United Way of South Central Michigan

What it reported doing in 2024

Community impact & initiatives: uwscmi drives systems change and improvement through diverse community partnerships, assessment, advocacy, volunteerism, and collaboration to understand and address community needs collectively and strategically via program partnerships, uwscmi-driven initiatives and measurable outcomes. Examples of impact & initiatives in last fiscal year: program assistance center -- a Michigan energy assistance program providing households with direct energy assistance to pay heat and electric bills. Participants complete a needs assessment so they are connected with non-energy assistance services they need. 5,491 households received energy security/self-sufficiency programming or referrals. 3,990 households were served using state funding and funding from consumers energy.volunteer income tax assistance (vita) -- voluntary income tax assistance (vita) is one of uwscmi's core programs, providing free tax preparation services for households earning below $69,000. The vita program operates in five counties in Michigan: clinton, eaton, ingham, kalamazoo, and shiawassee. In the 2025 tax season, uwscmi's vita program served 5,400 households, who collectively received more than $7.4 million in federal, state, and home heating credit refunds including over $1.5 million in earned income tax credits (eitc). Additionally, through the free service participants collectively saved more than $1.6 million in costly tax preparation fees. Kalamazoo county continuum of care -- increased coordination and find solutions to the gaps, inequities, and challenges to reducing homelessness. In 2025, the coc administered federal funding and state funding to prevent and address homelessness; provided mini-grants to local non-profits serving the unhoused; and redesigned the rentable program to better support alice households in securing or retaining their housing.jobstar -- a resource for employers to help their employees overcome obstacles that may impede their ability to work. 2025 highlight: referrals provided: 1,652 referrals providing 877 employees across more than 20 business. Two highlights included implementing the first year of jobstar's multi-year workplan and wrapping up the federal earmark that allowed 10 nonprofits to participate in a year of programming. Capital area college access network (capcan) -- a community collaborative focused on increasing post-secondary attainment as an achievable reality for all residents by fostering high educational aspirations through the alignment of our institutions and resources. 2025 highlight: capcan staff launched the college ambassador program in which they trained 20 rising seniors to engage with their peers at school regarding the college process and help build a college going culture. Students served: 1,900.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 83.1%; rating input score 83
• Program expense ratio: 86.6%; rating input score 87
• Fundraising efficiency: $21.53 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 48.1%; rating input score 48; 11th 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: 4.5%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.48; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.4%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.6% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings