About United Way of Lancaster County
To advance the education, economic mobility, and health of our community by mobilizing resources, people, and organizations.
Focus Areas
Pre-K / Early childhood educationSummer youth / STEAM programsWomen’s health and financial stability (Women United)Food security and emergency shelter (Food & Shelter Fund, EFSP)Language access / Lancaster Language Justice InitiativeCapacity building and nonprofit leadership (Project Blueprint)
Who They Fund
youth (including summer youth program participants)women and girlspeople experiencing homelessness or housing instabilitypostsecondary students / scholarship recipients
About United Way of Lancaster County
United Way of Lancaster County uses a mix of large community grants, matching campaigns, scholarships, and direct service funding to advance education, economic mobility, and health in Lancaster County. One of its clearest signatures is the way it channels substantial support into local health and family-serving organizations: Lancaster General Health received $1,704,521 in 2025 for a first-food grant, and the Nurse Family Partnership received $1,700,521 in 2024 through a community impact grant and United Way match. The foundation also operates program-based funding that reaches different stages of family need, from pre-K access to emergency shelter and housing support. Recent awards include an agency allocation to Lancaster General Health, joint funding with local housing agencies, and grants through Level Up & Launch for organizations working on education, health, and economic mobility. Its grantmaking is local in scope, and the recent grant record shows a strong concentration in Pennsylvania recipients. That pattern aligns with its stated focus on mobilizing resources, people, and organizations for community well-being across Lancaster County.
What United Way of Lancaster County Funds
Early childhood education is a recurring theme. Through the Pre-K EITC Scholarship Program, United Way of Lancaster County administers scholarships for young children in low-income families to attend Keystone STARS certified pre-K programs across Lancaster County. In youth development, the Rotary – United Way Summer Youth Experience Grant supports nonprofits offering summer learning for ages 5-17, with emphasis on STEAM and social-emotional development. Housing stability and homelessness prevention appear through Lanc Co My Home and temp shelter funding. In 2025, Tenfold received $40,000 for temp shelter funding, and Lancaster County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities received $50,000 in 2024 for Lanc Co My Home. Women-focused grantmaking also has a defined channel: the Women United Grant supports women and teen girls in Lancaster County, with the 2026-2027 cycle centered on women’s health, including preventive care, screening, wellness, mental health, and nutrition.
How United Way of Lancaster County Gives
Typical grant sizes cluster in the tens of thousands: the p25 is $18,500, the median is $30,000, and the p75 is $49,525. The recent record also shows some much larger awards through program allocations and matching structures. The foundation gives through both one-time and repeated relationships: Nurse Family Partnership appears in consecutive years, and Lancaster General Health shows up multiple times across 2023 and 2025. That points to a funder that combines ongoing agency support with program-specific grants. The structure includes matching funds, joint funding, and direct service grants, and several active programs accept unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.6M
Total Assets
$7.8M
Total Revenue
$7M
Total Expenses
$7.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $19K and $50K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$19K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
KATE ZIMMERMAN
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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