United Way of Denton County Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of United Way of Denton County, Inc. UWDC is to improve lives by mobilizing Denton County communities to action so all can thrive. Our vision: Thriving together, Denton County is a healthy community with strengthened resilience, wellness and financial security where everyone, regardless of age, has the opportunity to flourish. Information about UWDC can be found at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/AboutUs.
- Income
- $3.1 million
- Spending
- $2.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- -1.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 60%
- Employees
- 50
- Volunteers
- 562
- Highest pay
- $161,702, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2026, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 44% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 20 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2026, 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 2536 of 36 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2026, 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)
- $1.2 million spent. COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PARTNER AGENCY GRANTS, AGENCY RELATIONS:Seventeen 17 agencies serving Denton County were provided with funds to maintain a safety net of services for those residents most in need. All agencies that received funds provided services that fall under at least one of the following focus areas: Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Community Resiliency. Funding decisions are based on recognized existing and emerging needs in Denton County. Community volunteers reviewed the community needs assessment and other published data from sources including the Texas Education Agency, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Internal Revenue Service and others. UWDC evaluated partner agency programming, outcomes and financials to determine the most effective use of funds granted to the partner agencies. Funding for this process comes from UWDCs annual fundraising campaign which is conducted with the help of hundreds of local companies and volunteers. The campaign includes workplace and individual solicitation and corporate donations and sponsorships. Non-profit agencies receiving grant funds from UWDC must annually verify they are an agency in good standing as an IRS Code Section 501 c 3 non-profit organizations, comply with all federal, state and local laws and meet all Patriot Act requirements. During the 2024-2025 fiscal year, UWDC distributed a total of $427,200 to 17 partner agencies. Through these partnerships, UWDC partner agencies were able to serve more than 54,000 individuals and families in Denton County. In addition to funded partner agencies, UWDC has developed an extended network of nonprofit partners, some of which may receive funding, all of which work collaboratively with UWDC to work across sectors of the community to tackle complex socio-economic challenges. UWDC also provides leadership and management assistance, training and supportive services to Denton County nonprofit organizations to raise the level of performance of our Denton County nonprofit sector. Information about UWDCs partner agencies and network of partners can be found at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/our-network-funded-agencies.
- $677,936 spent. COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING DC HOMELESSNESS LEADERSHIP TEAM, DC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP TEAM, DC WORKFORCE SUCCESS LEADERSHIP TEAM:UWDC has developed strong partnerships and collaborative programs to meet the complex and expanding needs of Denton County, a county that exceed 1 million in population in 2023. UWDC Community Capacity Building investment of funding and resources is driven by the following principals: Alignment to critical unmet needs often in the areas of Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Community Resiliency, Alignment with UWDC mission, Must produce measurable results that indicate the level of outcomes expected. UWDCs cross-sector partnerships include universities, nonprofits, local government, faith-based organizations, businesses and school districts. Our efforts include utilization of community leaders, elected officials and other governance leaders who can influence policy across the community to improve systems and break down barriers. Summaries our major initiatives/programs are as follows: Financial Initiatives Volunteer Income Tax Assistance VITA - IRS-certified volunteers help low and moderately-low income taxpayers e-file their federal tax returns for free in an accurate and timely manner. UWDC has operated VITA sites across Denton County since 2008 generating over $20 million in net refunds for over 16,000 Denton County low to moderately low income households. During the 2024 tax season ending this past April 2025, volunteer tax preparers filed tax returns for low-income taxpayers at eight host sites across Denton County. Completing a strong recovery towards pre-pandemic performance, 48 volunteers filed 2,010 returns for local taxpayers, returning $1.5 million in net refunds to people in Denton County, and saving our community an estimated $629,130 in tax preparation fees. Information about UWDCs VITA program can be found at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/VITA. Mental Health Initiative Denton County Behavioral Health Leadership Team The purpose of UWDCs Denton County Behavioral Health Leadership Team DCBHLT is to convene as an appointed policy developing body to improve the planning, coordination, oversight, and implementation required to create systems change for behavioral health services in Denton County. The team is comprised of appointees from: Denton County Commissioners Court, County-wide Municipal Governments, Health Care Providers, Health Insurance Providers, Educational Institutions, Law Enforcement, Non-profits, Housing services providers, and other community organizations. DCBHLT functions as a quasi-governmental team with a guiding charter and bylaws under the backbone support of UWDCs Collective Impact Model approach to system change. DCBHLT Vision is to provide comprehensive behavioral health for every person in Denton County. In the 2024-25 fiscal year the DCBHLT with UWDC backbone support accomplished the following main initiatives. Mental Health Navigators as an established program funded by Denton County and located in the Denton County Public Health Department connecting residents with mental health professionals who meet the criteria they are looking for. Sustained funding support for CredibleMind, an online platform the provides free, evidence-based mental health resources to Denton County residents. Information about UWDCs Denton County Behavioral Health Leadership Team can be found at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/MentalHealth. Housing & Homelessness Initiative Denton County Housing & Homelessness Leadership Team The purpose of UWDCs Denton County Housing & Homelessness Leadership Team DCHHLT is to convene as a policy making team to improve the planning, coordination, oversight, and implementation required to create systems change, for homelessness and housing services in Denton County. The DCHHLT is comprised of appointees from: Denton County Commissioners C
- $243,169 spent. COMMUNITY EDUCATION COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, BOARD LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE:COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT:OUR Community Needs Assessment UWDCs Community Needs Assessment report is a tool to help pinpoint unmet needs and gaps in services in a rapidly growing Denton County. Population growth, changes in cost of living, especially housing, have significantly changed the number of households 112,000 that earn less than monthly expenses each month. This dynamic is presently stressing the public and nonprofit health and human services bandwidth for services placing a historic number of households at-risk, especially households led by single females with children and households led by seniors over 65 years old. The community needs assessment provides essential information to develop short and long-term planning for health and human services. UWDC grantmaking activities and program design activities are informed by and in response to key findings in the Community Needs Assessment. Information about UWDCs assessment of Denton Countys community needs can be found at https://www.unitedforalicetx.org/ click on ALICE County Data and select Denton County. Board Leadership Institute UWDCs Board Leadership Institute program transformed in 2025 into a strategic partnership with BoardBuild.org to train board candidates and to match them to posted nonprofit board openings across Denton County and north Texas. The online web-based training includes: Board Member Basics, Essential Guiding Documents, Nonprofit Financial Essentials, Evaluating, Agency Programs and the CEO, Board Meetings and Committees, On Your Way to Becoming a Great Board Member. Participants receive a completion certification and are eligible for CEU hours for completing the curriculum. Information about UWDCs Board Leadership Institute can be found at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/boardbuild.
- $13,527 spent. I&R Research now Resource Navigation The Resource Navigation Program at UWDC is designed to guide community members who are in crisis to critical community resources. We work collaboratively with organizations across Denton County that can best meet an individual or familys needs. In addition, Denton County is served by 2-1-1, a service mandated by the Federal Communication Commission FCC to have the number accessible for community information and referral 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as FindHelp Denton County https://findhelp.dentoncounty.gov/. UWDCs Denton County Community Services Directory and Mini-Directory resources are updated annually and distributed across the county in print and available online at https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/findhelp.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2026, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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.
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 November 6, 2026.
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.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending March 2026.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1971.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 November 4, 2026.
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