United Way of Central Iowa

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
420680425
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2020
Location
Des Moines, IA, USA
Phone
5152466500
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$24,013,908
Expenses
$25,549,001
Assets
$37,538,050
Liabilities
$2,759,971

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

43 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARY SELLERS (PRESIDENT/CORP. SECRETARY)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARY SELLERS (PRESIDENT/CORP. SECRETARY): $280,016 total reported compensation
  • NAOMI SEA YOUNG WITTSTRUCK (CHIEF EQUITY AND TALENT OFFICER): $177,083 total reported compensation
  • SUSAN KLOEWER (CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER): $170,359 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To improve lives by uniting the caring power of our community

What it reported doing in 2024

Early childhood success: early intervention is critical for long-term educational and developmental success. Uwci invests in programs that support young children during these formative years. Among the many impacts, nearly 7,000 children received developmental or dental screenings through uwci-funded initiatives, resulting in nearly 800 children being referred for follow-up services, ensuring timely care and support.essential needs: stability starts with access to life's most essential needs safe housing and nutritious food. Uwci prioritizes funding for programs that meet these essential needs and has achieved significant successes. Among them, nearly 6,000 households participating in housing-focused programs, and more than 2,600 households securing safe and stable housing. Additionally, over 260,000 individuals received food assistance through local food pantries, helping families bridge critical gaps.united way community impact services: the volunteer engagement program mobilizes volunteers to foster a thriving community. Community impact services staff research community conditions and measures progress of united way investments. Community impact services also oversees a volunteer, citizen-led accountability process of united way-supported programs in partner organizations.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 90% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 81% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 91.5%; rating input score 91
  • Program expense ratio: 85.8%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $15.69 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • 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: 72.3%; rating input score 72; 15th 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; 66th 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: -6.4%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.47; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.3%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 91.5% of revenue deployed · 85.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 36 of 36 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $21.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $280K · 43 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 36 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 118 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 111 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 51/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 50/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 57/100.