United Way Invests More Than $16 Million in Greater Charlotte to Lift Individuals and Families Out Of Poverty

United Way of Greater Charlotte announces its 2024 investment of $16 million in communities across greater Charlotte – awarding $9 million in grants to 132 organizations working to lift families out of poverty and improve economic mobility, primarily through neighborhood-based, grassroots and responsive solutions.

The $16 million investment also includes more than $2.4 million from the City of Charlotte as part of collaborative efforts to provide housing and services for people experiencing homelessness and $2.5 million from the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to advance A Home For All initiatives. A Home For All is a community-wide effort to address homelessness and affordable housing. The remaining $2 million includes additional United Way community investments and donor-directed funding for nonprofits.

Earlier this year, United Way announced its new name and strategic shift to neighborhood-based work, a strategy the organization phased in over several years after Charlotte ranked last in economic mobility among 50 metropolitan cities nationally.

“These investments demonstrate United Way’s bold commitment to improve economic mobility and racial equity by investing in neighborhoods and grassroots organizations,” said Laura Yates Clark, United Way president and CEO. “Our funding provides critical unrestricted dollars to support each nonprofit’s mission and we couldn‘t do this without the extraordinary generosity of corporate, individual and public-sector donors.”

In 2024, United Way will continue its investment of $4.9 million to its United Neighborhoods program serving neighborhoods across the City of Charlotte’s six Corridors of Opportunity, North Mecklenburg and United Neighborhoods’ original neighborhoods – Grier Heights, Lakeview and Renaissance West. Funding will support 74 nonprofit organizations that residents believe can best deliver the services needed to help achieve their vision for their neighborhoods.

Through United Neighborhoods, United Way is working alongside each neighborhood’s community quarterback, a lead organization that engages residents, builds local leadership and coordinates services among the funded nonprofits. United Way is pleased to announce the addition of CharlotteEAST as the second community quarterback serving the Albemarle/Central corridor in conjunction with ourBRIDGE for KIDS.

“United Neighborhoods’ financial support and management training will allow us to meet East Charlotte residents where they want to be met,” said Greg Asciutto, Executive Director of CharlotteEAST. “For a community that’s historically suffered from underinvestment and a lack of capacity-building opportunities, it’s a breath of fresh air to be granted the autonomy to address our most pressing issues and shape our own future.”

To understand the needs identified by all residents, United Way ensured materials were available in Spanish, and used translators during the grant deliberations in the Albemarle/Central, North Mecklenburg and Sugar Creek/I-85 corridors.

United Way’s Unite Charlotte program will invest over $2 million in 55 agencies in 2024 – thanks to continued funding by Mecklenburg County and other private foundations. Unite Charlotte provides grants and capacity-building support to grassroots organizations founded and led by people of color. The funding helps support their mission and work, increase their impact and grow a more diverse and inclusive pipeline of nonprofit leaders in Charlotte.

Regional Investments totaling more than $847,512 will fund 21 nonprofits in Anson, Cabarrus and Union counties. Funding will support mental wellness in Cabarrus County; housing stability, food security, and early childhood literacy in Anson County; and housing stability, food security, the needs of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, childhood literacy, mentoring programs and access to affordable and quality healthcare in Union County.

View the full list of funded partners.

About United Way of Greater Charlotte

United Way of Greater Charlotte uses collective giving to advance economic mobility and racial equity, primarily through neighborhood-based, grassroots and responsive solutions. For more information, please visit www.unitedwaygreaterCLT.org.