Mission: As of January 1, 2022 United Way of Williamson County and United Way for Greater Austin have merged. United Way for Greater Austin brings people, ideas, and resources together to fight poverty in our community.
United Way for Greater Austin exists to solve our community's biggest challenges. Austin often tops the lists of best cities to live. A great place to raise a family, a healthy local economy, a city poised for future growth - these are just some of the honors given to our metro area. And we agree… we love it too! But not everyone in our community is sharing in the promise of Austin. Yet.
Many of us are working hard, but still struggling to make ends meet. 1 in 10 households in the Austin area is considered low-income, and race and zip code are some of the biggest predictors of a person's life outcomes. United Way spurs systems-level change, shaping our metro area into a community that works for everyone.
United Way for Greater Austin is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1953, and donations are tax-deductible.
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Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for United Way for Greater Austin is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
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Star Rating System by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator evaluates a nonprofit organization’s financial health including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. We also track accountability and transparency policies to ensure the good governance and integrity of the organization.
Exceptional
This charity's score is 96.46, earning it a 4-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 95.00 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 100.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2020, the latest year published by the IRS.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
90.8%
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expenses
3.3%
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expenses
5.7%
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Liabilities to Assets Ratio
35.2%
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency
$0.05
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio
0.60 years
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth
13.42%
We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
Governance
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Governance: | |
|---|---|
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
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| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) | |
| Compensates Board ... (More) |
Policies
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Policies: | |
|---|---|
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) |
Transparency
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Transparency: | |
|---|---|
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Audited Financial Statements on Website ... (More) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) |
Additional Information
Unscored
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Total Revenue and Expenses
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
David Smith, CEO
$145,427 (0.87% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
Business Master File Data
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Community Chest, United Way, etc. (BMF activity code: 600)
Other school related activities (BMF activity code: 059)
Fundraising (BMF activity code: 927)
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
Data Sources: IRS Forms 990
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Pandemic Response
Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
United Way for Greater Austin reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Administrative Capacity
Balance Sheet
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
When COVID-19 hit Central Texas in March 2020, the team here at United Way for Greater Austin responded quickly. Together with our friends at Austin Community Foundation, we formed All Together ATX, a COVID-19 relief fund that provided flexible resources to nonprofit organizations working with communities who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and the economic consequences of the outbreak. From March-December 2020, we raised and awarded approximately $7.7 million from 3,149 donors to 210 local nonprofits.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
The Governor designated our 2-1-1 helpline as THE place to go for information on COVID-19. Since then, we have continued to answer the call, helping thousands in our community connect to the help they need. ConnectATX quickly pivoted after its launch in March 2020 to serve as the community’s access point for new services related to COVID-19, and the resulting economic downturn. From July 2020-June 2021, ConnectATX responded to 2,162 requests for help.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
As the United Way team has worked distributed since March 2020, we have found innovative ways of getting our work done and connecting with each other, all while keeping our kind, collaborative culture alive and well. We have worked urgently to support child care providers and our 2-Gen partners, who serve families with low income.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Our goals are the same, but our strategies have necessarily shifted because of COVID-19. Over the next year, we will be focused on ensuring safe and equitable environments for young children at home and school and helping unemployed individuals find a career path so they can support their families. All of this work will be accomplished through our strong partnerships in our coalitions, through strategic funding and grant programming, and public policy efforts.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 6/1/2022 | 2020 | 96.46 | |
| 4/1/2022 | 2019 | 88.38 |  |
| 4/1/2021 | 2019 | 88.04 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 11/1/2019 | 2018 | 87.30 | |
| 9/1/2018 | 2017 | 87.30 | |
| 12/1/2017 | 2016 | 88.60 | |
| 10/1/2016 | 2015 | 87.50 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 91.33 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 10/1/2015 | 2014 | 89.56 | |
| 9/1/2014 | 2013 | 87.46 | |
| 10/1/2013 | 2012 | 82.95 | |
| 5/1/2012 | 2011 | 82.85 | |
| 11/1/2011 | 2010 | 79.53 |  |
| 9/20/2011 | 2009 | 80.70 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 11/1/2010 | 2009 | 71.05 | |
| 8/1/2009 | 2008 | 87.14 | |
| 12/1/2008 | 2007 | 92.09 | |
| 12/1/2007 | 2006 | 84.62 | |
| 12/1/2006 | 2005 | 85.02 | |
| 12/1/2005 | 2004 | 73.79 | |
| 9/1/2004 | 2003 | 73.52 | |
| 11/1/2003 | 2002 | 73.55 | |
| 10/15/2002 | 2001 | 91.37 | |
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Not Currently Scored
United Way for Greater Austin cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Do you work at United Way for Greater Austin? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
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Largest Programs
United Way for Greater Austin reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
$6,391,147
Spent in most recent FY
40%
Percent of program expenses
Education
$4,429,392
Spent in most recent FY
27%
Percent of program expenses
2-1-1 Navigation Center
$3,087,789
Spent in most recent FY
19%
Percent of program expenses
Financial Stability
Previous: Impact & Results / Next: Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
This score provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Leadership & Adaptability Score
100
out of 100
The score earned by United Way for Greater Austin is a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating.
Encompass Rating V4 provides an evaluation of the organization's Leadership & Adaptability through the nonprofit organization submitting a survey response directly to Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Adaptability Report
100
of 100 points
Mission
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s mission
United Way for Greater Austin brings people, ideas, and resources together to fight poverty in our community.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
A thriving community for all
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Strategic Goals
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Diverse, engaged, and fulfilled staff
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Two: Increase revenue
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Three: Maximize impact in community
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
Since 2018, 38 United Way for Greater Austin team members have participated in anti-racism training. United Way offers each staff member $300/year for professional development.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Mobilizing for Mission
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Here at United Way for Greater Austin, we know that real change happens when we Live United. By bringing together nonprofits, policymakers, philanthropists, parents with lived experience, and community and business leaders, we unite the community around collective goals that make a real difference for children and families. United Way plays a leading role in several community coalitions. United Way partners with hundreds of businesses to amplify their impact in our community—and we’ve been doing it for over 95 years. Through our website, social media, email marketing, advertising, PR, and more, we work to raise awareness of our mission to fight poverty. We actively engage in local, state, and federal advocacy to advance our goals.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Story of Adaptability
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
When COVID-19 hit Central Texas in March 2020, the team here at United Way for Greater Austin responded quickly. Together with our friends at Austin Community Foundation, we formed All Together ATX, a COVID-19 relief fund that provided flexible resources to nonprofit organizations working with communities who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and the economic consequences of the outbreak. From March-December 2020, we raised and awarded approximately $7.7 million from 3,149 donors to 210 local nonprofits. We have worked urgently to support child care providers and our 2-Gen partners, who serve families with low income. As the United Way team has worked distributed since March 2020, we have found innovative ways of getting our work done and connecting with each other, all while keeping our kind, collaborative culture alive and well.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
David C. Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Malini Rajput
Chair
Previous: Leadership & Adaptability
Culture & Community
This score provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves. Learn more about how and why we rate Culture & Community.
Culture & Community Score
98
out of 100
United Way for Greater Austin has earned a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating. The organization provided data about its Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) practices (see report below).
The Culture & Community Beacon is comprised of the following metrics:
Constituent Feedback: Not Scored
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: 98/100 (100% of beacon score)
Culture & Community Report
98
of 100 points
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
98/100 points
100% of beacon score
This organization's score of 98 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 10 diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
View this organization's DEI Strategies
Methodology
We are utilizing data collected by Candid to document and assess the DEI practices implemented by the organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the Equity Strategies section of their Candid profiles to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Constituent Feedback
Not Scored
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. However, it did not respond to one or more survey questions, and therefore is not eligible for a score on this metric. (View our beacon methodology.) Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
View this organization's Constituent Feedback Practices
Methodology
We've partnered with Candid to survey organizations about their feedback practices. Nonprofit organizations can fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Analysis and Research
Like the overall Encompass Rating System, the Culture & Community Beacon is designed to evolve as metrics are developed and ready for integration. Below you can find more information about the metrics we currently evaluate in this beacon and their relevance to nonprofit performance.
Constituent Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
