About United Way of the Plains
United Way of the Plains mobilizes our community to action so all can thrive by strengthening local resilience and advancing health, youth opportunity, and financial security across south-central Kansas.
Focus Areas
HealthEducationFinancial StabilityBasic NeedsHomelessness prevention and servicesFood securityYouth programs
Who They Fund
grantee organizations/recipientsfiscal/third-party partner organizations
Funding Style
operational supportequipment/supplies fundingfiscal agent/third-party payment
About United Way of the Plains
United Way of the Plains Inc’s largest recent grants show a consistent pattern of funding core community providers in Wichita. Rainbows United Inc received $711,677 in 2023, while Center of Hope Inc received $629,235 in the same year, both through grant awards and designations. Those awards sit alongside recurring support for organizations serving housing, family stability, youth, and basic needs across south-central Kansas. The foundation’s recent grant list also includes repeated support for United Methodist Open Door, Wichita Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Charities Inc, Wichita Children’s Home, The Salvation Army, and Greater Wichita YMCA. That mix points to a funder working through local nonprofit infrastructure rather than isolated project grants alone. Its published focus areas include health, education, financial stability, basic needs, homelessness prevention and services, food security, and youth programs. In the active grant portfolio, United Way of the Plains Inc also operates competitive programs such as Opportunity on the Plains, Promise on the Plains, Impact on the Plains, and the Dwane L. Wallace Youth Venture Grant, all aimed at local organizations and programs in its service area.
What United Way of the Plains Funds
Housing and homelessness are a visible part of the foundation’s portfolio. Through the FY2025 Continuum of Care Grant Competition, United Way of the Plains Inc coordinates HUD Continuum of Care funding for housing and supportive services in Wichita and Sedgwick County. Youth programming is another clear emphasis. The Dwane L. Wallace Youth Venture Grant is an annual microgrant program for teachers, schools, school districts, and school organizations, with grants of $500 to $7,000 for youth development, tutoring, mentoring, character and asset building, and truancy prevention. The foundation also backs grassroots organizational capacity. Promise on the Plains funds underserved communities with competitive grants of $2,500 to $10,000 for work in health, youth opportunity, and financial security. Impact on the Plains adds a social-innovation track for nonprofit programs addressing health, education, financial stability, and basic needs.
How United Way of the Plains Gives
Typical grants fall in a moderate operating-support range, with a p25 of $10,380, a median of $21,426, and a p75 of $56,416. The recent-grants table shows many awards far above that median, indicating a layered strategy that includes both smaller program awards and larger designation-based payments. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Center of Hope Inc, Rainbows United Inc, United Methodist Open Door, Catholic Charities Inc, Wichita Children’s Home, and Boys & Girls Club of South Central Kansas, which suggests recurring support rather than one-time funding. The foundation uses grant awards and designations, and the active programs show it accepts unsolicited applications in several competitive grant processes.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$8.4M
Total Assets
$23.4M
Total Revenue
$17.2M
Total Expenses
$15.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $56K, with a median of $21K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$21K
75th Percentile
$56K
Geographic Reach
Local7 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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