United Way of the Midlands

Year Founded
1923
EIN
47-0376605
Local Leader/Exec. Director
Shawna Forsberg
Primary Contact Name
Bekah Noxon
Main Address

2201 Farnam Street
Suite 200
Omaha, NE 68102
United States

What We Do

For the past 100 years, United Way of the Midlands (UWM) has used its community-wide perspective to identify local needs that are going unseen or unmet – and how it can partner with corporate, government organizations, nonprofits and donors to tackle them. Today, UWM remains committed to uniting our community’s caring spirit to build a stronger tomorrow. It invests donor dollars in more than 100 local nonprofit programs that, together, form a circle of support around our community. These programs are addressing pressing social and economic disparities and providing the essentials families need to thrive, such as healthy food, a safe place to go after school and job support. United Way of the Midlands united our community's caring spirit to build a stronger tomorrow. And we are committed to doing it as effectively and efficiently as possible, meaning you can feel good knowing your dollars are making a difference. We are proud to be. . .

•Local: Your donations are invested in the most impactful nonprofit programs right here in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro. Together, they lift our neighbors up and build an even stronger tomorrow for our community.

•Efficient: Your dollars go further when you donate to United Way of the Midlands (UWM). We meet the Better Business Bureau’s standard for nonprofit efficiency, meaning we keep our costs low and invest more of your dollars back into the programs that help those who need it most. UWM invests 95 cents* of every donated dollar back into our community.

•Impact-Driven: You can rest assured your donations are funding nonprofit partners who efficiently address our community’s most pressing needs. A dedicated, diverse team of experts and community volunteers review and vet local nonprofit programs to recommend which ones receive UWM funding.

•Results-Based: You’ll see your donations at work right here in our community. To hold ourselves and our partner agencies accountable, we collect program outcomes, measure impact and share the results with you.

When you support United Way, you’re joining together with thousands of others to create a circle of support around our community. Here at United Way of the Midlands, we use our community-wide perspective to identify which of our community’s needs are going unseen or unmet – and then we partner with corporate, government and nonprofit organizations to tackle them. When a donor makes a gift, they are investing in more than 100 local nonprofit programs alongside thousands of other community members. With your help, these programs are addressing social and economic disparities and meeting families’ most essential needs, such as food, a safe place to go after school and a stable job. As part of our work to provide a Circle of Support, United Way of the Midlands supports Job’s for America’s Graduates (JAG) Nebraska and the 211 Helpline. To help local students achieve a bright future, JAG Nebraska utilizes a programming model developed by the national Jobs for America’s Graduates organization. The programming is conducted on-site at schools during school hours, and it helps students develop their skillsets and overcome hurdles so they can succeed in the classroom and the future workplace. The 211 Helpline is a free, one-stop source of information for people in need of assistance. When someone reaches out to 211, a Community Resource Specialist assesses their situation and then utilizes an extensive, up-to-date database to find the best resource(s) to meet their needs. They act as a single point of contact for thousands of health and human service programs, community services, disaster services and governmental programs.

Interesting Info
  • In 2023, UWM raised more than $40 million to invest in our community thanks to generous donors like you.
  • In 2022, the JAG Nebraska program helped 99% of its senior participants graduate.
  • For the fiscal year 2022-2023, the 211 Helpline responded to nearly 313,000 requests for assistance.