement through its Voluntarios Unidos platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sembrando Futuro: A community initiative promoting collective impact for early childhood development (ages 0-6 years) through community alliances and coordinated strategies among government, church, private companies, and community organizations.
• BienEstar
• 2-1-1 de Puerto Rico
• Vive Unido
• Women United
• Regala un Día
• Unidos por el Bosque

Products and services

• 2-1-1 de Puerto Rico Free, confidential information and referral helpline that connects Puerto Rico residents to health and human services, available via phone.
• Workplace Giving Campaigns Employee payroll deduction giving programs run in partnership with Puerto Rico employers to channel donations to community impact initiatives.
• BienEstar Community wellness and quality-of-life program serving Puerto Rico residents.
• Sembrando Futuro Education-focused initiative supporting youth and student outcomes across Puerto Rico.
• Women United Women's leadership giving circle that pools donations from female donors to fund community impact initiatives for women and girls in Puerto Rico.
• Regala un Día Volunteer engagement program encouraging Puerto Rico employees and individuals to donate time to community causes.
• Vive Unido Community engagement and volunteer mobilization program for Puerto Rico residents.
• Unidos por el Bosque Environmental conservation initiative focused on reforestation and protecting Puerto Rico's forests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.2 million people benefit annually from services of affiliated nonprofits
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and flagship.

• FEMAsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020211 formed alliance with FEMA during 2020 disasters to keep citizens informed about emergency resources and services.
• Lopito, Ileana & HowiecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Advertising agency that developed major campaigns including 50th Anniversary campaign (pro bono), Contamos Contigo subscription campaign, and public awareness initiatives. Long-term strategic marketing partner.
• Puerto Rico Telecommunications BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Assigned rights to use the 211 phone number to United Way de Puerto Rico in 2001, enabling the community information and referral service.
• United Way WorldwideflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal parent organization of United Way Puerto Rico. Provides international best practices, emergency support network, licensing agreement for brand use, and access to global resources. Connected 40+ United Ways worldwide during Hurricane Maria recovery.
• Universidad del Sagrado CorazónsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on workforce reintegration events and programs supporting economic stability initiatives.
• Consumer Credit CounselingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial counseling partner providing advisory services through the 211 call center to help community members with financial planning.
• United Way Puerto Rico / Fondos UnidosflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric name transition from Fondos Unidos de Puerto Rico to United Way de Puerto Rico in 2020 per licensing agreement with United Way Worldwide. Organization maintains dual branding for multinational corporate partners.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Hispanic Federation: Hispanic-focused national nonprofit federation that mobilizes Latino communities through grantmaking, civic engagement, and disaster relief in Puerto Rico (post-Maria recovery). Overlaps with UWPR's Hispanic community focus and grantmaking activity but is mission-narrower.
• American Red Cross Puerto Rico Chapter: Affiliate nonprofit listed as a UWPR partner; a major disaster-response and humanitarian organization operating in Puerto Rico. Comparable to UWPR on disaster relief, volunteer mobilization, and humanitarian giving — overlapping rather than competing for corporate donor dollars.

Regional players

• Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico: Community foundation operating exclusively in Puerto Rico with comparable grantmaking, endowment, and community development activities. Most direct local competitor for philanthropic capital and community impact positioning on the island.

Direct peers

• United Way Worldwide: Global parent federation of all United Way chapters. Most directly comparable as the umbrella organization that licenses the brand, sets standards, and coordinates the 40+ country network to which United Way Puerto Rico belongs.
• United Way of New York City: One of the largest U.S. United Way chapters, running workplace giving campaigns, impact funds, and 211 services for a dense urban market. Closest scale-comparable peer with the same federated giving structure and similar population-impact ratios.
• United Way of Miami-Dade: Fellow large regional United Way chapter serving a Hispanic-majority metro area and a known partner of UWPR during Hurricane Maria recovery. Operates the same workplace giving, 211 referral, and community impact model in a comparable demographic and disaster-prone geography.
• United Way of Greater Los Angeles: Large metropolitan United Way chapter operating workplace giving, crisis response (wildfires, homelessness), and community impact funds in a Hispanic-majority market — structurally and operationally aligned with UWPR.
• United Way of Greater Atlanta: Major regional United Way chapter with similar workplace giving scale (hundreds of corporate partners), child and family focus, and impact investing model — direct operational peer with comparable beneficiary metrics.
• Heart of Florida United Way: Sister United Way chapter that provided supplies during Hurricane Maria relief; operates the same federated workplace giving, volunteer mobilization, and disaster response model in Central Florida with comparable scale and structure.
• United Way of Metropolitan Chicago: Large metropolitan United Way chapter with the same workplace giving platform, multi-issue community impact framework, and corporate partner ecosystem — a structural and operational peer at similar campaign scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedwaypr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-way-puerto-rico
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitedwaypr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Puerto Rico