Corporate social responsiblity
Meet your CSR goals with a United way Shared purpose program
Top organizations use corporate social responsibility as a strategic differentiator to attract and retain the best talent and to meet their customer’s demand for social responsibility.
Studies show that purpose-driven companies produce higher revenue, recruit and retain higher-performing talent, improve employee engagement and performance, and have higher values associated with their brand. Let us help you join them.
United Way of Rhode Island helps companies develop and achieve their corporate social responsibility goals. Achieving a stronger, more vibrant and prosperous community is our shared purpose. Companies partnering with United Way through shared purpose co-create greater value through impact, engagement and reputation.
Doing good and doing well
Organizations with well-developed corporate social responsibility programs reap many benefits, including:
Attracting and retaining the best employees
According to Harvard Business Review, social responsibility is one of the top five intangible benefits that potential employees look for when evaluating job opportunities. In fact, 79% of people prefer to work for a socially responsible company.
Building stronger leaders
Human resources professionals overwhelmingly agree (90%) that pro-bono volunteering is an effective way to develop leadership skills.
Creating more loyal customers
Consumers are increasingly steering business toward companies that are socially responsible. According to a 2015 Cone study, 90% of global consumers are likely to switch brands to one associated with a good cause, given comparable price and quality.
Building goodwill in their communities
Building strong ties in the communities in which they do business can help an organization weather storms and build loyalty.
For companies of any size
United Way of Rhode Island’s relationship with the state, corporate, nonprofit, and public sectors uniquely positions us to provide insights, solutions, networks and consulting services that bring value to companies of all sizes.
- For small to mid-sized companies, Shared Purpose represents the ability to effectively outsource their CSR to an expert who can help them level-up quickly.
- For large companies, it adds depth and scale to the impact they make around the world. All while supporting their bottom line and business plan.
We have been partnering with small and mid-sized businesses who want to have a greater impact with their charitable giving for 95 years. United Way makes it easy to get involved – no matter the size of your company — with turn-key programs including volunteerism, sponsorship, leadership opportunities, networking and workplace giving programs. We tailor your experience so that you and your employees can have a direct impact on the things you care about most.
Corporate Social Responsibility Consulting
Partner with United Way of Rhode Island to identify, analyze, activate, and communicate your impact in the communities where you live and work.
Whether to support your community, foster a culture of service with your team, or simply enhance your brand, United Way of Rhode Island offers tools and strategies to create effective CSR practices.
United Way Rhode Island will help:
- Mapping your CSR vision
- Storytelling and crafting your CSR message
- Activating your company’s social purpose and CSR activities
- Implementing focused and strategic programs in impact giving, employee engagement, and brand and reputation elevation
- Social impact measurement and reporting
Ready to learn more? Contact Sylvia Mburu at sylvia.mburu@unitedwayri.org.
United Way and Your CSR
Partnering with United Way of Rhode Island is an effective way to engage with the community, meet corporate social responsibility goals, and show the community that your company cares.
Impact
Engagement
Reputation
It’s time to broaden view of what nonprofits really are. Hope & Main shows how
I’ve spent the majority of my life immersed in the nonprofit sector, and one of the most common misconceptions is that they’re often placed beneath a "social services" umbrella. That narrow view couldn’t be further from the truth.
When nonprofits are seen only as organizations that address basic needs, it’s a limited perception that overlooks their far-reaching influence. They are the heartbeat of our communities, enhancing and influencing our daily lives in ways many do not even notice.
Nonprofits can be found everywhere – from youth sports leagues and museums to community gardens, arts foundations and public media. Your niece’s town soccer team? They’re part of a nonprofit. Enjoying a WaterFire lighting, hiking at a preserve or watching PBS on a quiet evening? Those experiences are made possible by nonprofits as well. They’re also economic engines, civic leaders and innovation hubs. Sometimes, they’re all of those things at once.
Volunteers Needed for “Day of Action” on June 7 to Help Prepare Donated Books for Distribution to Local Children
Providence, R.I. (May 27, 2025) – United Way of Rhode Island’s annual “Day of Action” is quickly approaching, and the organization is looking for additional volunteers to help prepare thousands of donated books for distribution to local children. The event is one of United Way’s largest volunteer-driven initiatives of the year to improve childhood literacy.
“Day of Action” will take place on Saturday, June 7, at United Way’s 50 Valley Street headquarters in Providence, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is a fun, family-friendly event and provides a great opportunity for individuals needing community service hours for school or professional development.
During “Day of Action,” volunteers will help with sorting, labeling, and packaging thousands of books collected during United Way’s recent Children’s Book Drive in partnership with Books Are Wings, whose mission is to put free books in the hands of kids. Thanks to the drive’s many partners, community drop-off locations, and collections organized by businesses, schools, and other groups, the effort has thus far collected more than 10,000 books.
Once the books are ready for their new homes, Books Are Wings will distribute them to children across Rhode Island through summer learning and afterschool programs.
Volunteers on “Day of Action” will receive United Way “UNITED IS THE WAY” t-shirts and refreshments, including a pizza lunch at 12:15 p.m. Families and children are welcome and encouraged to participate; those aged 16 and under must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.
If you would like to volunteer, or if you have questions, please contact Lori DiMatteo at Lori.DiMatteo@unitedwayri.org. Volunteers may also us this link to register.
Over the past decade, United Way’s Children’s Book Drive has provided more than 300,000 books to kids throughout the Ocean State.
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United Way of Rhode Island is uniting our community and resources to build racial equity and opportunities for all Rhode Islanders. As a member of the world’s largest nonprofit network, we bring together individuals, business, nonprofit, community leaders and government to tackle the root causes of inequity and achieve specific, measurable goals. Our programs include 211, the statewide front door connecting Rhode Islanders with social services, resources, and vital programs. Both directly and through grants to nonprofits, we are investing to build economic opportunity, advance childhood learning, expand philanthropy, and to drive policy and participation. To learn more, visit unitedwayri.org, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
United Way of Rhode Island Statement on the House Budget Cuts
United is the Way— and that means standing up for every Rhode Islander.
At United Way of Rhode Island, we believe budgets are moral documents — they reveal what we truly value. The budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 22 fails that test.
This federal budget proposal would devastate communities across our state. It includes sweeping cuts to programs that tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders rely on — putting healthcare, food assistance, housing, education, and veterans’ services at risk.
Slashing Medicaid funding and adding harsh work requirements would jeopardize care for more than 366,000 Rhode Islanders — including older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans who’ve earned better. Cuts to SNAP would force families to choose between food and rent. And new restrictions on services for homeless students and immigrant families betray our most basic commitments to dignity and fairness.
Every day, through 211, we hear the real stories behind the headlines — Rhode Islanders struggling to afford food, find housing, or access healthcare — and we’re here, answering the call, connecting them to the help they need.
By gutting funding for clean energy, stripping environmental protections, and attacking safety net services, this bill tears at the very foundation of strong communities.
Rhode Island should never be punished for choosing compassion — for expanding healthcare access, investing in sustainability, and protecting our neighbors. This isn’t just bad policy. It’s a betrayal of what we stand for.
Rhode Island deserves a budget that builds people up — not one that tears them down in the name of tax cuts.
It is critical that we advocate for the needs of our residents and take action that shows
United Is The Way. Because fairness and dignity, is critical to create a Rhode Island where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
📞 Call your U.S. Senators today and tell them you stand with them in standing up for the people of Rhode Island.
Senator Jack Reed: (401) 943-3100 https://www.reed.senate.gov/contact
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: (401) 453- 5294 https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/
Contact Jack | U.S. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island
The Official U.S. Senate website of Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island
Lawyers’ Committee for RI seeks Volunteer Attorneys to help Nonprofits Navigate the Evolving Regulatory and Funding Landscapes
Warwick, RI – [April 28, 2025] – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) has partnered with United Way of Rhode Island to establish a satellite 211 office on CCRI’s Warwick campus, expanding access to essential community resources for students. This collaboration underscores CCRI’s ongoing commitment to removing barriers to student success and ensuring students have the support they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
CCRI Partners with United Way to Open 211 Satellite Office on Warwick Campus
Warwick, RI – [April 28, 2025] – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) has partnered with United Way of Rhode Island to establish a satellite 211 office on CCRI’s Warwick campus, expanding access to essential community resources for students. This collaboration underscores CCRI’s ongoing commitment to removing barriers to student success and ensuring students have the support they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
United Way Accelerates $1.5 Million in Grant Payments to Support Rhode Island Nonprofits Amid Funding Uncertainty
Recognizing the urgency of the financial strain facing local nonprofits, United Way of Rhode Island is taking a major step to provide timely critical support to its funded partners. The organization has released more than $1.5 million in grant payments nearly three months ahead of schedule, delivering early disbursements to 41 nonprofits across the state.
UPCOMING EVENTS
RI Young Professionals Statewide Summer Social
Join us for Rhode Island's re-vamped Young Professional Statewide Summer Social.
Co-hosted by United Way of Rhode Island's Emerging Leaders program, Millennial Rhode Island, and Southern Rhode Island Young Professionals, this is the largest young professionals networking event of the year and your chance to connect with your peers across companies, industries, and sectors.
When and Where?
Whaler's Brewing Co.
1174 Kingstown Road
South Kingstown, RI 02879
Wednesday, July 9th, 5:30pm-7:30pm
https://uwriweb.org/comm/SinglePageRegEvent.jsp?EventKeyHex=3136323132
Day of Action 2025
Day of Action is a worldwide United Way event, offering volunteer opportunities focused on the work of local United Way organizations. In Rhode Island, the Day of Action will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 9 AM - 1 PM to sort, label, and prepare the books for distribution to children in summer learning and afterschool programs.
To register, please click here: https://uwriweb.org/comm/SinglePageRegEvent.jsp?EventKeyHex=3135383931