Greater Twin Cities United Way

What it reported doing in 2025

Food security: united way's vision | people have food that is nutritious, culturally relevant and affordable, toward long-term food security. United way meets urgent needs by supporting nonprofits doing impactful work in establishing food justice and security in our region, and by connecting callers to food resources via its 211 resource helpline. United way also makes lasting change to improve the region's food system through its full lives initiative, which is focused on increasing access to healthy food and creating jobs to promote healthy communities throughout the greater twin cities. In 2025, united way and its 21 partners meeting urgent food needs served more than 700,000 people through short-term food assistance programs such as food shelves and meal programs. United way supported four cross-sector collaboratives among 20 organizations through full lives, including a responsive produce-rescue collaboration that brought farmers and nonprofits together to ease the impacts of the federal government shutdown and avoid late-season food waste. Also in 2025, united way's flavors of our community volunteers created 22,703 food packs for local food shelves, equating to more than 57,000 meals for families and individuals in the twin cities. At the legislature, united way successfully advocated to maintain state funds for food shelves and to establish a task force on nonprofit practices. United way's 211 resource helpline: united way's 211 resource helpline specialists provide information and referrals to statewide resources and services to help people meet their basic needs, including rental assistance, food programs, childcare, employment and more. In 2025, united way responded to a request approximately every two minutes on average, 24/7 365. This included flexing to meet surges in need, such as in fall when the federal government shutdown and changes to nutrition assistance policies caused a spike in demand for food. The data united way secures through 211 about community needs informs its investments in housing, food, education and jobs, as well as its advocacy strategies in advancing policies and state funding to support people experiencing poverty. 988 suicide and crisis lifeline: in 2025, greater twin cities united way continued offering support as a Minnesota-based provider of the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline. When minnesotans call 988, local, trained and caring crisis counselors answer, providing emotional support for people experiencing thoughts of suicide, substance use or other mental health crises. In 2025, united way crisis counselors answered more than 44,000 calls to 988, a 33 percent increase over 2024. Donor designations: united way fundraising results also include contributions to united way that donors direct to specific non-profit organizations. There were donor designations to 4,472 agencies in 2025.business and individual partnerships: united way partners with companies and foundations to help them meet their corporate social responsibility goals and engage their employees in addressing community needs. United way also connects people who share similar passions for developing solutions together and collaborates to help individuals and families achieve their philanthropic goals while creating a meaningful legacy.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 98.5%; rating input score 99
• Program expense ratio: 79.6%; rating input score 80
• Fundraising efficiency: $5.41 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 73.1%; rating input score 73; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -14.7%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.62; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5.1%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -7% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -5% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings