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United Way of Central Oklahoma

EIN 73-0589829 · Oklahoma City, OK

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong96 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IS COMMITTED TO CONNECTING PEOPLE AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVE THE WELL BEING OF THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

Income
$19.4 million
Spending
$19.0 million
Spent on programs
86%
Reserves
14.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 95%
Employees
48
Volunteers
2,330
Highest pay
$217,711, president & ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 96 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 14.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 20% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 1% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    86% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    77 of 77 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 December 31, 2024, 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 (1)
  1. $16.4 million spent. THE UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IS A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION WITH A VISION TO BUILD A STRONGER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY VETTING CONVENING AND FUNDING QUALIFIED HEALTH, YOUTH, AND HUMAN SERVICE NONPROFIT AGENCIES WHO SERVE THE LOCAL NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES WITHIN SEVEN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA COUNTIES AND BY OFFERING LOCAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THEIR SERVICES. SINCE 1923, UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA HAS PARTNERED WITH NONPROFIT AGENCIES TO PROVIDE EXPERTISE, SUPPORT, AND SOLUTIONS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF LOCAL CITIZENS. WE FUND PROGRAMS OF PARTNER AGENCIES WITH DONATIONS COLLECTED FROM THE PUBLIC IN AN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN HELD IN THE FALL. THE DONATED FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED THE FOLLOWING YEAR TO PARTNER AGENCIES THROUGH AN ALLOCATION PROCESS CALLED COMMUNITY INVESTMENT. TO SUPPORT OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, ALLOCATION DECISIONS ARE MADE BY MORE THAN 200 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS FROM OUR DONOR BASE WHO INVEST OVER 4,000 HOURS EACH YEAR IN THIS PROCESS, AS WELL AS DONOR-DETERMINED DESIGNATIONS, WHICH ARE APPROVED BY UNITED WAY'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS. UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PLAYS AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN MANY COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS SUCH AS RECRUITING, TRAINING, AND MATCHING BOARD MEMBERS WITH NONPROFIT AGENCIES; OFFERING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CORPORATIONS TO SUPPORT SERVICE AGENCIES; AND PUBLISHING RESEARCH TO PROVIDE CIVIC LEADERS AND CITIZENS INFORMATION TO RAISE AWARENESS OF CURRENT COMMUNITY NEEDS AS A PART OF THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN INITIATIVE. UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA ALSO MANAGES STATE AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE CAMPAIGNS. AS SINGLE MEMBER LLCS, UNITED WAY OF LOGAN COUNTY, LLC AND UNITED WAY OF CANADIAN COUNTY, LLC, COLLECT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC THROUGH AN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN HELD IN THE FALL AND THEN DISTRIBUTE THE MONEY THE FOLLOWING YEAR TO PARTNER AGENCIES THAT SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN LOGAN AND CANADIAN COUNTY, RESPECTIVELY. THE GRANT ALLOCATIONS ARE APPROVED BY THE UNITED WAY OF LOGAN COUNTY, LLC'S AND UNITED WAY OF CANADIAN COUNTY, LLC'S ADVISORY BOARDS AND THEN BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. WAYFINDER INNOVATION GRANTS THE WAYFINDER INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM IS A NEW APPROACH TO SOLVING OUR COMMUNITY'S TOUGHEST CHALLENGES. LOCAL NONPROFITS ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT INNOVATIVE AND NEW CREATIVE IDEAS THAT ADDRESS PROBLEMS WITHIN UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA'S FIVE FOCUS AREAS: STRONG FAMILIES, SUCCESSFUL KIDS, HEALTHY CITIZENS, INDEPENDENT LIVING AND COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS; THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY. FINALISTS ARE INVITED TO PITCH THE IDEA IN A SHARK TANK APPROACH TO A PANEL OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, WHO SELECT THE MOST PROMISING AND VIABLE IDEAS TO RECEIVE ONE-TIME FUNDING. EMBRACEOKC UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WORKS TO ADDRESS VARIOUS SOCIAL ISSUES IDENTIFIED THROUGH OUR RESEARCH BY CONVENING STAKEHOLDERS AND COLLABORATING ON SOLUTIONS. AS TRENDS EMERGE, NEW COMMUNITY INITIATIVES ARE CREATED TO RESPOND TO COMMUNITY NEEDS. CURRENTLY, UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IS ACTIVE IN NEARLY 30 COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, AND IN 2022, WE PARTNERED WITH THE OKC PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMPACT ON ITS COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, EMBRACEOKC. EMBRACEOKC IS A DISTRICT-WIDE INITIATIVE TO EMBRACE MENTAL HEALTH AS PREVENTABLE AND TREATABLE, TO PROTECT CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH FOR LIFE, TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES AND TO HOLD THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY AS A PLACE OF SAFETY AND SUPPORT. THE INITIATIVE IS A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES INCLUDING AWARENESS, PREVENTION, EARLY INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT. UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA'S ROLE IS TO ASSIST IN RAISING FUNDS, OVERSEE THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS AND REPORT BACK TO STAKEHOLDERS ON THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM. BOARD SERVE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IMPROVES NONPROFIT BOARDS BY RECRUITING AND TRAINING PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE THEN PAIRED WITH NONPROFIT AGENCIES IN THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AREA TO SERVE AS A BOARD MEMEBER. THE BOARD SERVE PROGRAM BEGAN IN 2013 FOR BOARD MEMBER CANDIDATES TO ATTEND SEVEN MONTHLY EXPERT-LED SESSIONS COVERING NONPROFIT BOARD GOVERANCE, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, NONPROFIT LAW, FUNDRAISING AND OTHER SKILLS REQUIRED TO SERVE ON A NONPROFIT BOARD. CANDIDATES SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE PROGRAM AND UPON ACCEPTANCE, EACH CANDIDATE PAYS A FEE TO ATTEND THE BOARD SERVE PROGRAM SESSIONS. A FORMAL GRADUATION AND AGENCY BOARD PLACEMENT CEREMONY IS CONDUCTED IN SEPTEMBER. PLACEMENTS ARE BASED ON BOARD NEEDS AND THE SPECIFIC TALENTS AND INTERESTS OF THE PARTICIPANTS. IN 2017, IT WAS DETERMINED TO CONDUCT THE BOARD SERVE PROGRAM SESSIONS EVERY OTHER YEAR. TO DATE, THE BOARD SERVE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PROGRAM HAS GRADUATED 183 CANDIDATES AND FACILITATED OVER 200 PLACEMENTS TO AREA NONPROFIT BOARDS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

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

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since August 1952.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.