We empower everyone in our region to achieve economic well-being so our entire community can thrive now and in the future.
United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s funding is organized around a regionwide effort to improve economic well-being through education, housing stability, financial empowerment, digital inclusion, workforce development, and direct social service navigation. In the recent grants list, much of that work shows up as operating support for local nonprofit partners. Brighton Center Inc. received $1,549,718 in 2023 and $1,173,164 in 2024, while Every Child Succeeds received $1,437,873 in 2023 and $667,939 in 2024. Those repeat awards point to sustained support for organizations carrying core services across the Cincinnati area. The foundation also uses program-specific funding to move targeted initiatives. Its active grant programs include Community Partner Funding, the City of Cincinnati Human Services Fund, the EY Digital Divide Take Action Fund, Black Empowerment Works, the Systems Change Grant Program, Success By 6, the Future of Manufacturing Fund, and the Hamilton County Public Wi-Fi Grant Program. Taken together, these programs show a funder that mixes broad community partnerships with narrowly defined initiatives tied to workforce, early learning, digital access, and neighborhood-level service delivery. Recent grants also include major support for Cincinnati-based providers such as Santa Maria Community Services and the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, reinforcing the foundation’s role as a local funder working through established community institutions.
In human services and community stability, United Way of Greater Cincinnati has funded organizations such as Santa Maria Community Services for program operating cost support and Catholic Charities SouthWestern Ohio for the same purpose. That pattern fits the foundation’s emphasis on housing stability, eviction prevention, and direct service navigation. Early childhood and family support is another visible area. Learning Grove received program operating support, and Every Child Succeeds also appears among the recent grantees with operating funding, aligning with the foundation’s education and early learning priorities. The foundation also backs workforce-related work. The Future of Manufacturing Fund is aimed at connecting people interested in advanced manufacturing careers with workforce development programs, and the City of Cincinnati Human Services Fund includes workforce development among its funding priorities. Digital inclusion is present through both the EY Digital Divide Take Action Fund and the Hamilton County Public Wi-Fi Grant Program, which support device access, connectivity, mentoring, and free public Wi-Fi in underserved areas.
$33.1M
$86.6M
$45.3M
$50.9M
Most grants fall between $13K and $75K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$75K
Moira Weir
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Typical grant size sits at $12,500 at the 25th percentile, $30,000 at the median, and $75,300 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants table shows a different layer of the portfolio: large operating-support awards to established partners, alongside program-specific grants and administered public funds. Repeat awards across 2023 and 2024 point to ongoing relationships rather than one-off funding. The foundation is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including Community Partner Funding, the City of Cincinnati Human Services Fund, the Systems Change Grant Program, Success By 6, the Future of Manufacturing Fund, and the Hamilton County Public Wi-Fi Grant Program.
Grant activity is concentrated in Ohio, with 83% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and Ohio listed as the top state by grant count. The recent grants table clusters in Cincinnati, with additional awards in Newport, Kentucky and Covington, Kentucky. Outside Ohio, the recipient list includes New York, New York through LISC, and Chicago, Illinois through The Central & Southern Ohio Region of the American Red Cross. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The recent grants list is dominated by nonprofit program operators and community-based organizations, especially local partners in Greater Cincinnati. Many awards are for program operating cost support, which matches the foundation’s stated philosophy of general operating and program cost funding.
Education and early learning, financial empowerment and mobility, housing stability and eviction prevention, digital inclusion and broadband access, workforce development, community grants and nonprofit partnerships, and 211/direct social service navigation all appear in the foundation’s stated focus areas and active programs.
Yes, several active programs do. Community Partner Funding, the City of Cincinnati Human Services Fund, the Systems Change Grant Program, Success By 6, the Future of Manufacturing Fund, and the Hamilton County Public Wi‑Fi Grant Program are all marked as accepting unsolicited applications.
Typical grant size is $12,500 at the 25th percentile, $30,000 at the median, and $75,300 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants table also shows much larger operating awards to established local partners.
The foundation’s giving is highly local. Ohio receives 83% of grants, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Recent awards cluster in Cincinnati, with additional recipients in Newport and Covington, Kentucky, plus smaller numbers in New York, New York and Chicago, Illinois.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Grove | Covington, KY | $1,550,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio (ULGSO) | Cincinnati, OH | $1,398,472 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Brighton Center Inc | Newport, KY | $1,283,595 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Every Child Succeeds | Cincinnati, OH | $1,100,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services | Cincinnati, OH | $1,050,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Santa Maria Community Services | Cincinnati, OH | $987,008 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $850,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| LISC | New York, NY | $750,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| 4C for Children | Cincinnati, OH | $700,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $650,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Legal Aid of the Bluegrass | Covington, KY | $600,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $600,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Best Point Education & Behavioral Health | Cincinnati, OH | $550,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Child Focus Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $550,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Catholic Charities SouthWestern Ohio | Cincinnati, OH | $550,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission | Covington, KY | $517,500 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| EducateNKY Inc | Covington, KY | $500,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Life Learning Center | Covington, KY | $485,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $438,325 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Easterseals Redwood | Cincinnati, OH | $400,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Cornerstone Renter Equity | Cincinnati, OH | $329,175 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Children's Law Center Inc | Covington, KY | $325,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Welcome House Inc | Covington, KY | $312,020 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Madisonville Education and Assistance Center | Cincinnati, OH | $304,144 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Covington Partners dba Partners for Change | Covington, KY | $300,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Cincinnati Union Bethel (HER) | Cincinnati, OH | $300,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Clermont County Community Service | Batavia, OH | $275,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| HOME | Cincinnati, OH | $275,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Found Village Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $267,500 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Mercy Neighborhood Ministries | Cincinnati, OH | $252,500 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| YWCA of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Lighthouse Youth & Family Services | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| The Ion Center for Violence Prevention Inc | Covington, KY | $250,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Cincinnati Youth Collaborative | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| High Achievers Aim High | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Freestore Foodbank | Cincinnati, OH | $241,115 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Working in Neighborhoods (WIN) | Cincinnati, OH | $217,552 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Family Nurturing Center Of Kentucky | Florence, KY | $200,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Bethany House Services Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $200,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| YMCA of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $200,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| AdamsBrown Counties Economic Opportunities Inc | Georgetown, OH | $200,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| IKRON Corporation | Cincinnati, OH | $200,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Cincinnati Works | Cincinnati, OH | $200,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Central Clinic | Cincinnati, OH | $200,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Avondale Development Corporation | Cincinnati, OH | $188,007 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| EC Learn | Florence, KY | $180,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Pro Seniors Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $175,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Northern Kentucky Area Development District | Florence, KY | $175,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Last Mile Food Rescue Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $175,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
| Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses | Cincinnati, OH | $175,000 | 2026 | Supports UW mission |
Every Child Succeeds
$1,100,000Supports UW mission
Santa Maria Community Services
$987,008Supports UW mission
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Foundation
$650,000Supports UW mission
Child Focus Inc
$550,000Supports UW mission
EducateNKY Inc
$500,000Supports UW mission
Welcome House Inc
$312,020Supports UW mission
Clermont County Community Service
$275,000Supports UW mission
HOME
$275,000Supports UW mission
High Achievers Aim High
$250,000Supports UW mission
AdamsBrown Counties Economic Opportunities Inc
$200,000Supports UW mission
Central Clinic
$200,000Supports UW mission
EC Learn
$180,000Supports UW mission