United Way of Skagit County
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
United Way of Skagit County's mission is to build a positive and sustainable quality of life for all.
- Income
- $553,211
- Spending
- $716,506
- Spent on programs
- 51%
- Reserves
- 3.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 83%
- Employees
- 7
- Volunteers
- 27
- Highest pay
- $46,186, executive director
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: 59 out of 100. Higher than 17% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.2 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 24% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 30% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1551% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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: 95 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 (4)
- $234,566 spent. Diaper Bank - In July 2021, United Way of Skagit County launched our Diaper Bank to address a hidden crisis affecting rural families: diaper need. When parents cannot afford diapers, they face impossible choicesstretching soiled diapers longer than safe, missing work or school to stay home with children, or going without other essentials.Our Diaper Bank operates as critical infrastructure for family stability, just like food banks address hunger. Through our network of community partners, we ensure that geographic isolation and limited transportation (common barriers in rural areas) don't prevent families from accessing this basic necessity. Our two-generation approach recognizes that when children have their fundamental needs met, parents can focus on building economic security through education and employment.Impact: In 2024-2025, we distributed 314,108 diapers and 3,615 wipes, directly supporting rural families during their most vulnerable moments and creating pathways to long-term stability.
- $70,442 spent. Dolly Parton Imagination Library - Rural children often start kindergarten behind their urban peers due to limited access to quality early childhood resources. The Dolly Parton's Imagination Library directly addresses this disparity by delivering high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children's homes each month from birth to age five.This program is particularly vital for rural families who may live far from libraries or bookstores. By mailing books directly to enrolled children, we eliminate transportation barriers while creating excitement around reading and learning. Each delivery strengthens the parent-child bond through shared reading experiences and builds the foundation for lifelong learning success.Impact: In 2024-2025, we served 1,880 children throughout Skagit County's rural communities, ensuring that zip code doesn't determine a child's access to early literacy opportunities.
- $14,183 spent. Financial People Project - Rural families face unique financial challenges: seasonal employment, limited banking access, and fewer credit-building opportunities. Our Financial People Project addresses these barriers head-on by providing accessible, culturally relevant financial education that meets people where they are.We transformed our program delivery in 2024-2025, moving to an online Canvas platform with materials available in English and Spanish. This innovation eliminates transportation barriers that often prevent rural residents from accessing in-person financial education. Using the proven FDIC Money Smart curriculum, participants master essential skills including budgeting with irregular income, navigating limited banking options, building credit in underserved markets, and creating emergency savings despite economic uncertainty.Impact: Our flexible, multilingual approach ensures that geographic isolation doesn't limit financial opportunity, empowering rural residents to build household wealth and economic security.
- $48,182 spent. Health and Income Collaborative Initiatives - Rural communities thrive when organizations work together to address interconnected challenges. United Way of Skagit County leverages collaborative approaches to maximize impact across health and economic security initiatives.Through our advisory role with the Population Health Trust, we help coordinate county-wide efforts to improve quality of life, ensuring rural voices are centered in health policy decisions. Our support of Youth United creates leadership pathways for rural high school students, with participants completing over 100 volunteer hours each to earn varsity recognitiontransforming community service into a celebrated achievement equal to athletic success.We also maintain critical community data infrastructure through our partnership on the Skagit County indicators website, ensuring that nonprofits, schools, and public agencies serving rural areas have access to the data needed to make informed decisions and secure resources.Impact: These collaborative investments strengthen the entire ecosystem supporting rural families, creating sustainable pathways to wellness and prosperity that individual organizations couldn't achieve alone.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 1964.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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