Orrville Area United Way

What Orrville Area United Way does

Orrville Area United Way (OAUW) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1958 in Orrville, Ohio, that operates as a community-led fundraising and grantmaking vehicle serving Dalton, Marshallville, and Orrville in Eastern Wayne County. The organization runs a dual model consisting of (1) a Community Grants Program that allocates funds across four impact areas — Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, Developing Life Skills & Financial Security, and Community Resiliency — to 11–12 partner agencies covering 14–15 programs, and (2) Percy Programs, a suite of five direct-service initiatives administered in-house: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (early literacy books), Friendship Meals (community hot meals), 2-1-1 Resource Helpline (referral service), Happy Feet (children's shoes), Sweet Dreams (children's bed sets), and Weekend Backpack (weekend food for students).

The underlying operational technology is minimal: OAUW does not develop proprietary technology products, relying instead on a standard website with Google Analytics, PayPal for donations, and a non-profit grant application portal. Business model mechanics center on the annual fall CommUnity Campaign, which raised nearly $740,000 in 2025 against a $725,000 goal, supplemented by special discretionary grants (Summer Grants, Further Together Grant), workplace payroll deduction campaigns, and modest foundation grants. All revenue is voluntary charitable contribution; no products or services are sold. The organization operates with a lean staff of one full-time Executive Director (James Carpenter, since April 2024) and two part-time roles, governed by a 12-member volunteer Board of Directors, and is supported by 400+ volunteers contributing ~2,600 hours annually. Annual financial audits comply with GAAP, with smaller United Ways ($500,000-and-under) eligible for independent review in lieu of full audit.

Name

Orrville Area United Way

Legal name

Orrville Area United Way

Website

https://orrvilleareaunitedway.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Orrville Area United Way is a 501(c)(3) community-led fundraising and grantmaking nonprofit, founded in 1958, that raises annual donations and allocates funds to 11–12 partner agencies plus five direct Percy Programs serving Dalton, Marshallville, and Orrville in Eastern Wayne County, Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food Services (62421), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Behavioral Health & Substance Use Program Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAI)

Keywords

• Community fundraising
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Social service programs
• Charitable giving
• Volunteer mobilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Orrville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual CommUnity Campaign Donations: Primary revenue source through annual fundraising campaign. Receives contributions from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations via workplace campaigns, one-time donations, and recurring gifts. Campaign runs each fall with specific fundraising goals ($725,000 goal for 2025, $675,000 for 2024).
2. Corporate and Workplace Giving: Businesses and organizations conduct employee giving campaigns with per capita calculations. Leadership award levels incentivize participation (Gold, Silver, Bronze tiers for individual giving and employee campaigns).
3. Special Grant Programs: Periodic special grant opportunities funded from investment earnings, campaign surplus, and budget savings. Examples include Summer Grants (nearly $40,000 awarded in 2024), Further Together Grant ($30,000 in 2025).
4. Grant Funding from Foundations: Orrville Area United Way receives grants from local foundations including Wayne County Children's Resource Fund ($4,000 in 2024 for Weekend Backpack Program).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Orrville Area United Way is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises charitable donations through an annual fall CommUnity Campaign and allocates those funds to 11+ local partner agencies and direct-service programs in Dalton, Marshallville, and Orrville, Ohio. The organization combines a Community Grants Program (funding 14+ programs across four impact areas) with five directly-operated Percy Programs that fill service gaps in early literacy, food security, footwear, bedding, and nutrition. Supporting programs include free IRS-certified VITA tax preparation for low-income households.

Product overview

Orrville Area United Way is a non-profit fundraising and grant-making organization serving Dalton, Marshallville, and Orrville. Rather than a traditional product company, OAUW operates a dual model consisting of (1) Community Grants Program—allocating funds to 11+ partner agencies addressing health, youth, life skills, and community resiliency needs, and (2) Percy Programs—five direct-service initiatives addressing essential gaps: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (early literacy books), Friendship Meals (hot meals), 2-1-1 Resource Helpline (resource connection), Happy Feet (shoes for kids), Sweet Dreams (beds for children), and Weekend Backpack (weekend food for students). Supporting programs include VITA free tax preparation and the annual Day of Caring volunteer event. The CommUnity Campaign is the annual fundraising vehicle that fuels all programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Percy Programs: Direct service programs administered by OAUW to fill gaps in community services, including Happy Feet (shoes), Sweet Dreams (beds), Weekend Backpack (food), Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (books), and Friendship Meals.

Products and services

• Community Grants Program OAUW's core grantmaking program, allocating funds to non-profit organizations serving Dalton, Marshallville, and Orrville across four impact areas: Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, Developing Life Skills & Financial Security, and Community Resiliency. In 2025 the program supports 14 programs across 11 different social service agencies alongside community initiatives.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Early literacy program providing free age-appropriate books monthly to children from birth until age 5 in Dalton, Kidron, Marshallville, North Lawrence, and Orrville. Administered by OAUW in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio and United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties.
• Friendship Meals Hot meal distribution program serving nutritious meals on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Thursdays of each month from Christ United Church of Christ, with no eligibility restrictions. Open to any community member in need of a meal.
• 2-1-1 Resource Helpline 24/7 resource help line connecting individuals to local resources including rent and utility assistance, food, health services, and support groups. OAUW partners with United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties to ensure local access to essential community services.
• Happy Feet for Kids Program providing new shoes, winter boots, and socks to children and teens from families at or below 250% of the federal poverty level in Eastern Wayne County. Administered in partnership with The Salvation Army Orrville-Maiwurm Service Center.
• Sweet Dreams for Kids Program supplying complete bed sets — frame, mattress, bedding, and pillow — to children ages 2–18 in need. Administered in partnership with The Salvation Army Orrville-Maiwurm Service Center, with volunteer-built solid wood beds by Christ United Church of Christ and Trinity United Methodist Church volunteers.
• Weekend Backpack Program Program supplying students in Dalton and Orrville Schools with bags of nutritious food to take home each Friday during the school year, addressing weekend food insecurity. Schools identify and help distribute the bags; in 2024, 3,413 food backpacks were distributed.
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Free tax preparation services for families with household incomes generally less than $60,000, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English-speaking taxpayers, staffed by IRS-certified volunteers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 27,000 services provided to local area residents in 2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and minor.

• Orrville Area Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDay of Caring partnership bringing together local businesses, students, and community members for a morning of meaningful volunteer work. The two organizations jointly organize and promote this annual community service event, with OAUW handling nonprofit coordination and the Chamber engaging business participation.
• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound the Alarm campaign partnership to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires by providing and installing free smoke alarms in homes. OAUW organizes volunteer installation events while American Red Cross provides training, equipment, and technical support.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide free age-appropriate books monthly to children from birth until age 5 in Dalton, Kidron, Marshallville, North Lawrence, and Orrville. OAUW administers the local program in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio and United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties.
• The Salvation Army Orrville-Maiwurm Service CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey administrative partner for three Percy Programs: Happy Feet (shoes), Sweet Dreams (beds), and Weekend Backpack (food). Salvation Army leverages community connections to identify families in need and administers program delivery.
• Christ United Church of ChristcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Friendship Meals (hot meals on Thursdays) and organizes Sweet Dreams bed build events. Volunteers from the church build solid wood beds for children in need. Key venue partner for community events.
• Trinity United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkilled volunteers from Trinity United Methodist Church participate in Sweet Dreams bed builds alongside Christ United Church of Christ, constructing solid wood beds for children in need.
• United Way of Wayne & Holmes CountiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 2-1-1 referral service connecting individuals to resources like rent/utility assistance, food, health services, and support groups. OAUW partners with United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties to ensure local access to essential services.
• Northeast Ohio Salvation Army (NEOSA)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated generous mattress donation bringing 50 twin mattresses into the community for Sweet Dreams program.
• JarrettminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided box truck and semi-truck to transport donated mattresses for Sweet Dreams program.
• Gerber Lumber & HardwareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partner providing cost-saving build materials for Sweet Dreams program and delivering them to build locations.
• Orrville High School Charity CarnivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent organization that provided support for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
• Orrville High School Baseball TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer team that unloaded 50 mattresses in record time during Sweet Dreams mattress delivery event.
• Dalton Local SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchools play vital role in identifying students in need and helping distribute Weekend Backpack food bags. Also partners with Dalton CARE Team and Aspire programs.
• Orrville City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchools play vital role in identifying students in need and helping distribute Weekend Backpack food bags. Also hosts OHuddle mentorship programs and partners on various youth initiatives.
• 12 Partner Agencies (OAUW Funded)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAUW funds 11-12 nonprofit agencies covering 14+ programs including: Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club, Salvation Army, Viola Startzman Clinic, OneEighty, Children's Advocacy Center, Aspire, OHuddle, YMCA, Aultman Serenity Program, NAMI MOCA House, Dalton CARE Team, and others. These agencies deliver services to end beneficiaries.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties: Sister local United Way affiliate operating in the adjacent Wayne and Holmes County footprint, with which OAUW already partners on the 2-1-1 helpline and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Directly comparable in mission, donor model, and partner agency grantmaking structure, though it serves a broader multi-county geography.
• Salvation Army Orrville-Maiwurm Service Center: Orrville-based Salvation Army service unit that is both an OAUW partner agency and a direct social service provider. Comparable as an emergency assistance and social services provider in the same service area, though with different funding sources (denominational, federal grants, donations).
• Wayne County Community Foundation: Local community foundation serving Wayne County that provides grants (including to OAUW's Weekend Backpack via Wayne County Children's Resource Fund). Directly comparable as a place-based grantmaking and donor-advised fund organization competing for the same local philanthropic dollars.
• United Way of Summit & Medina: Regional United Way affiliate in adjacent Northeast Ohio counties. Directly comparable as a local United Way affiliate with annual campaigns, partner agency funding model, and similar impact-area framework, though at meaningfully larger scale.

Regional players

• Akron Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving Summit County and adjacent Northeast Ohio communities. Comparable in structure as a place-based grantmaker with endowment-driven funding, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader geography.
• Goodwill Industries of Wayne and Holmes Counties: Local Goodwill affiliate where OAUW's new ED previously served as VP. Comparable as a regional nonprofit social enterprise in Wayne/Holmes County with workforce and community programming that occasionally intersects OAUW's donor base.

Emerging players

• Habitat for Humanity of Wayne County: Local Habitat affiliate operating in Wayne County focused on affordable housing, partially overlapping with OAUW's Sweet Dreams program and Community Resiliency impact area. Comparable as a nonprofit addressing community needs in the same geography through a different model.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Greater Cleveland: Larger Northeast Ohio United Way affiliate operating across Cuyahoga County. Comparable United Way model with workplace campaigns and community grantmaking, but at substantially larger scale and more urban service area.
• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization for the United Way system that OAUW is independently affiliated with. Comparable as the broader brand/network OAUW participates in, providing standards, branding, and infrastructure but not direct program delivery.

Others

• Orrville Area Chamber of Commerce: Local chamber of commerce with which OAUW co-organizes Day of Caring. Comparable as a community-anchored organization serving the same Orrville-area business community and donor pool, though focused on economic development rather than direct social services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OrrvilleAreaUnitedWay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-orrville-area-united-way

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Orrville Area United Way