Our Mission
uniting our community and resources to build racial equity and opportunities
WELCOME
2021 marks the beginning of our new strategic plan — LIVE UNITED 2025.
LIVE UNITED 2025 gives us a new mission and specific, measurable goals.
Our mission is uniting our community and resources to build racial equity and opportunities for all Rhode Islanders.
Racism, health, justice, and economics
2020 spotlighted the failure for us, and everyone involved, of the war on poverty. After 50 years, this effort has been ineffective in creating opportunity and prosperity for all members of our community.
The pandemic showed that where you live and the color of your skin is a powerful determinant of your likelihood to live or die from COVID-19. And, murders of our neighbors like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor remind us that Black Rhode Islanders are eight times as likely to be in jail as whites.
That’s why we felt it was so important that our plan explicitly address systemic inequity – i.e., policies that promote unequal opportunity and treatment of people of color. We know it’s the right thing to do morally. It’s also the smart thing to do economically.
Going deep, rather than wide
The plan will require United Way of Rhode Island to go “deep, rather than wide,” with investments and partners, to target the root causes that have thwarted Rhode Island’s ability to thrive. While we serve all Rhode Islanders in need, this plan will tackle Rhode Island’s great challenge, reversing the racial inequities that have plagued Rhode Island’s Black and brown communities for generations.
In order to “Live United,” we must dismantle systemic, institutional, and historical barriers based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and other identities. We commit to leveraging all of our assets (i.e., advocacy, convening, fundraising, strategic investments, awareness building) to create a more equitable Rhode Island.
LIVE UNITED 2025 strategic plan
The LIVE UNITED 2025 strategic plan will guide United Way of Rhode Island’s next five years from 2020 until 2025, just in time for our centennial celebration. You can download our full strategic plan below. Alternatively, you can read about what we’re doing right now in each of its four focus areas:
- LIFT UNITED: Building economic security. (Learn more)
- ACHIEVE UNITED: Advancing childhood learning. (Learn more)
- INVEST UNITED: Expanding philanthropy. (Learn more)
- ADVOCATE UNITED: Driving policy and participation. (Learn more)
Truly a united effort; please join us
The LIVE UNITED 2025 strategic plan is rooted in data and guided by feedback from thousands of Rhode Islanders over the past few years. We are abundantly grateful to the thousands of individuals who contributed to the transformative plan that will guide our important work together and to those who support us.
I hope you’ll join us in this journey to make sure Rhode Island is a place where every individual in each community has equal opportunity for justice and prosperity.
Cortney Nicolato
President and CEO
HISTORY
From our inception in 1926, United Way of Rhode Island has effectively moved people from crisis to stability while working to shore up the systems that provide support across the community.
And, when called to action in the face of a global pandemic, we proved that we were built over the last 95 years as the best organization in the state to effectively harness resources from government, corporations, nonprofits and individuals to address the many major crises affecting all of us.
1926
Providence Community Fund formed to combine the fundraising efforts of various agencies and distribute fund according to where the community assessed the greatest need.
1926
Under Henry Sharpe’s leadership first president and campaign chair, raised more than $480,000 in a remarkably successful one-week campaign in October.
1935
Cranston joins forces with us to conduct a single community fund campaign.
1937
Royal Little, founder of Textron, established a trust fund administered by the Rhode Island Foundation that to this day pays the organization’s fundraising and administrative costs.
1938
The Hurricane of 1938 devastates the state, stretching the ability of the fund’s agencies to meet community needs. It also floods our headquarters on Weybosett Street, damaging or destroying most records.
1941
Community funds or chests in Blackstone, Burrillville, Central Falls, Cranston, Cumberland, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Warwick and Woonsocket joined forces with us as United Campaigns of Community Chests to create a stronger sense of statewide unity in philanthropic work.
1942
United Campaigns of Community Chests becomes Rhode Island United War Fund and raises $2.1 million meet the burdens World War II placed on families, especially those with loved ones in the military.
1943
Compulsory withholding of income and social security taxes created the payroll deduction option as a method of donating to workplace campaigns. This remains the favored method of pledging for United Way to this day.
1946
War over, the War Fund was reestablished as Rhode Island Community Chests.
1955
Rhode Island Community Chests became United Fund and began to focus more on accountability of donor investment.
1960s and ’70s
“Great Society” social programs led to duplication of efforts between long-established private agencies and newer government entities.
1973
United Fund becomes United Way of Southeastern New England to recognize donors from and services provided in neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut.
1990s
Developed Critical Issue Funds in the 1990s to encourage more experimental and collaborative solutions to key issues, like Making It Work and Community Schools-RI.
2002
Renamed United Way of Rhode Island, adopted a new mission: To mobilize the caring power of the community to improve the lives of people in need.
2004
Convened community summits encompassing 800 individuals to identify key problems faced by the community, then defined programs and funding priorities in three impact areas: solutions for children, youth and families; helping people in crisis; and building adult and neighborhood independence.
January 2005
Under new CEO Tony Maione, awarded first-ever competitive grants. More than $9 million was awarded to 66 organizations for 77 programs. Twenty-six had never received funding before from United Way’s general fund.
2006-2012
Awarded two rounds of three-year grants totaling $25.8 million to scores of social service organizations in Rhode Island, generating measurable results to create a better community and to be relevant to donors. Combined grantmaking with advocacy and public policy work.
2008
New headquarters at 50 Valley Street comes alive with community organizations and people in need of service from United Way 211 in Rhode Island.
2018
CEO Tony Maione passes the baton to Cortney Nicolato in time to convene community members in a new strategic planning process.
2021
Launch LIVE UNITED 2025 strategic plan with new mission: Uniting our community and resources to build racial equity and opportunities for all Rhode Islanders. Establish specific, measurable goals for 2025.
IN THE NEWS
United Way to invest $100M to build racial equity
THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL
"The LIVE UNITED 2025 initiative is aimed at improving education, ensuring availability of housing that is affordable and safe for all, and empowering nonprofit organizations, among other objectives."
Cortney Nicolato: 20 who made a difference in 2020
GO LOCAL PROV
"When she was tapped as one of GoLocal’s 19 to Watch in 2019, like so many others, United Way President Cortney Nicolato couldn’t have imagined her role in 2020."
Five Questions With: Larry Warner
Providence Business News
"Redlining, racial covenants and discriminatory lending practices were fully legal practices that decreased homeownership among Blacks over several decades… Moreover, there is evidence of patterns of lower home valuations for BIPOC homeowners versus whites with comparable homes. Why does this matter, and how is it a root cause? Homeownership is highly correlated with accumulation of wealth."
UPCOMING EVENTS
Young Leaders Circle Virtual Networking Night
Meet and reconnect virtually with other young professionals from 6 to 7 pm. We'll be using the Remo platform, so make sure to sign up in advance.
Women United Community Learning Partners
Join us via Zoom from 5-6 pm for the next event in this series, featuring Newport Partnership for Families.
From Hello to Help: 211 Day Event
Join us at 10 am for a Zoom webinar, "From hello to help: 211 is always there." Check back here or sign up for e-news below to receive registration details.