How much does United Way Inc give?

United Way Inc reported 78 itemized grants totaling $3,448,012, out of $4,241,753 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 68 and 98 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.

What does United Way Inc fund?

By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Health (20%), Community Improvement (20%), Housing & Shelter (11%).

Who are United Way Inc's largest grantees?

By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: The Opportunity Alliance ($4.9M), Preble Street ($4.2M), Catholic Charities Maine ($3.5M).

Does United Way Inc fund new organizations?

In FY2024, 8% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.

Which funders back the same organizations as United Way Inc?

Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Sam L Cohen Foundation, Maine Community Foundation Inc, John T Gorman Foundation.

Foundation Dossiers Also receives grants: funding profile →

Maine · Public charity

United Way Inc

United Way of Southern Maine (UWSM) improves lives by mobilizing the caring power of our communities.

$4.2M
Granted FY2025(still arriving): 78
Itemized grants FY2025: 86
Organizations funded FY2024: 8%
First-time grantees FY2024

Read the full brief

Itemized, FY2025: $3.4M; The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
Median grant, FY2025: $20,000
Largest grant, FY2025: $518,397
Organizations funded a year: 68 to 98; FY2018 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025: 1
Total assets, FY2025: $19M

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 8% of the organizations United Way Inc funded were first-time grantees, receiving 6% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 94% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $403k went to new ones.

RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

Human ServicesHealthEducationPhilanthropyHousing & ShelterCommunity ImprovementOther

How this is measured

First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

The numbers by year

Fiscal year	Organizations funded	To those organizations	First-time grantees
FY2025still arriving	71	$3.4M	8%
FY2024	86	$6.9M	8%
FY2023	84	$8.3M	7%
FY2022	98	$5.5M	17%
FY2021	85	$5.1M	15%
FY2020	92	$4.1M	26%
FY2019	77	$4.9M	21%
FY2018	68	$4.8M	9%

100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Health$9.7MCommunity Improvement$9.6MHousing & Shelter$5.4MHuman Services$5.2MYouth Development$5.2MPhilanthropy$4.5MEducation$2.8MCrime & Legal$1.6MOther$0

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

Grantee	Total granted	Years	Share of their budget
The Opportunity Alliance	$4,872,730	9	n/a
Preble Street	$4,194,908	9	4%
Catholic Charities Maine	$3,493,773	9	n/a
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine	$2,310,985	9	15%
City of Portland	$2,153,452	7	n/a
Maine Behavioral Healthcare	$2,118,337	6	n/a
Day One	$1,526,007	9	5%
211 Maine Inc	$1,513,895	9	16%
MaineHealth Services	$1,097,713	5	1%
The Center for Grieving Children	$909,960	9	12%

Show all 164 grantees

All grantees of United Way Inc by total granted
Grantee	Total granted	Years	Share of their budget
The Opportunity Alliance	$4,872,730	9	n/a
Preble Street	$4,194,908	9	4%
Catholic Charities Maine	$3,493,773	9	n/a
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine	$2,310,985	9	15%
City of Portland	$2,153,452	7	n/a
Maine Behavioral Healthcare	$2,118,337	6	n/a
Day One	$1,526,007	9	5%
211 Maine Inc	$1,513,895	9	16%
MaineHealth Services	$1,097,713	5	1%
The Center for Grieving Children	$909,960	9	12%
United Way Inc	$815,497	6	2%
Catherine Morrill Day Nursery	$774,047	9	10%
Pine Tree Legal Assistance Inc	$737,211	9	1%
Northeast Hearing & Speech Center Inc	$730,092	9	5%
Youth and Family Outreach	$663,095	9	12%
Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition	$632,083	5	10%
Friends of Portland Adult Education	$629,610	4	93%
York County Community Action Corporation	$615,947	9	1%
Goodwill Industries of Northern NE	$613,206	8	0%
Milestone Recovery	$592,054	7	3%
Through These Doors	$578,368	9	4%
Freeport Community Services	$536,709	9	13%
United Way of Mid Coast Maine Inc	$530,835	9	9%
Young Mens Christian Association of Southern Maine	$493,822	9	0%
Avesta Housing Development Corporation	$453,858	7	1%
Spurwink Services Inc	$444,800	6	0%
Community Dental	$430,590	8	2%
Commonspace	$429,128	8	5%
Portland Seamens Friend Society	$427,933	8	97%
Maine Association for New Americans	$427,224	5	16%
Portland Housing Development Corporation	$408,413	7	7%
Children's Odyssey	$375,060	2	5%
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project	$369,674	9	4%
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern ME	$360,269	7	18%
United Way of York County	$343,111	5	21%
Tri-County Mental Health Services	$338,019	9	1%
My Place Teen Center Inc	$330,284	9	9%
Legal Services for Maine Elders Inc	$327,198	9	3%
Morrison Center	$324,363	7	1%
Regional Transportation Program	$322,139	7	1%
American Red Cross of Southern Maine	$305,932	8	n/a
Penquis Cap Inc	$275,328	9	0%
Heart of Maine United Way	$272,689	9	2%
A Company of Girls	$256,228	8	30%
Kennebec Valley Community Action Program	$250,885	9	0%
Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine	$244,416	9	5%
Learningworks	$239,334	6	2%
American Lung Association of the Northeast Inc	$236,349	9	0%
Community Concepts Inc	$228,703	9	0%
Wayside Food Programs	$219,446	8	6%
Portland Community Health Center	$214,957	7	0%
In Her Presence	$197,164	4	14%
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Inc	$195,210	9	0%
HomeHealth Visiting Nurses of Southern Maine	$173,110	2	n/a
United Way of Kennebec Valley	$172,947	9	2%
Shalom House Inc	$163,370	4	0%
Locker Project	$158,619	6	4%
Educate Maine	$156,611	9	2%
Project Home Dba Quality Housing Coalition	$156,202	4	8%
Hand in Hand Mano en Mano	$153,505	3	2%
Aroostook County Action Program	$151,975	9	0%
United Way of Aroostook	$139,399	9	4%
Intercultural Community Center	$135,500	5	14%
Foundation for Portland Public Schools	$124,000	4	3%
Frannie Peabody Center	$123,000	3	2%
MaineHealth	$112,015	3	0%
Washington County Community Action Council Inc	$111,892	8	0%
City of Westbrook	$109,035	6	n/a
Kids First Center	$105,876	7	7%
Portland Community Squash	$105,000	4	1%
The Maine Behavioral Health Foundation	$99,576	1	92%
Coastal Enterprises Inc	$99,545	1	0%
Caring Unlimited	$98,219	4	1%
Girl Scouts of Maine	$96,588	7	1%
Gateway Community Services Maine	$95,378	4	4%
Mainehealth Care at Home	$93,863	3	0%
United Way of Northern New Jersey Inc	$90,000	1	1%
The Iris Network	$88,284	4	1%
Midcoast Maine Community Action	$87,951	9	0%
Our Place Portland Inc	$85,650	2	34%
Portland Recovery Community Center	$85,535	3	3%
University of Maine System Inc	$83,308	3	n/a
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children	$78,225	3	12%
United Way of Tri Vally Area	$77,814	6	6%
Portland Public Library	$75,380	2	1%
Full Plates Full Potential	$72,481	3	4%
Cross Cultural Community Services	$69,750	2	29%
Maine Children's Alliance	$60,000	3	3%
Mayo Street Arts	$58,600	3	8%
Peaks Island Children's Workshop	$58,542	4	11%
United Way of Mid-Maine	$58,274	6	4%
Good Shepherd Food Bank	$57,674	8	0%
Caring Resources for Living	$54,853	5	n/a
Southern New Hampshire Services Inc	$54,529	2	0%
Community Action Partnership of Strafford County	$54,529	2	0%
Waldo Community Action Partners	$51,058	6	0%
The Susan L Curtis Foundation	$50,223	7	1%
Young Mens Christian Association Sanford-Springvale	$49,386	4	1%
Woodfords Family Services	$45,155	4	0%
Council for a Strong America	$45,000	2	2%
Palaver Strings Inc	$44,500	3	7%
Western Maine Community Action Inc	$43,588	5	0%
Vet to Vet Maine Inc	$42,957	4	17%
Apex Youth Connection	$42,304	2	8%
University of Southern Maine Foundation	$41,100	2	0%
York Hospital	$40,500	3	0%
The Salvation Army World Service Office	$37,634	5	0%
Mercy Hospital Northern Light Mercy Hospital	$37,001	2	0%
Fair Tide	$34,367	3	1%
Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center	$33,381	3	3%
Rippleffect Inc	$32,274	4	1%
City of South Portland	$30,390	3	n/a
Greater Portland Family Promise	$30,000	2	6%
Maine Access Immigrant Network	$30,000	2	5%
Young Mens Christian Association	$27,375	2	4%
United Way of Androscoggin County Inc	$27,008	1	2%
Apex Youth Commection	$26,795	1	n/a
Cancer Community Center	$26,741	2	1%
Project Grace	$26,276	2	12%
Sweetser	$25,727	2	0%
Furniture Friends	$24,462	2	3%
Hope Acts	$24,006	1	3%
Kids Free to Grow	$23,619	3	3%
Maine Access Points	$22,800	1	1%
The Salvation Army	$21,874	3	n/a
Central Maine Medical Center	$21,171	2	0%
York County Shelter Programs Inc	$21,012	2	0%
Four Directions Development Corporation	$20,723	3	0%
City of Lewiston	$20,422	3	n/a
Jewish Community Alliance Southern Maine	$20,175	2	1%
Maine Youth Thriving	$20,000	1	4%
Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center	$18,233	2	3%
Children's Hospital Corporation	$18,000	1	0%
Falmouth Food Pantry Inc	$17,150	2	2%
Continuum Arts Collective	$15,000	1	6%
Downeast Community Partners Inc	$12,880	1	n/a
St Georges Child Care Center	$12,502	1	4%
New Profit Inc	$12,500	1	0%
Rufus Porter Museum of Art and Ingenuity	$11,900	2	5%
Brunswick Waldorf School Association	$11,038	1	0%
Hospice of Southern Maine	$10,417	1	0%
Dempsey Center for Quality Cancer Care	$10,246	1	0%
Westbrook Senior Housing Inc	$10,000	1	46%
Food for All Services	$10,000	1	n/a
Valo	$10,000	1	n/a
Sea Change Yoga	$10,000	1	7%
Maine Behavioral Healthcare	$9,480	1	n/a
Cultivating Community	$9,052	1	1%
Biddeford Food Pantry	$8,317	1	3%
Presente Maine	$8,075	1	n/a
Maine Foodscapes Inc	$7,637	1	n/a
Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation	$7,601	1	0%
Volunteers of America Northern New England	$7,533	1	0%
World of Change	$7,250	1	5%
Crosswalk Community Outreach	$7,000	1	4%
Harrison Food Bank	$7,000	1	2%
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine	$6,672	1	0%
Gray Community Food Pantry	$6,500	1	n/a
United Recovery Fund	$6,000	1	n/a
Boy Scouts of America 0218 Pine Tree Council Inc	$5,249	1	0%
Diocese of Norwich	$5,079	1	n/a
Maine Community Action Association Dba Maine Community Action Partnership	$5,077	1	1%
New England Arab American Organization	$5,000	1	2%
Al Badoo Community Association of Maine	$5,000	1	n/a

United Way Inc supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 7 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 141 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured

Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 141.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Sam L Cohen FoundationME151.8× affinity74 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Sam L Cohen Foundation · Maine Community Foundation Inc · John T Gorman Foundation · Elmina B Sewall Foundation · Maine Health Access Foundation Inc · Saco & Biddeford Savings Charitable Foundation · Bangor Savings Bank Foundation · Fisher Charitable Foundation · Simmons Foundation - PerkinsThompson · Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation Inc · Davis Family Foundation · Good Shepherd Food Bank

How this is measured

Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare United Way Inc with peer funders

About United Way Inc

How much does United Way Inc give?: United Way Inc reported 78 itemized grants totaling $3,448,012, out of $4,241,753 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 68 and 98 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.
What does United Way Inc fund?: By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Health (20%), Community Improvement (20%), Housing & Shelter (11%).
Who are United Way Inc's largest grantees?: By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: The Opportunity Alliance ($4.9M), Preble Street ($4.2M), Catholic Charities Maine ($3.5M).
Does United Way Inc fund new organizations?: In FY2024, 8% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Which funders back the same organizations as United Way Inc?: Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Sam L Cohen Foundation, Maine Community Foundation Inc, John T Gorman Foundation.
Where is United Way Inc based?: United Way Inc is based in ME.