United Way of Greater St. Louis

Legal name: United Way of Greater St Louis Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
430714167
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone
(314) 421-0700
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Federated Giving Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$68,551,203
Expenses
$70,567,199
Assets
$122,483,217
Liabilities
$22,159,014

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

Leadership & pay

133 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Michelle Tucker (President-CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • Michelle Tucker (President-CEO): $522,441 total reported compensation
  • Heather Dawson (Chief of Staff): $223,555 total reported compensation
  • Vander H Corliss (CFO): $215,450 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 in our communities.

What it reported doing in 2024

Coordination and navigation services are performed by the United Way 211, a 24-hour multi-channel information and referral service available to Missouri and Southwest Illinois residents by phone, email, chat, text or self-service via online resource database. United Way 211 connects callers with community resources, volunteer opportunities, and critical information 24/7 and during times of natural or man-made disaster. Training Community Resource Navigators also assist inquirers in identifying and accessing essential health and human service resources. United Way 211's resource database is the most comprehensive in the state of MO and in our 9 county region in Southwest Illinois with over 2,500 agencies and 28,000+ services. Since its inaugural year in 2007, 211 has received more than 2.7 million contacts. In 2025, 211 received over 200,000 requests for assistance and over 50,000 web searches. Needs identified and assessed ranged from basic needs like rent, utilities and food, to employment and government benefits, services for seniors and much, much more.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 93% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 86% 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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 95.7%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 90%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $13.19 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.3%; rating input score 98; 35th 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; 77th 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: -2.9%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.74; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.9%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.7% per year; rating input score 100; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 95.7% of revenue deployed · 90% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 105 of 105 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 8 filed program accomplishments · $63.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $522K · 133 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $620K reported
  • Consistency: 49 of 50 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 304 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 294 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 48/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 17/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 39/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.