Mesa United Way Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
United we fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in Mesa.
- Income
- $1.0 million
- Spending
- $824,700
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- -1.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 62%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 8
- Highest pay
- $126,644, president & ceo
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
Fair: 56 out of 100. Higher than 16% 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
16 of 20It owes 16% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 21% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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: 93 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 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 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 (1)
- $582,771 spent. Founded in 1966, Mesa United Way operates as a nonprofit philanthropic corporation under the State of Arizona laws. Historically a staunch supporter of addressing the poverty challenges faced by vulnerable populations, Mesa United Way continues to enhance community partnerships which align with this goal. In particular, Mesa United Way focuses on funding solutions related to the day-to-day needs of foster/kinship children, housing and self-sufficiency for youth aging out of foster care, free tax assistance and financial literacy for low- and moderate-income households, affordable housing for the chronically disabled and working poor, and the critically important work of improving childhood literacy. To do all this, Mesa United Way depends on individual and corporate contributions. Launched by Mesa United Way in 2009, the Helens Hope Chest program focused on the needs of foster and kinship children from infancy through early childhood. In 2014, Helens Hope Chest became a legal entity of its own but operated as a subsidiary under Mesa United Way. Never sitting on its laurels, Mesa United Way continued creating more programs that filled more gapsVITA, Foster360, 12Books and the Mesa Veterans Resource Center. In 2023, once it became evident that the community members served by these necessary programs had grown well beyond the geographic boundaries of the City of Mesa, Mesa United Way created a new nonprofit corporation, Azura Inc., and placed these direct-service programming beneath that umbrella. This included Helens Hope Chest and Foster360, now a legal entity as well. The purpose of these organizational changes furthered Mesa United Ways goal of launching sustainable programming that directly improves the lives of our community members while also allowing the new Azura family of solutions to flourish and grow without the limitations of the United Way structure that governs Mesa United Way. Whether through its traditional United Way workplace campaigns or finding the next gap in services that needs a solution, Mesa United Way remains committed to both supporting the work of its progeny while also remaining even more closely focused on its core mission of fighting for the health, education and financial stability of every person in Mesa.
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
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 October 13, 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 June 2025.
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 August 2014.
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 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.