United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County

What it reported doing in 2024

United way of greater milwaukee & waukesha county's funding model is intentionally focused on impact based funding. Investments are made to organizations that demonstrate they can advance the work of our key initiatives. This will allow us to more effectively drive community-wide progress on important issues by allocating more funding and staff capacity to these initiatives.this is about investing more effectively and efficiently in our community. Our goal is to solve important issues faster with our donors.our vision: we envision a united community where people come together to invest in significant and measurable solutions that foster wellness and opportunity for all.our values: collaborationwe believe in the power of working together with businesses, nonprofits, government, and community members to achieve meaningful and lasting impact.integritywe are committed to transparency, accountability, and ethical practices in all that we do, building trust with our partners, donors, and community.compassionwe approach our work with empathy, understanding, and a commitment to supporting those in our community who face challenges.inclusionwe are not succeeding unless our success impacts our entire community. Every person in our community deserves support and all have something to give.impact based funding allows united way to more effectively drive community-wide progress on important issues by allocating more funding and staff capacity to our key initiatives. This model is better aligned with current community needs, donor desires, and the modern value proposition of united way. United way has always maintained presence in our community, but this move will drive our work beyond presence to impact and change. Our goal is to work toward solving the issues addressed by these key initiatives, then expand to address new challenges.in addition to key initiatives, united way will invest in legacy and community resiliency resources, as well as support for urgent needs. Legacy funds will support programming that is essential for sustaining the achievement of a past collective impact or key initiative goal.community resiliency programs and resources are designed to connect people to information and assistance in times of need.united way uses collective impact to drive solutions to our community's problems that are too big for one organization to solve. Collective impact is the commitment of a group of people from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem, using a structured form of collaboration.we know there is no shortage of great nonprofits in our region, but there is a shortage of efficient ways to collaborate more effectively. Few nonprofits are resourced to lead this kind of badly needed work. United way is ready to lead the way.our key initiatives include: reducing barriers to employment & advancement. Our goal: 15,000 people will be ready to start stable careers having overcome key employment barriers by 2029.this initiative is guided by three strategies: reducing barriers to employment & advancement is guided by these strategies: education, training, & credentialssupporting organizations that help adults learn to read, earn their ged/hsed, or other employment credentials that lead to a high-demand certificationtransportationsupporting organizations that provide innovative transportation solutions or assistwith driver's license recovery.involvement in the justice systemsupporting programs with a focus on strengthening justice-impacted-individuals in the workplace and advocating for policy changes that help these members of our community.safe & stable homesour goal: end family homelessness in our four-county footprint by 2025.there are four main elements of safe & stable homes: centralized connection to resources.legal aid to prevent/stop evictions.flexible financial assistance: family flex fund. Social workers providing wraparound support to families. Techquityour goal: we will provide 50,000 computers

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 94.3%; rating input score 94
• Program expense ratio: 86%; rating input score 86
• Fundraising efficiency: $9.81 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 33rd 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: 96.5%; rating input score 96; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 98.1%; rating input score 98; 54th 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: -8.5%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.91; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings