Workplace giving
engage employees, build a spirit of teamwork, and increase morale
More and more, employees and customers are attracted to companies that are committed to the community and create opportunities for them to connect with the causes they care about most.
Workplace giving programs are a great opportunity to engage employees, build a spirit of teamwork, and increase morale all while making an impact on the community.
Provide safe in-person and virtual giving opportunities that employees can feel good about.
Build culture and leadership
Build you company culture and opportunities for leadership development and teamwork.
Educate employees
Educate employees about the local challenges we face and how they can help solve them.
Support CSR goals
Support your Corporate Social Responsibility goals and show your commitment to the community.
Offer volunteer opportunities
Offer individual and team volunteer opportunities to further engage employees and see your impact in the community grow.
The value of giving
An annual workplace giving program is a great way to engage employees and connect them to your CSR program and values.
Giving to United Way makes a difference. Employees who give are making an investment that benefits the entire community, not just one program, issue, or population. This leads to a stronger, more sustainable place to live and work.
Support from your workplace giving program makes it possible to find innovative solutions to the root causes of our most pressing needs. United Way leverages these contributions by combining them with others and strategically investing in programs and initiatives to maximize the impact for the community. Spreading giving throughout the year via employee payroll deduction or mobile giving makes it easier to increase someone’s donations while still staying within their personal budget.
Giving + volunteering = homerun
You can multiply the impact of a workplace giving program by engaging employees in volunteering. In fact, companies see a 57% reduction in turnover among employees who engage in both volunteering and workplace giving. In addition, many professionals at our workplace giving partners choose to engage with United Way on their own time, joining a giving society or affinity group.
The value of volunteering
For many businesses, offering employees volunteer opportunities conveys the importance of social responsibility to staff and the public, as well as strengthens teams and build a culture of service. United Way of Rhode Island’s volunteer project consulting service curates on-site or off-site activities to:
- Improve teamwork
- Build camaraderie
- Benefit the community
Volunteer program concierge service
As your project consultants, United Way's volunteer coordinators work to determine your exact service goals, then create a personalized plan to match. We specialize in:
- Developing a sustainable, in-house volunteer framework
- Customizing onsite, offsite and virtual service projects -- both episodic and ongoing
- Connecting you with a growing network of businesses and nonprofits that are changing lives in the Ocean State
- Identifying skills-based volunteer opportunities for individuals and small teams
Start a workplace giving program. It's an easy way to build culture and community engagement.
United Way of Rhode Island will partner with you to develop a customized workplace giving program that aligns with your corporate values, as well as the interests of your employees. We will provide guidance and support to assist you in building your fundraising team and running an effective giving and volunteering program.
For more information, contact Sylvia Mburu at sylvia.mburu@unitedwayri.org.
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