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Nonprofiteer
← UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA INC

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$14,443,018
Total expenses
$14,656,619
Contributions and grants received
$13,652,819
Grants paid
$9,110,563
Program service revenue
$269,578
Investment income
$520,565
Other revenue
$56
Total assets, end of year
$40,627,241
Total liabilities, end of year
$22,250,133
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$18,377,108
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$11,817,069
Management and general expenses
$1,428,990
Fundraising expenses
$1,410,560
Program service expenses (Part III)
$11,817,069

Program services were 80.6% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1a · Federated campaigns

    $7,801

  • 1c · Fundraising events

    $0

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $2,872,935

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $10,772,083

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $387,434

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Service & Admin fees

    total $269,578 · related or exempt $269,578

  • 2f · All other program service revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $232,908 · excluded $232,908

  • 6c · Rental income or loss

    real property $0 · personal property $0

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $270,012 · other assets $17,645

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $270,012 · other assets $17,645

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $287,657 · excluded $287,657

  • 11a · Other revenue: Miscellaneous

    total $56 · related or exempt $56

  • 11d · All other revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $56

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $8,179,513 · program services $8,179,513

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $931,050 · program services $931,050

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $764,197 · program services $243,913 · management and general $356,826 · fundraising $163,458

  • 6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

    total $18,640 · management and general $18,640

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $2,477,652 · program services $1,190,588 · management and general $680,553 · fundraising $606,511

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $184,034 · program services $99,033 · management and general $56,308 · fundraising $28,693

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $150,636 · program services $119,443 · management and general -$16,438 · fundraising $47,631

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $243,024 · program services $105,084 · management and general $82,630 · fundraising $55,310

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $38,301 · management and general $38,301

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $56,808 · management and general $56,808

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $431,439 · program services $269,991 · management and general $102,063 · fundraising $59,385

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $256,356 · program services $32,565 · management and general $89,369 · fundraising $134,422

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $190,513 · program services $107,138 · management and general $77,265 · fundraising $6,110

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $174,531 · program services $17,700 · management and general $148,423 · fundraising $8,408

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $155,426 · program services $70,385 · management and general $85,041

  • 17 · Travel

    total $117,467 · program services $34,674 · management and general $24,689 · fundraising $58,104

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $43,655 · program services $9,804 · management and general $18,461 · fundraising $15,390

  • 21 · Payments to affiliates

    total $121,123 · management and general $121,123

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $57,633 · program services $28,850 · management and general $14,678 · fundraising $14,105

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $6,024 · management and general $6,024

  • 24a · Other expenses: Membership dues

    total $49,115 · program services $627 · management and general $38,477 · fundraising $10,011

  • 24b · Other expenses: Miscellaneous

    total $9,482 · program services $1,307 · management and general $7,636 · fundraising $539

  • 24c · Other expenses: Allocation of indirect costs

    total $0 · program services $375,404 · management and general -$577,887 · fundraising $202,483

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $22,145,528 · end of year $19,436,351

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $13,383,841 · end of year $11,774,381

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $650,231 · end of year $791,222

  • 5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $44,634 · end of year $57,491

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $1,620,064

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $1,244,564

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $425,518 · end of year $375,500

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $6,778,615 · end of year $7,304,065

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $0

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    beginning of year $0

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $918,003 · end of year $888,231

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $14,900,841 · end of year $12,563,752

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $10,758,672 · end of year $9,682,732

  • 22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $7,414 · end of year $3,649

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $12,772,370 · end of year $12,062,669

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $5,907,073 · end of year $6,314,439

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

Mission Statement: To inspire our community to give, advocate and volunteer by identifying needs and mobilizing vetted resources to create positive local change. Vision Statement: To unite our community and empower everyone to achieve their full potential.

Activities or mission (Part I)

To inspire our community to give, advocate and volunteer by identifying needs and mobilizing vetted resources to create positive local change. To unite our community and empower everyone to achieve their full potential.

  • Community Impact: UWCF's premiere Community Investment Process mobilizes more than 130 volunteers on 15 teams around their focus areas of EDUCATION, INCOME, HEALTH and SAFETY NET. These volunteers visit program sites, review previous investments, program goals and outcomes, and make recommendations about the most effective way to meet critical community needs. EDUCATION: The Early Literacy Initiative helps at-risk children develop the language skills they need to succeed in school. Given the right start, children learn to read, succeed academically and are more likely to graduate from high school. Academic Achievement Initiative helps children in grades K-12 pass achievement tests at grade level and graduate on time. FINANCIAL STABILITY/INCOME: The Financial Stability initiative helps families improve financial stability with GED and job training, credit and budgeting classes, money coaches, financial education and savings match programs. Improved credit scores, increases in emergency savings accounts, increases in job related credentials and/or increases in family income measure success. HEALTH: The Health Initiative helps people of all ages to improve or maintain good health. United Way improves access and utilization of health services and increases knowledge and personal responsibility about health issues that lead to improved blood pressure, weight control and other specific health indicators. United Way also works to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and incarcerations with prevention services and treatment for those with addiction. SAFETY NET: The Safety Net Initiative provides relatively short-term, crisis intervention services that vary widely, but meet one or more of the following: 1) Must verify that the service helped to stabilize a crisis, 2) Must refer clients to sources of on-going support (counseling, health clinic etc.) as needed, 3) Must verify quality of services using approved indicators selected by experts on a Safety Net Steering Team, 4) Crisis includes but is not limited to: health emergency, domestic violence, rape, child abuse, fire, teenaged runaways, hospice care, hunger & homelessness. END HUNGER INITIATIVE: The End Hunger Initiative helps to eliminate hunger and food insecurity by increasing the access to food and helps families to find financial stability. * In 2020-25 our food distributions were able to provide food to over 1,581,442 visitors in Polk, Highlands, and Hardee Counties. In the first five years of this initiative 13,716,969 meals were provided to communities in need. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP SCHOOL INITIATIVE: The Community Partnership School Initiative helps to provide a full-service health clinic, financial education and academic support for Polk's first Community Partnership School. * In 2019, Crystal Lake Elementary, A Community Partnership School began operations under guidance from the University of Central Florida. Five core partners of this project are Southeastern University, Heartland for Children, Central Florida Health Care, Polk County Public Schools, and United Way of Central Florida. Crystal Lake Elementary, A Community Partnership School received statewide certification from the UCF Center for Community Partnership Schools in 2024.

    Expenses $6,815,484 · Grants $6,326,191 · Revenue $269,634

  • Withheld by Nonprofiteer: this text may name a private individual.

    Expenses $2,793,420 · Grants $2,013,645

  • Disaster Relief: Provides immediate assistance and long-term recovery support in the event our community needs urgent disaster relief. UWCF develops partnerships to address the many challenges and/or emergencies that our community faces. UWCF meets with partners to coordinate the efforts of government, businesses, non-profit and faith-based organizations involved in disaster response. UWCF continues to respond to disasters through food security efforts and other assistance. With the support of local partnerships, UWCF was able to provide the following support: * The United Community Relief Fund was formed in partnership with GiveWell Community Foundation in 2020 to provide COVID-19 pandemic response. In the wake of Hurricane Ian in 2022, over $259,600 was distributed to nonprofits and their clients suffering direct losses as a result of the storm. This fund was activated during the 2024-25 fiscal year after Hurricanes Helene and Milton and provided $80,000 to 11 tri-county nonprofit agencies and a $100,000 match to Rebuilding Together Greater Florida for home repairs. * Publix Super Markets Emergency Relief provided $279,079 to support individuals who have experienced hardships due to various emergencies where other assistance is unavailable. In 2024-25, this fund also provided Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton relief across multiple states. General hurricane relief totaled $281,165; Helene specific relief was $251,241; and Milton specific relief was $73,855. * 2-1-1 referrals have remained high due to increasing needs faced by citizens of Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties: including the housing crisis, inflation of all goods, supply chain woes, fuel prices, childcare crisis, and staffing shortages.

    Expenses $940,910 · Grants $770,727

  • OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: Success By 6: Success By 6 (SB6) mobilizes volunteers from local organizations, businesses, government, churches, civic groups, educators and human services to ensure that all children, by the age of six, have the physical, emotional, social and mental foundation to succeed in school and in life. Since 1995, UWCF's SB6 has focused on early literacy to help children enter school ready to succeed. In total Success By 6 programs placed over 54,000 books in the hands of children in FY 24/25. In addition: * 103 Parent Lending Libraries were in childcare centers serving low-income families; with 20,919 books checked out. * To increase awareness of the importance of early childhood education, Born Learning, a $90 million early childhood awareness campaign developed by the Ad Council, Civilian provided more than 300,000 messages to citizens of Central Florida. These included bus signs, billboards, newspaper advertisements and parent education materials placed in key locations throughout the area. Success By 6 events and staff provided 4,756 pieces of Born Learning and other literature to families in our community * Dolly Parton Imagination Library mails a book and parent guide each month to the homes of preschool children. 22,481 books were placed in the homes of 2,500 children ages 0-5. The Carol Jenkins Barnett United Way Children's Resource Center (CJBUWCRC), formerly Family Fundamentals, opened in November 2022 in our new location within the Florida Children's Museum at Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland. As a community and family outreach of Success By 6 the CJBUWCRC is a parent resource center which has formed partnerships with over 40 partner organizations providing parents and family members with support groups, classes, education, tutoring and other programs designed to strengthen the development of our children and family relationships. Master Teacher: This school readiness initiative targets neighborhoods where children considered at-risk for school failure reside. It provides an internship for childcare instructors using two Master Teachers along with parent education classes to help the instructors and parents to prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Readiness skills for children in classes with teachers trained by a Master Teacher improved an average of 3 months for every 1 month with the newly trained caregiver. 2-1-1: The 2-1-1 program provides information and referrals to families/individuals and community groups concerning local services and resources. 2-1-1 also identifies gaps in services; assists in creating remedies to meet local needs; connects individuals/families to resources; and advocates on behalf of individuals/families for access to resources. It also works to provide better service, accessibility and information to the Hispanic community. * From July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025, 211 received 59,297 contacts for services through calls, chats, texts, e-mail inquiries, and database searches. In addition, there were 103,236 webpage views for End Hunger, 211, CJBUWCRC, free tax prep, and other needed community resources Women United - ReadingPals: In Spring 2012, UWCF received a first-year grant to begin ReadingPals. Planning and implementation include collaborations with Polk and Highlands County Schools, the Early Learning Coalition of Polk and Learning Resource Center. From 2012-2020, Carol and Barney Barnett invested over $8,500,000 in 17 regions throughout the state of Florida to improve early literacy. ReadingPals focuses on engaging, training and deploying volunteer tutors to increase the number of students reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. It is important to our community, to the Barnetts, to all businesses and families in Florida that we make a united effort to reduce the close to 45% of children who are not reading at grade level. In 2024 the program secured 181 volunteers and served 362 students at 14 schools.

    Expenses $1,267,255

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here. A text marked withheld matched a screen for wording that may name a private individual, such as an honorific or "in memory of". Most of what it withholds names no one; it is withheld so that what does is never shown.

Listed in Part VII

  • Brian Haas

    Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Chris Chaffin

    Treasurer through Dec 2024

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Emily Spath

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Fred Heid

    Vice Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Joe Tedder

    Treasurer began Jan 2025

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Jonathan Crain

    Chair Elect

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Ali Wright

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ana Wood-Rogers

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Andy Oguntola

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Bill Braswell

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Brian Donnelly

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Brian Norris

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Brittany Sale

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Callie Neslund

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Dana Hurley

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Don Elwell

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Dusty Johnson

    Director through Dec 2024

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Erica Lupercio

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ian Floyd

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Jenny Baker

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Kim Long

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Larry Mitchell

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Lauren Feaster

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Lauren Giordano

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Michael Tamney

    Immediate Past Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Naomi Boyer

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Nick Plott

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Omar Arroyo

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Paul Noris

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Rick Garcia

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Sam Killebrew

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Tip Fowler

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Tom Garthwaite

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Vent Crawford

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Christina Criser Jackson

    CEO

    Total calculated
    $210,144
    From this org
    $186,411
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $23,733
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $185,871
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $540
    Deferred
    $13,357
    Nontaxable benefits
    $10,376
    Filer's total
    $210,144

  • Ileana Kniss

    Chief Development and Marketing Officer

    Total calculated
    $145,790
    From this org
    $132,330
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,460
    Hours/week
    37.5

  • John Rounds

    CFO Through Feb 2025

    Total calculated
    $156,774
    From this org
    $144,614
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $12,160
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $143,598
    Bonus
    $800
    Other
    $216
    Deferred
    $2,492
    Nontaxable benefits
    $9,668
    Filer's total
    $156,774

  • Katherine Fitzwater

    VP Marketing & Communications

    Total calculated
    $118,533
    From this org
    $101,663
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $16,870
    Hours/week
    37.5

  • Natalie Dyal

    CFO Began June 2025

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    37.5

  • Rodney Crowley

    COO

    Total calculated
    $176,909
    From this org
    $155,884
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,025
    Hours/week
    37.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $151,916
    Bonus
    $800
    Other
    $3,168
    Deferred
    $10,890
    Nontaxable benefits
    $10,135
    Filer's total
    $176,909

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Related corporations and trusts

Part IV: related organizations taxable as a corporation or trust.

  • PERPETUAL TRUST

    Trust · TRUST · FL

    Directly controlled by NA

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
28 January 2026
IRS schema version
2024v5.1
Source object
202610289349300206

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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