United Way of the Coastal Empire

What United Way of the Coastal Empire does

United Way of the Coastal Empire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1938 in Savannah, Georgia, that mobilizes community philanthropy to fund and deliver human services across a five-county Coastal Georgia region (Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long). The organization operates as a community foundation and direct service provider, running the 211 Information & Referral Service (staffed 8:30 AM–5:00 PM Monday–Thursday), four county service centers, and grant-making programs that distribute Community Fund dollars to 54 partner agencies operating 87 nonprofit programs. In 2020, this network supported 207,948 residents. The organization also runs direct programs including Read United (early childhood literacy reaching 20,000+ children), Women Who Rule (transportation assistance), Young Leaders (professionals under 40), and Landings Military Family Relief.

Name

United Way of the Coastal Empire

Legal name

United Way of the Coastal Empire

Website

https://uwce.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

United Way of the Coastal Empire is a Savannah, Georgia 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes community giving to fund 87 programs across 54 agencies and deliver direct services through 211 referral and county service centers in five coastal Georgia counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community & Human Services Nonprofits

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Community fundraising
• Human services
• Information referral
• Grantmaking nonprofit
• Volunteer coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to the Community Fund through various giving societies (Beacon Society $1,200+, Young Leaders $365, Tocqueville Society $10,000+), one-time gifts, and payroll deduction programs. Donors may designate gifts to specific nonprofits or the general Community Fund.
2. Corporate Workplace Campaigns: Business partnerships through workplace giving campaigns, corporate gifts, employee matching programs, and event sponsorships. Companies engage employees through presentations, payroll deductions, and special fundraising events.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from signature events including Turkey Trot (nearly 2,000 participants), Women Who Rule luncheon (1,000 participants), Campaign Kickoff, and Young Leaders events (Kickball, Mini Golf tournaments). Ticket sales and sponsorships support the Community Fund.
4. Grant Funding: United Way administers grant programs including the CCHA Trust Grant ($2 million opportunity for preventive healthcare services) and distributes Community Fund dollars to nonprofit partners through a volunteer-driven investment process.
5. Administrative Fees: United Way applies administrative fees on designated gifts: 5% for non-United Way funded agencies, 10% for external United Ways, and 5-15% for pass-through funds and complex fund administration services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

United Way of the Coastal Empire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 58-0623603) headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, that mobilizes financial donations, volunteer engagement, and grantmaking across five counties — Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long — to address local health and human service needs. It operates a Community Fund that pools donor contributions for re-granting to vetted partner agencies, runs a 211 Information & Referral Service, operates County Service Centers in outlying counties, and runs direct service programs such as Read United (literacy) and Women Who Rule (women's leadership and giving).

Product overview

United Way of the Coastal Empire operates as a nonprofit social services organization, not a technology product company. Its portfolio consists of community programs and giving societies centered on the Community Fund. The core Community Fund raises and distributes donations to support 80+ programs across 50 nonprofit agencies. Direct services include the 211 Information & Referral Service (a call center connecting residents to essential resources), five County Service Centers providing in-person assistance, and the Landings Military Family Relief program. The Read United initiative promotes early childhood literacy through volunteer reading programs, while the Women Who Rule campaign provides transportation assistance. Donor engagement is structured through multiple giving societies (Beacon Society, Tocqueville Society, Young Leaders, Caring Club, Legacy Giving, Loyal Contributors) offering recognition tiers from $182 to $100,000+ annually. The organization also provides Learning Circle professional development workshops for nonprofit capacity building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Fund: The primary fundraising campaign that supports critical programs and services at nonprofit organizations, delivers services through 211 call center and county service centers, and advances strategic efforts for upward mobility
• 211 Information & Referral Service
• Women Who Rule
• Young Leaders
• Beacon Society
• Tocqueville Society
• Board Readiness Program
• Read United

Products and services

• Community Fund Pooled donor fund that the organization re-grants to vetted local partner agencies addressing community-identified priorities in health, education, and financial stability across Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long counties.
• 211 Information & Referral Service Free, confidential 24/7 helpline and online directory connecting residents of the Coastal Empire region to local health and human service resources, crisis intervention, and basic-needs assistance.
• County Service Centers Satellite offices located in outlying counties that provide residents with in-person access to case management, application assistance, and connections to community resources beyond the Savannah metro area.
• Read United Literacy initiative that mobilizes volunteers and community partners to improve reading proficiency among school-age children in the Coastal Empire region.
• Women Who Rule Women's giving and leadership initiative that engages female donors and community leaders in philanthropy, volunteerism, and grantmaking to advance local causes.
• Workplace Giving Campaigns Corporate partnership program that runs employee giving campaigns, payroll deduction pledges, and company-matched contributions to support the Community Fund and partner agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 207,948 people supported in 2020
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

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

• United Way WorldwidecoreOthersNational leadership organization for the United Way network operating in more than 40 countries and territories. Each local United Way is autonomous and governed by its own board. United Way Worldwide provides standards, resources, and best practices while local chapters maintain independence.
• GulfstreamsignificantGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate supporter providing generous funding that makes the Learning Circle professional development program possible for nonprofit professionals across the five-county region.
• Savannah Adult Recreation ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborates with United Way Young Leaders to host the annual Kickball Tournament, combining recreation with philanthropy to benefit the Community Fund.
• Women UnitedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational United Way affinity group created and led by women of the Beacon Society. The Coastal Empire chapter engages women leaders to provide transportation access through annual fundraising efforts like the Women Who Rule campaign.
• Savannah-Chatham County Public School SystemsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with United Way on Read United pilot reading competition in Chatham County, designed to motivate and reward students for reading more books as part of the literacy initiative.
• JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of SavannahsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for United Way Learning Circle workshops and nonprofit professional development sessions, providing accessible space for community capacity-building programs.
• America's Second HarvestsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for Learning Circle workshops on financial stewardship, leadership, and evaluation strategies. Provides space for nonprofit professional development programming.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Savannah Community Foundation: Direct peer — local Savannah community foundation managing charitable assets and making grants in the same Coastal Georgia service area. Comparable in donor-advised fund offerings and grant-making to nonprofits, overlapping with UWCE's intermediary role.
• United Way of Central Savannah River Area: Direct peer — Georgia-based regional United Way serving the Augusta-Central Savannah River area. Operates Community Fund, partner agency funding, and workplace campaigns on a similar scale to UWCE, making it a strong structural and geographic comparable.
• United Way of Greater Atlanta: Direct peer — Georgia-based United Way affiliate operating the same federated giving model, Community Fund campaigns, 211 referral services, and workplace giving structure as UWCE but in the larger Atlanta metro market. Most directly comparable in mission, structure, and product portfolio.
• United Way of the Midlands: Direct peer — mid-size regional United Way serving Columbia, SC and surrounding counties. Operates Community Fund, workplace giving, 211, and partner agency funding on a comparable scale, providing a useful benchmark for campaign efficiency and donor retention metrics.
• United Way of the Lowcountry: Direct peer — neighboring South Carolina/Lowcountry United Way affiliate serving Hilton Head and Beaufort regions with nearly identical Community Fund, workplace giving, volunteer, and 211 service model. Comparable scale, coastal geography, and donor demographic mix.
• Coastal Georgia Foundation: Direct peer — Savannah-based community foundation offering donor-advised funds, grant-making, and endowment services in the same five-county Coastal Georgia market. Competes with UWCE for major donor philanthropic capital, particularly on the donor-designated gift side.

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light: Broad incumbent — global volunteer engagement nonprofit operating HandsOn Network affiliates and corporate volunteer programs. Comparable volunteer mobilization infrastructure and corporate partnership approach, though operating at national scale rather than UWCE's regional focus.

Regional players

• Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia: Regional peer — Savannah-based food bank serving the same Coastal Georgia region that UWCE addresses through 211 referral and basic needs funding. Comparable scale, geographic footprint, and corporate partnership model though focused on food insecurity specifically.
• Habitat for Humanity of Savannah: Regional peer — Savannah-area Habitat affiliate addressing affordable housing, one of UWCE's strategic impact areas. Comparable volunteer-driven model, ReStore retail operations, and corporate partnership approach within the same five-county footprint.

Emerging players

• Hands On Savannah: Emerging player — Savannah-based volunteer center that mobilizes community service, competing for volunteer engagement and corporate days-of-service that UWCE also channels through its Investment Volunteers and Read United Day programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UWCE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UnitedWayCoastalEmp/feed
• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedwaycoastalempire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uwce
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitedwaycoastalempire

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 the Coastal Empire