Raising HOPE

What Raising HOPE does

Raising HOPE operates as the public-facing identity of United Way of Ulster County, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 14-1409654) founded in 1954 and headquartered at 450 Albany Avenue in Kingston, New York. The organization functions as a community coalition convener and funder, raising donations locally and deploying them through a network of 20+ partner nonprofits and direct service programs that address housing insecurity, food access, childcare, healthcare, mental health, youth development, and emergency financial assistance across Ulster County. Programs include the VITA free tax preparation service, a Health Helpdesk, Skills for Success training, the NonProfits United incubator, and youth/associates leadership development groups, with the 211 New York helpline providing 24/7/365 multilingual referral access in 150+ languages.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; its infrastructure consists of a Squarespace-hosted website, a QGiv donation processing platform, the FreeWill planned giving platform, and the shared 211 helpline service. Its business model is donation-based, with three primary revenue streams: individual contributions, employer workplace giving campaigns (such as the partnership with Ulster Savings Bank), and planned/legacy gifts via FreeWill. The organization emphasizes that 100% of donations remain within Ulster County and reports administrative overhead of approximately 15%, well below the BBB's 35% guideline.

Operationally, the entity runs with a small staff team of 3 key personnel supported by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from local business and community leaders. It maintains strategic partnerships with local employers, the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Ulster County Tourism, schools, government agencies, and 211 New York, distributing services and programs through direct delivery, employer workplace campaigns, and a coalition of community nonprofits rather than through a traditional commercial go-to-market motion.

Name

Raising HOPE

Legal name

United Way of Ulster County

Website

https://ulsterunitedway.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Way of Ulster County (Raising HOPE) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1954 that raises and deploys local donations across Ulster County, NY through a coalition of 20+ partner nonprofits and direct service programs addressing housing, health, youth, and emergency needs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Housing assistance
• Workplace giving campaigns
• Nonprofit fundraising programs
• Emergency financial aid

Headquarters

HQ city

West Kingston

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support local programs. 100% of donations stay in Ulster County to fund community programs including housing assistance, rental security, youth programs, and skills training.
2. Workplace Giving Campaigns: Local employers partner to offer payroll pledge programs, allowing employees to give directly from their paycheck. Workplace Campaigns bridge relationships between companies and nonprofit organizations, engaging employees with community service and giving opportunities.
3. Planned Giving: Donors can leave lasting legacies through planned gifts including stocks, securities, cryptocurrency, donor-advised funds, or charitable bequests. Available through FreeWill platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Raising HOPE (United Way of Ulster County) raises donations locally and funds direct programs for housing stability, basic needs, health, education, youth development, and financial well-being for Ulster County residents. The organization also delivers direct services including emergency housing assistance (HELPS), free tax preparation (VITA), a 211 helpline, health helpdesk, youth leadership programs, and skills training, while supporting a coalition of 20+ local nonprofits. All services are provided at no cost to recipients and 100% of donations remain in Ulster County.

Product overview

No product or technology information available for Raising HOPE in the provided source data. The source material describes United Way of Ulster County, a nonprofit organization, not Raising HOPE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HELPS Emergency Assistance Program Emergency financial assistance program for households facing urgent crises such as housing instability; funded by donations and delivered at no cost to recipients.
• VITA Free Tax Preparation Free federal and state tax return preparation provided to low-income Ulster County residents by IRS-certified volunteers; serves 300+ clients annually.
• 211 Helpline Free, confidential information and referral service available 24/7/365 in 150+ languages, connecting callers with housing, food, healthcare, childcare, mental health, and financial assistance resources in Ulster County.
• Health Helpdesk Direct service providing health-related navigation, information, and support to community members at no cost.
• Skills for Success Direct service skills-building program for community members seeking workforce and life skills development.
• Youth Council Youth leadership, service, and philanthropy program for local youth ages 8-15, providing early governance training and civic engagement opportunities.
• Associates Leadership Group Leadership development, professional networking, and community engagement program for young professionals ages 25-39.
• NonProfits United and Incubator Program Capacity-building program for local nonprofit organizations offering shared learning, expert guidance, peer connections, and organizational development support.
• Workplace Giving Campaigns Partnership program with local employers offering payroll pledge giving opportunities for employees; channels donations into community programs.
• Planned Giving Program Legacy giving program enabling donors to contribute through stocks, securities, cryptocurrency, donor-advised funds, or charitable bequests, delivered via the FreeWill platform.
• Community Impact Fund Grantmaking fund supporting 20+ local nonprofit partners that deliver housing, food security, education, childcare, and health services across Ulster County.

Quantifiable outcome

• 640+ families kept in their homes every year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local businesses and employerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal employers partner with United Way for workplace campaigns, offering payroll pledge programs that engage employees with community giving opportunities. These partnerships invest thousands of dollars into nonprofit partners.
• Ulster County Regional Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Chamber of Commerce for business community engagement and advocacy. Chamber leadership transitions involve close working relationships.
• Ulster Savings BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUlster Savings Bank hosts United Way workplace campaigns, demonstrating corporate commitment to strengthening the community through employee giving opportunities.
• Ulster County TourismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for community events such as the Ulster Future Stars Unity Cup, bringing young athletes together for teamwork, sportsmanship, and community building.
• Local nonprofitscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 20+ local nonprofits supported through community impact fund, addressing housing, food security, education, childcare, and health services. Includes NonProfits United and Incubator Program partnerships.
• Schools and educational institutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with schools for youth programs, after-school initiatives, and early childhood education support.
• Local government partnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with government partners to address both urgent needs and long-term challenges in Ulster County, including governance training programs.
• 211 New York / United Way HELPLINEcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with 211 New York providing free, confidential helpline available 24/7/365 connecting callers with resources for housing, food, healthcare, childcare, mental health services, and more in 150+ languages.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• United Way of Long Island: A regional United Way affiliate operating workplace campaigns, 211 service, and direct programs (housing, youth, financial empowerment) in a New York suburban market closely analogous to Ulster County's model.
• Community Foundation of Ulster County: Source/location match not confirmed; treat as a placeholder and prefer cfosullivancounty.org if invalid. A local foundation in the same county deploying donor-advised and grantmaking funds to address housing, education, and youth needs, competing for similar local donor dollars.
• United Way of Dutchess-Orange Region: A neighboring Hudson Valley United Way affiliate operating the same community-impact model of workplace campaigns, 211 referral, and grants to local nonprofits serving housing, health, and education needs in adjacent counties.
• United Way of Westchester and Putnam: A regional United Way affiliate running workplace giving, a 211 helpline, and direct programs for housing, youth, and financial stability in a suburban New York market of comparable scale and donor mix.
• United Way of the Greater Capital Region: A New York State United Way affiliate combining workplace campaigns, volunteer mobilization, and direct community programs around housing, education, and financial stability in a multi-county Capital Region footprint.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: The national umbrella network that sets standards, licensing, and brand for affiliates including Ulster County; relevant as the broader incumbent defining the operating framework and donor-trust framework.
• United Way of New York City: A much larger New York-area United Way running the same workplace-giving, 211, and community-impact model but at metropolitan scale; useful as a broad incumbent reference for operating discipline and program design.
• Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley: A regional community foundation network distributing philanthropic capital across the Hudson Valley for education, health, housing, and youth causes; overlaps with United Way of Ulster County on donor pools and nonprofit grantees.

Emerging players

• Family of Woodstock: A long-standing Ulster County direct-service nonprofit providing emergency housing, food, and crisis services to overlapping client populations (ALICE families, individuals in housing crisis) referred through 211 channels.
• Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster: A faith-based regional social services operator running direct programs for housing instability, emergency assistance, and family support across the same counties, partially overlapping on service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raising-hope
• Instagraminstagram.com/ulsterunitedway
• Facebookfacebook.com/ulsterunitedway

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 Raising HOPE