Your Impact in Action: Meet Maddie.
Watch this short 3-minute video to see how your investment in United Way helps make our community stronger, safer and a better place to live for all!
The holidays are a great time of year to pause and take stock of what matters most to us:
family, friends and a feeling of community.
When you invest in United Way, you are investing in proven programs that lead to a stronger, safer and more vibrant Dane County. Your holiday gift is more than a single act of charity – it’s helping kids get prepared for and stay in school, families remain stably housed and employed, and providing invaluable health supports for people of all ages for the long-term. Ultimately, your gift is making our community a better place to live for all.
Here are some of the outcomes from the past year that you made possible by supporting United Way:
- In partnership with RISE, United Way’s ParentChild+ program helped more than 160 kids and their families get ready for 4-K. This home visitation program encourages early literacy and school readiness. 1,700 local children are still unlikely to be 4-K ready.
- More than 1,500 families were provided quality housing case management in 2018, addressing root causes of their homelessness. Since 2015, United Way has helped reduce acute family homelessness by 50% — yet 600 families remain housing insecure.
- Over 400 older adults participated in falls prevention classes offered through partner agencies and 300 older adults received in-home safety assessments for falls and adverse drug events (ADEs) reducing their falls rate to 22%, well under the national average of 33%. More than 3,000 older adults live in poverty in Dane County.
These results are impressive – and there’s so much more to be done.
P.S. Want to do even more? Check out our 2019 Holiday Wish List to find opportunities right here in Dane County. Whether it’s wrapping gifts for children and families or hosting donation drives, learn how you can make the holidays a little brighter for our neighbors.

The Change You Make Possible: United Way In the News
Editorial: Being a Champion for Change through United Way of Dane County
Other ways to be #Champions4Change

Impact Lives Forever
Consider endowing your annual gift (multiply by 25). Remember United Way in your estate plans.
United Way of Dane County Foundation, Inc.
For 97 years, United Way of Dane County has fulfilled a mission of changing lives and strengthening our community. Gifts to the United Way of Dane County Foundation, Inc. sustain this mission and extend your legacy of effective, local philanthropy.
For more information, please contact Kristi Shepard at (608) 246-4399 or foundation@uwdc.org

Call 2-1-1, text 898-211 or access our online 2-1-1 database here.
Get Connected. Get Help.
United Way 2-1-1 is a 24/7 information and referral service that connects people to a variety of resources such as food pantries, utility and rent assistance, job training, transportation resources, support groups, home chores for older adults, tutoring and youth recreation, and community clinics. Call us if you have any questions or are having difficulty finding the resources you need. There are not currently enough services to meet demand, but we will do our best to connect and support you. Calls to 2-1-1 also help the community understand what resources are needed, and provide insight so United Way can continue to tackle the root causes of these issues.