Our Impact

Impact (noun):  the force of impression of one thing on another : a significant or major effect.

At United Way of Yellowstone County, we believe in the force of community, and in the effect of our work. That's why we describe our work in the community as "Impact." We aim to provide opportunities for everyone, remove barriers to success, and empower partners. We harness the global resources of United Way and bring them to bear at a local level. 

A graphic that displays UWYC's 3 impact areas - building futures, community resiliency, and nonprofit empowerment - and our aspirational goal: By 2030, United Way of Yellowstone County will decrease the number of households living below the financial survival threshold by 1,000

 

Building Futures

We empower youth to reach their full potential.

Our CARE Academy and Discover Zone programs provide safe, education and fun childcare before and after school, plus a full-day summer program. Reach Out and Read and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library provide free books to kids. We support local schools' attendance improvement efforts. Several of our granted programs support youth. 

Our work focuses on education, but we aim for success as adults. We believe that helping a kindergartner get to school consistently gives them a better chance of finding stable employment as an adult, or that providing free books for parents to read to children will help kids 

Community Resiliency

We enhance wellbeing and support basic needs for our community.

Food. Shelter. Healthcare. Everyone deserves access to these basic services, and we strive to 

211, a resource hotline, connects people to local resources that can help with things like transportation, housing, healthcare, and much more. Our United to Solve Homelessness initiative will fund experts with local nonprofits to help the unhoused navigate housing options and offer resources to other local nonprofits. And UWYC has long supported local programs that aim to provide mental health and crisis stablization resources. 

Non-Profit Empowerment

Capacity building & volunteer mobilization for nonprofits.

We've given millions of dollars in grant to local nonprofits over the years, including $300,000 in 2024. Our volunteers work on profits that benefit partners like ZooMontana and the Yellowstone River Parks Association, and we help connect volunteers to opportunities with other nonprofits. We believe that collaboration is more powerful than competition, and that we can only tackle Yellowstone County's greatest challenges together. 

Aspirational Goal

By 2030, United Way of Yellowstone County will decrease the number of households living below the financial survival threshold by 1,000, through targeted community resource initiatives aimed at increasing housing stability and supporting basic needs (housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care, and technology).

We know that this is a tall task, but this is what we work towards -- a "major effect." We believe that our programs, partners, and community resources can combine to help people find stability and success that improves lives for everyone in Yellowstone County.