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United Way of Central New York Inc

EIN 15-0532073 · Syracuse, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak47 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SEE SCHEDULE O.

Income
$9.1 million
Spending
$9.0 million
Spent on programs
85%
Reserves
-1.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 69%
Employees
54
Volunteers
8,163
Highest pay
$168,695, president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 47 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 51% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 12% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    85% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    43 of 43 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $4.5 million spent. COMMUNITY IMPACT AND ENGAGEMENT:EVERYTHING WE DO IS DEDICATED TO ENSURING THAT EVERY PERSON IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN LIVE, LEARN, GROW, WORK, PLAY, AND THRIVE. OUR THRIVING UNITED WAY FRAMEWORK FOCUSES ON FOUR KEY PILLARS: HEALTHY COMMUNITY, YOUTH OPPORTUNITY, FINANCIAL SECURITY, AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCY. WE CONVENE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AROUND THESE PILLARS, WE LEAD COALITIONS, WE FUND PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS TARGETED OUTCOMES, AND WE RUN PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS YOUTH LITERACY, FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND ACCESSING RESOURCES.
  2. $664,745 spent. LITERACY COALITION OF ONONDAGA COUNTY:THE LITERACY COALITION OF ONONDAGA COUNTY (LCOC) BEGAN IN 2007-2008. LCOC WORKS TO ACHIEVE 100% LITERACY ACROSS ALL AGES. LCOC BRINGS TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS TO MONITOR LITERACY AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT LEARNING FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS. THE LCOC CONTINUES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DOLLY PARTON IMAGINATION LIBRARY AND IS THE OLDEST AND LARGEST PROGRAM IN NYS. 1,822,073 BOOKS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM. A FREE BOOK IS SENT IN THE MAIL EVERY MONTH TO CHILDREN IN ONONDAGA COUNTY FROM BIRTH TO AGE FIVE. LCOC ALSO FOCUSES ON LITERACY SERVICES FOR ADULTS.
  3. $1.0 million spent. HOUSING & HOMELESS COALITION:THE HOUSING AND HOMELESS COALITION OF CENTRAL NEW YORK (HHC) ACTS AS THE LOCAL HUD CONTINUUM OF CARE (COC NY-505). THE UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL NEW YORK BECAME THE COLLABORATIVE APPLICANT IN 2017 AND THE STAFF OF HHC BECAME UNITED WAY EMPLOYEES.HHC IS DEDICATED TO REDUCING, PREVENTING, AND ULTIMATELY ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE HHC ALLOCATES AND OVERSEES FEDERAL FUNDING TO SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE THREE-COUNTY REGION: ONONDAGA, OSWEGO, AND CAYUGA. PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, THROUGH THE WORK OF THE HHC, HOMELESSNESS IN THIS REGION HAD BEEN REDUCED. SINCE 2021, HOMELESSNESS HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY AND THE HHC HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING TOGETHER PEOPLE TO ADDRESS THE NEW CHALLENGES THAT HAVE ARISEN. HHC HAS ALSO BROUGHT IN NEW GRANTS DURING THE YEAR AND HAS ADDED STAFF.
  4. $1.5 million spent. CA$H COALITION:UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL NEW YORK ADMINISTERS THE CA$H COALITION (CREATING ASSETS, SAVINGS & HOPE), CONVENER OF ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES DEDICATED TO PROMOTING FINANCIAL STABILITY AND ASSET-BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW-TO-MODERATE-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN ONONDAGA COUNTY. THE CA$H COALITION OVERSEES FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICES THROUGH THE VITA (VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE) PROGRAM. TOTAL RETURNS WERE 2,760 GENERATING RETURNS OF $3.68M.2-1-1:2-1-1 CNY IS AN INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICE LAUNCHED IN FEBRUARY 2015 THAT SERVES ONONDAGA, OSWEGO, MADISON, JEFFERSON, LEWIS, AND ST. LAWRENCE COUNTIES. IT IS SUPPORTED BY NYS, ONONDAGA COUNTY, AND UNITED WAY. IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CALLS/TEXTS TO 211 CNY BETWEEN 7/1/24 AND 6/30/25 WAS 34,509.REGIONAL VOLUNTEER CENTER:UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL NEW YORK COORDINATES A COMPREHENSIVE VOLUNTEER CENTER SERVING CAYUGA, CORTLAND, MADISON, ONONDAGA, AND OSWEGO COUNTIES. OUR VOLUNTEER CENTER WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN PANDEMIC RELIEF EFFORTS. WE CONNECTED 3,419 PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING VOLUNTEERCNY, DAY OF CARING, AND COMMUNITY DRIVES. THE DAY OF CARING IN 2024 MOBILIZED 1,444 VOLUNTEERS, LOGGED A TOTAL OF OVER 4,332 HOURS ON OUR DAY OF CARING, COMPLETING 100+ PROJECTS AT LOCAL NONPROFITS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THE VALUE OF THAT TIME CAN BE CALCULATED AT OVER $150K!WE ALSO COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING DRIVES DURING THE FISCAL YEAR:- 2024 CARE PACKAGE THAT BUILT APPROXIMATELY 1,800 CARE PACKAGES.- 2024 BOOK DRIVE THAT PROVIDED OVER 5,000 BOOKS.- 2025 SHARE THE WARMTH/MLK DAY OF SERVICE: THAT PROVIDED OVER 1,000 COATS AND WINTER ITEMS.- 2025 UNITED FOR MOMS THAT PROVIDED 225 BAGS.LEADSAFE CNY COALITION:IN MARCH OF 2024, UNITED WAY OF CNY BECAME THE HOME OF THE LEADSAFE CNY COALITION AND HIRED A DIRECTOR. THE COALITION IS FOCUSED ON ERADICATING LEAD POISONING, ASSISTING/EDUCATING AFFECTED FAMILIES, AND CONNECTING PEOPLE TO TESTING, REMEDIATION, AND HEALTHCARE. THRIVE AT WORK:THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES ON-SITE FINANCIAL COACHING AND EDUCATION TO HELP EMPLOYEES NAVIGATE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AND BUILD STABILITY.BOOK BUDDIES:A TUTORING PROGRAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, THAT TRAINS AND PLACES VOLUNTEERS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO WORK WITH CHILDREN IN GRADES K-3.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 1994.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

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