The United Way of Lackawanna & Wayne County

What The United Way of Lackawanna & Wayne County does

The United Way of Lackawanna & Wayne County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania, operating under the trade name United Way Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike. It traces its institutional roots to 1921 and serves residents across Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties with a portfolio of social-service and information-and-referral programs. Core offerings include a 2-1-1 Helpline for community information and referral, VITA free tax preparation, Energy Assistance and Emergency Assistance utilities and crisis aid, PA MEDI Medicare counseling, a food pantry finder, and member-benefit integrations with SingleCare and Benefits.gov. The organization also convenes the Age Friendly Lackawanna collaborative across 30 community organizations and runs signature fundraising and programming such as the Mike Munchak Charity Golf Classic, Gift of Warmth, and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

The underlying technology stack is modest and service-oriented: a public website routing residents to program pages, the federally supported 2-1-1 information and referral system, partner integrations with SingleCare (prescription discounts) and Benefits.gov (benefits navigation), and operational tools supporting VITA and PA MEDI counseling workflows. There is no evidence of proprietary platform development or AI-driven tooling in the disclosed inputs; the architecture reflects the standard United Way chapter model of aggregating vetted partner services behind a single community-facing front door rather than building custom technology products.

The business model is nonprofit fundraising and grant-funded service delivery: revenue is generated through workplace giving campaigns, corporate and individual donations, special events (notably the annual Mike Munchak Charity Golf Classic), and likely federal and state pass-through grants that fund programs such as VITA, Energy Assistance, and PA MEDI. The go-to-market is community-embedded rather than commercial, with the United Way functioning as a trusted intermediary between donors, agency partners, and residents needing services. Headcount sits in the 11-50 employee range and no audited financial figures are publicly disclosed in the input materials.

Name

The United Way of Lackawanna & Wayne County

Legal name

United Way Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike

Website

https://uwlc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The United Way of Lackawanna & Wayne County is a Scranton-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating as United Way Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike that delivers social services, including 2-1-1 information and referral, VITA tax help, energy and emergency assistance, and senior benefits counseling, to residents of Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community and Human Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Community services
• Human services
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Social services
• Crisis assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Scranton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising Campaigns: The organization conducts volunteer fundraising campaigns to generate donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations in the community. These funds are used to support agency partners and fund direct community programs addressing economic mobility, education, and health.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The organization operates as a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes donations, volunteers, and partner agencies to deliver social services across Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. Core offerings include a 24/7 information and referral helpline (2-1-1), free tax preparation through VITA, energy assistance, emergency assistance navigation, food pantry location, Medicare counseling (PA MEDI), benefits enrollment support, and prescription cost assistance via SingleCare. Programs are organized around three focus areas: Economic Mobility, Education, and Health.

Product overview

The United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike operates as a community services organization offering a unified portfolio of social service programs rather than a technology product platform. The organization provides direct services organized around three strategic focus areas: Economic Mobility, Education, and Health. Core services include the 2-1-1 Helpline (24/7 resource referral), Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for free tax preparation, Energy Assistance, Emergency Assistance Directory, Singlecare healthcare partnerships, Benefits.gov navigation, Food Pantry finder, PA MEDI Medicare counseling, and State and Federal Aid Programs. Additional offerings include Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (early childhood literacy), Age Friendly Lackawanna collaborative (aging support), Gift of Warmth seasonal assistance, Mike Munchak Charity Golf Classic fundraising events, and Community Service Scholarships. The organization also supports Agency Partners and manages grant programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Age Friendly Lackawanna: A collaborative of nearly 30 community organizations dedicated to supporting individuals as they age by providing resources, advocacy, and services that promote independence, dignity, and well-being.

Products and services

• 2-1-1 Helpline

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Age Friendly LackawannacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAge Friendly Lackawanna is a collaborative of nearly 30 community organizations dedicated to supporting individuals as they age by providing resources, advocacy, and services that promote independence, dignity, and well-being. United Way serves as a founding/lead organization in this initiative.
• SingleCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike and SingleCare Community Service Partnership have collaborated to bring greater stability to the community through healthcare cost assistance and access programs.
• Agency PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way works with local nonprofit agency partners to deliver programs and services addressing economic mobility, education, and health needs across the community. Funds are distributed through agency allocations.
• Local Food PantriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way partners with local organizations to ensure families in need have access to nutritious meals through the Find a Food Pantry program.
• Benefits.govminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Way provides access to the benefits.gov resource that helps individuals find and learn about government assistance programs, offering a way to check eligibility and connect with benefits.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Goodwill Industries International: Nonprofit organization providing job training, employment placement, and community services. Comparable in nonprofit status, community-based service delivery, and focus on economic mobility for vulnerable populations.
• Feeding America: National hunger-relief organization with regional food bank affiliates. Comparable through United Way's Find a Food Pantry program and shared mission of food insecurity support, though Feeding America focuses more narrowly on food assistance.
• United Way of the Capital Region (PA): Regional United Way chapter serving central Pennsylvania. Directly comparable as a fellow Pennsylvania-based United Way chapter with similar donation model, programmatic focus areas, and 2-1-1 helpline services.
• Catholic Charities USA: National nonprofit network providing social services including emergency assistance, food programs, housing support, and benefits navigation. Comparable in scope of services, reliance on donations, and community-based service delivery model.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Nonprofit addressing housing and community development needs through volunteer engagement and donations. Comparable in volunteer-driven model, donation-dependent funding, and focus on community stability and self-sufficiency.
• The Salvation Army: Comparable nonprofit providing community-based social services including emergency assistance, food programs, and benefits navigation. Operates with similar donation-dependent revenue model and serves vulnerable populations through local chapters.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: The national umbrella organization for the United Way system. Directly comparable as the parent brand and network that provides resources, branding, and programmatic frameworks to local chapters including United Way Lackawanna, Wayne & Pike.
• American Red Cross: Large-scale nonprofit providing emergency relief, disaster response, and health-related community services. Comparable in donation-dependent funding model, volunteer-driven operations, and broad portfolio of social services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-united-way-of-lackawanna-wayne-pike

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 The United Way of Lackawanna & Wayne County