United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin

What United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin does

United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin is a registered Canadian charitable organization (Charitable Registration 10745 7053 RR0001) founded in 1940 and headquartered at 255 Speedvale Ave. West, Guelph, Ontario. Operating as an independent member of United Way Centraide Canada / United Way Worldwide, it serves the city of Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County with a staff of approximately 9-12 and a volunteer board of directors. Its core function is fundraising and grant-making: it mobilizes individual donors, workplace campaigns, and corporate sponsors, then redistributes those funds to a network of 59 local community programs across five focus areas — All That Kids Can Be (children/youth), Equity Diversity Inclusion, Healthy People Thriving Communities, From Poverty to Possibility, and Rural Communities. Sub-brands include Women United, GenNext, Home for Good (a $5M supportive housing capital campaign funding 72 units across Shelldale, Grace Gardens, and Bellevue), the 211 Helpline referral service, the Poverty Elimination Collaborative (which it hosts), and signature events (Ultimate Burger Battle, Period Promise, Top 7 Over 70 Awards).

The organization's technology stack is intentionally lean and third-party-dependent rather than proprietary. It uses Epledge for online donations (customizable for workplace campaigns), CanadaHelps for securities, stocks, and cryptocurrency donations, and integrates with the Guelph-Wellington Volunteer Portal and Volunteer Dufferin for volunteer matching. It does not operate a proprietary platform; its core assets are its donor network, employer relationships, volunteer committees, and grant-making infrastructure. Revenue is generated entirely through charitable donations — annual workplace campaigns (over 80% of funds raised, 55% from employee payroll contributions), individual giving (monthly Social Good Collective, $1,200+ Leadership Donors), corporate sponsorships, planned giving/bequests, gifts of appreciated securities, and event-based fundraising. The 2025 annual campaign raised $2.4 million CAD, with $1.4 million committed to the 59 funded programs over the 2026-2028 cycle. Demand from community partners exceeded available funding by more than 2.5x.

The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: Employee Campaign Coordinators drive workplace fundraising at the grassroots level, supplemented by signature events, corporate sponsorship programs, volunteer committees (GenNext, Women United), and direct-to-consumer donation channels (online, phone, mail, securities, planned giving). 100% of donations remain local to the Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin service area, reinforcing the trust-based philanthropic model that has defined the organization across its 85+ year operating history.

Name

United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin

Legal name

United Way Community Services of Guelph and Wellington

Website

https://unitedwayguelph.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin is a registered Canadian charity (founded 1940) that raises and grants funds to 59 local community programs addressing poverty, homelessness, mental health, youth development, and equity across Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County in southwestern Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy and Charitable Fundraising Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Community fundraising
• Workplace giving campaigns
• Charitable donations
• Nonprofit social services
• Volunteer programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Guelph

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Annual and monthly donations from individual community members. Monthly giving program (Social Good Collective) provides recurring revenue. Leadership donors give $1,200+ annually. One-time donations via online portal, phone, or mail.
2. Workplace Campaigns: Corporate workplace fundraising campaigns where employees contribute via payroll deduction. These campaigns contribute over 80% of all dollars raised (55% from employee contributions), making this the primary revenue driver.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors receive brand visibility, logo placement, reserved event seating, and recognition in exchange for financial support. Sponsorship tiers are offered for events and programs.
4. Home for Good Capital Campaign: Dedicated $5 million capital campaign to build 72 supportive housing units. Raised over $2.6M locally by end of 2023. Funds cover capital costs for Shelldale (Kindle Communities), Grace Gardens (Stepping Stone), and Bellevue (Wyndham House) housing projects.
5. Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: Bequests, gifts of life insurance, RRSPs, and other planned giving vehicles. Supported by legal name: United Way Community Services of Guelph and Wellington (Charitable Registration: 10745 7053 RR0001).
6. Securities, Stocks & Crypto Donations: Donations of appreciated securities eliminate capital gains taxes for donors. Processed through CanadaHelps platform. Provides significant tax advantages while generating donation revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin is a registered local charity that raises funds through annual workplace campaigns, individual donations, monthly giving (Social Good Collective), planned giving, securities/stocks/crypto donations, and special events. Funds are granted to 59 partner programs across five community focus areas (poverty, homelessness, mental health, youth, and community connectedness) in Guelph, Wellington, and Dufferin counties, with 100% of donations retained locally.

Product overview

United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin is a charitable organization operating as a social services funder and community coordinator rather than a traditional technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of fundraising programs (annual campaigns, monthly giving, leadership donors, planned giving, securities donations), community events (Ultimate Burger Battle, Period Promise, Top 7 Over 70 Awards), volunteer programs (Day of Caring, GenNext, Women United), and a network of 59 funded agency programs across five focus areas: All That Kids Can Be, Equity/Diversity/Inclusion, Healthy People/Thriving Communities, From Poverty to Possibility, and Rural Communities. Key service offerings include the 211 Helpline (24/7 information and referral service), Home for Good (housing campaign), and various workplace campaign tools including the Epledge online donation platform. All donations stay 100% local to support Guelph, Wellington, and Dufferin communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women United: A powerful collective for social change as key drivers of philanthropy, a diverse community of visionaries and changemakers united for women and girls in the community.
• GenNext
• Home for Good
• Top 7 Over 70
• Ultimate Burger Battle
• Period Promise
• 211 Helpline

Products and services

• Annual United Way Campaign Annual region-wide fundraising campaign that mobilizes individuals, workplaces, and corporate sponsors to raise money for local social service programs across Guelph, Wellington, and Dufferin.
• Workplace Giving Campaign Program Workplace employee giving program that enables local employers to run employee payroll-deduction donation campaigns and corporate sponsorship activities in support of United Way.
• Social Good Collective (Monthly Giving) Monthly recurring giving program for individual donors that provides sustained, predictable funding for local social programs.
• Leadership Donor Program Recognition and giving tier program for individuals and corporate donors contributing at higher leadership-giving levels.
• Planned Giving / Legacy Giving Planned giving program allowing donors to contribute through wills, bequests, life insurance, and other legacy arrangements to support long-term community impact.
• Securities, Stocks, and Cryptocurrency Donations Donation channel that accepts gifts of publicly listed securities, stocks, and cryptocurrency, enabling tax-effective giving for individual donors.
• Community Impact Funding Program Grant-making program that funds 59 local partner non-profits delivering services across five focus areas: poverty, homelessness, mental health, youth, and community connectedness.
• Home for Good Campaign Targeted fundraising and awareness campaign focused on local housing and homelessness outcomes in the Guelph Wellington Dufferin region.
• Volunteer Engagement Programs (Day of Caring, GenNext, Women United) Structured volunteer programs that mobilize community members through corporate volunteer days (Day of Caring), emerging-leader volunteer engagement (GenNext), and women's leadership giving and volunteering circles (Women United).
• Ultimate Burger Battle (Signature Event) Annual community fundraising event partnering with local restaurants to raise funds through culinary competition and ticket sales.
• Period Promise (Signature Event) Awareness and fundraising initiative addressing period poverty and supporting access to menstrual products in the local community.
• Top 7 Over 70 Awards (Signature Event) Annual awards event recognizing older adults in the community who are making outstanding contributions, also serving as a fundraising and awareness vehicle.
• 211 Helpline Service Community information and referral helpline that connects residents to local social, health, and government services, supported as part of the United Way network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 145,000+ people helped through funded programs in the past year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Guelph Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2020Partnership formed during COVID-19 pandemic to combine efforts and maximize impact of the COVID-19 Community Response Fund. Both organizations pooled resources to provide emergency support to the community during the pandemic. The partnership continues as a model for collaborative community response.
• Elinesky Schuett Private Wealth of RBC Dominion SecuritiescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of the Ultimate Burger Battle annual event. Provides brand visibility and support for the food insecurity fundraising campaign.
• Smitten ApparelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Period Promise campaign to collect menstrual products. Drop-off location for donations at 259 Grange Rd., Guelph. Joint distribution of products to community partner organizations including food banks, shelters, and community health programs.
• 211 Ontario (211 Helpline)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way supports the 211 helpline (24/7 telephone service for social services referrals) available across Ontario. The 211 service connects callers to over 56,000 social services. United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin promotes 211 as a key community resource.
• Guelph & Wellington Poverty Elimination Collaborative (PEC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin serves as the host agency for the PEC. The PEC is a collective working to address root causes of poverty through advocacy, system change, and collective impact projects including the Poverty To Possibility Collective Impact Project and Guelph-Wellington's goal to end homelessness.
• Kindle CommunitiescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDeveloper of the 10 Shelldale supportive housing project. Part of the Home for Good campaign, this project provides 32 supportive housing units for individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Stepping Stone (Grace Gardens)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperator of Grace Gardens supportive housing. Part of the Home for Good campaign, providing 32 supportive housing units for individuals experiencing homelessness in Guelph.
• Wyndham House (Bellevue)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperator of Bellevue youth housing project. Part of the Home for Good campaign, providing 8 supportive housing units for youth experiencing homelessness.
• CanadaHelpscoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party platform used for processing donations of securities, stocks, and crypto. Donors complete pledge on CanadaHelps site, then send Letter of Direction to their broker to transfer shares. CanadaHelps sells shares, issues charitable tax receipts, and disburses proceeds to United Way.
• United Way Canada / United Way Centraide CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin is a member in good standing of United Way Centraide Canada, which holds international membership in United Way Worldwide on behalf of Canadian members. This membership provides access to materials, cross-border collaboration, and comprehensive operating standards.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• United Way Ottawa: Mid-sized Canadian United Way affiliate serving Ottawa. Same federated giving model, similar workplace campaign dominance, and comparable geographic scope (city plus surrounding region). Direct peer for benchmarking fundraising performance and best practices.
• Hamilton Community Foundation: Ontario-based community foundation serving the Hamilton region. Operates a similar grantmaking model in a comparable mid-sized Ontario city with rural surroundings. Functions as a near-perfect geographic and structural analog for comparison purposes.
• United Way Greater Toronto: Larger Canadian United Way affiliate serving the Toronto region. Direct peer in the federated giving model — same workplace campaign structure, same funding stream taxonomy, same brand and operating standards from United Way Centraide Canada.
• United Way Halifax: Atlantic Canadian United Way affiliate serving Halifax. Similar in size to UWGWD with the same workplace campaign dominance, federated giving structure, and mix of annual fundraising + community events. Most comparable peer in terms of campaign scale and operational structure.
• United Way Winnipeg: Mid-sized Canadian United Way affiliate serving the Winnipeg region. Operates with a similar five-focus-area funding structure and workplace campaign model. Comparable in scale and structure to UWGWD as a regional federated giving organization.
• Guelph Community Foundation: Local community foundation serving the same Guelph geography. Partnered with UWGWD on the COVID-19 Community Response Fund. Operates a parallel endowment-based grantmaking model in the same service area, making it the most direct local comparable for community-impact funding.

Broad incumbents

• Vancouver Foundation: Canada's largest community foundation by assets. Operates the same grantmaking-and-convening model in a defined geography, distributing funds to local nonprofits. Comparable as a regional philanthropic funder, though endowment-based rather than annual campaign-based.
• United Way Worldwide: The global parent organization of the United Way network. UWGWD's international membership is held through United Way Centraide Canada. Provides the global brand, standards, and benchmarking against which all local affiliates — including UWGWD — are measured.
• United Way Centraide Canada: National membership body for Canadian United Ways, holding international membership in United Way Worldwide. UWGWD is a member in good standing; Centraide provides the standards, brand, and convening infrastructure that UWGWD operates within.
• Community Foundations of Canada: National umbrella organization for 191+ community foundations across Canada. Functions as a structural adjacent to the United Way network — both pool local philanthropy and redistribute to community programs, though community foundations are typically endowment-based while United Ways run annual campaigns.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/unitedwaygwd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UnitedWayGWD
• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedwayguelph
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uniworks-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitedwaygwd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin