California · Nonprofit
United Way of Merced County
United Way of Merced County (California) receives grants from 26 organizations whose IRS filings report $9,175,696 to it, the largest being THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT ($2,806,728). 9 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $6.5M
- Funders on record
- 26
- Grants received
- $9.2M
- Net assets
- $3.7M
What United Way of Merced County does
Mission
We mobilize the caring power of our community to advance health stability and opportunity for all.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2024 return the organization reported starting a significant new program and a significant change in how it conducts a program.
In August 2024 UWMC launched its CalAIM program to serve high-need Medi-Cal members in Merced and Mariposa counties. Through Enhanced Care Management UWMC provides intensive person-centered care coordination for members with complex medical behavioral health and social needs. UWMC also delivers Community Supports Housing services including housing transition navigation housing deposits and housing tenancy and sustaining services to help members secure and maintain stable housing.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
During fiscal year 2024-2025 the organization ceased its COVID-19 relief programming which had previously included the provision of personal protective equipment PPE to frontline workers; assistance with rent mortgages and utilities; grants for non-profit stabilization; support for community food distribution; tele-education; and the supply of essential items to residents. As pandemic-related community needs subsided and dedicated funding for these activities concluded the organization redirected its focus toward ongoing core programs and the launch of new initiatives.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 3).
United Way of Merced County operates a range of community support programs aimed at strengthening economic stability access to information and organizational capacity across Merced County and the surrounding region. Programs include free tax preparation assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance VITA program 2-1-1 information and referral services connecting residents to local resources language access services to reduce communication barriers for limited-English-proficient individuals capacity-building support for nonprofit organizations through its RISE initiative and disaster relief coordination in response to local emergencies. Together these programs reflect the organizations commitment to ensuring equitable access to essential services and building a more resilient community.
$2,406,074 spentof which $290,329 as grants$1,564,946 earned by the program65% of program spendingUnited Way of Merced County provides community-based healthcare services designed to improve health outcomes for underserved populations in Merced County. Through its Enhanced Care Management ECM Community Supports CS and Community Health Worker CHW programs the organization connects individuals to care coordination social services and health education. These programs serve individuals enrolled in Medi-Cal who face complex health and social needs with the goal of reducing barriers to care addressing social determinants of health and supporting whole-person wellness. Services are delivered through direct outreach care navigation and collaboration with managed care plans healthcare providers and community-based organizations.
$1,307,540 spentof which $384,710 as grants$2,492,908 earned by the program35% of program spendingNot described on the e-filed return.
$0 spent0% of program spendingOther program services, not described on the e-filed return.
$0 spent0% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $3,713,614.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2022 to 2023, from $2.2M to $6.6M (+202%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2017 10% · 2018 7% · 2019 4% · 2020 12% · 2021 8% · 2022 4% · 2023 8% · 2025 1%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
36% of United Way of Merced County’s revenue is contributions — more earned-revenue than three-quarters of its peers (82% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 3 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Robert Hypes
Chief Executive Officer
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
The chief executive listed changed between the FY2019 and FY2020, and between the FY2021 and FY2022 filings.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 5 funders to 14 funders, grant income rose $803k → $1.8M.
9 of 26 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 26% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of United Way of Merced County’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
United Way of Merced County has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 31% of grant income, and it takes 3 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 3 funders to its left
61% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund United Way of Merced County.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 73% · 2018 94% · 2019 84% · 2020 44% · 2021 32% · 2022 29% · 2023 43% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
50% of United Way of Merced County's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 35% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
99% of United Way of Merced County's grant income comes from California funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $2.4M arriving through sponsors registered in 5 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
United Way of Merced County runs a healthier operating margin than half of the 1,504 philanthropy nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 1,504 philanthropy nonprofits $1M–$10M, FY2025
Government funding United Way of Merced County receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $280k on record.
- Department of the Treasury$280k
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like United Way of Merced County
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In California
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
85% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
94%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for United Way of Merced County: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds United Way of Merced County?
- United Way of Merced County (California) receives grants from 26 organizations whose IRS filings report $9,175,696 to it, the largest being THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT ($2,806,728). 9 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does United Way of Merced County have?
- IRS filings report 26 organizations giving $9,175,696 in grants to United Way of Merced County, 9 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of United Way of Merced County?
- THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT is the largest funder on record, with $2,806,728 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like United Way of Merced County find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in California. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 26 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing