Healthy community
- Address gaps in access to healthcare and social services
- Improve access to healthy, nutritious food, and safe community spaces
- Access to legal supports and advocacy
About
Learn about the United Way’s mission and impact in Rochester
What is the United Way?
For over 100 years, the United Way has had one purpose: Help people live better lives.
United Way mobilizes our community so everyone can thrive. Thousands of partners, donors, volunteers, and nonprofits collaborate annually to create lasting change across the Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes region. The United Way measures success in lives changed.
- United Way-funded programming impacts 400,000 neighbors – that is 1 in 3 people across our region.
- United Way mobilizes over 14,000 volunteers to hundreds of nonprofits annually.
- United Way invests over $16 million in more than 1,200 nonprofits annually.
Supporting United Way isn’t just another donation – it’s investing in the system that makes all other community solutions possible. When we strengthen one family through multiple services – such as housing assistance, job training, children’s programs – the whole community becomes stronger.
Learn more about United Way and its impact locally on the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes’ website.
Watch: Stories of imapct
When we come together, we don’t just respond to today’s challenges. We create lasting change for generations. Check out stories and testimonials of this change in action on YouTube.
Twelve Loaves Food Pantry
Twelve Loaves is a community-based food assistance program in Henrietta that operates using a “guest choice” model.
585 DREAM
The 585 DREAM after-school program is giving hundreds of Rochester youth a place to belong, learn, and thrive.
Megan Antonitto
Hear from Megan Antonitto about why she’s a loyal United Way donor.
The Spot
The Spot serves children and families in the Canandaigua and Victor School districts.
Why give through the United Way instead of directly to an organization?
United Way makes giving to local organizations easy through payroll deduction—you select the organizations you would like to support and can have your donation taken out of each paycheck instead of having to write one large check. United Way provides fundraising services to hundreds of local health and human service organizations by efficiently processing and transferring donations.
More information can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you’re ready to donate, visit our Make a Pledge page.
What is the Community Impact Fund?
Donations and investments support an interconnected network of critical programs and community strategies aimed at addressing real challenges with real solutions. The Community Impact Fund focuses on the following areas.
Youth opportunity
- Childhood development and education
- Out-of-school time opportunities
- Family engagement in child development
- K-12 whole school wrap around supports and transition to college/career
Financial security
- Provide access to financial coaching, services, and income supports
- Support homeless prevention, affordable housing, and home ownership
- Adult education and career advancement
Community resiliency
- Short-term disaster relief
- Long-term disaster recovery
- Environmental sustainability
- Crisis hotline and support
How can I help?
The best way to help is to invest in the Community Impact Fund through the annual workplace campaign. You will be supporting critical programs that address complex social change to improve health, education, and economic mobility for people and families throughout our local community. Be confident in achieving a high return on your community investment with a focus on community-wide measurement and outcomes.