Our UWT members are at the heart of everything we do as an organization, and we take pride working in partnership with a powerful network of Texas United Ways. United Way organizations are impacting communities statewide, producing lasting change and measurable results. As the statewide association serving local United Way organizations, United Ways of Texas is responsible for providing our members with high quality member services that support and enhance their work.
Organizational Capacity
UWT provides a variety of organizational capacity supports, including day-to-day technical assistance, customized staff and board trainings, professional development and learning opportunities, best practices related to nonprofit and United Way governance and operations, and back office finance and human resource support services.
Community Impact
As an additional strategy to help enhance United Way in the Texas community, UWT focuses on systems change through policy and advocacy. During the Legislative Session, we bring the United Way voice to the Texas Capitol through our public policy and advocacy efforts. Likewise, we actively work with our members during the interim to ensure their voices help inform lawmakers as well as the policy priorities of the next legislative session. UWT also develops and manages several state-level collaboratives which provide best practices and resources: Start Smart Texas (a learning community for early childhood collaboratives across the state), the Texas Nonprofit Initiative (focused on advancing the organizational capacity of and advocacy for the Texas nonprofit sector), and ALICE (a data project focused on raising awareness of the growing number of working Texans who struggle to make ends meet).
Over the Past 40 Years
UWT has been a thought-leader, strategist, facilitator, convener, connector, advocacy partner, and a voice—all in service of our network of Texas United Ways and their communities. We strive to provide them with the tools, resources, strategies, and other supports needed to drive their missions forward and make lasting change in their respective communities. UWT has worked to strengthen and support the efforts of local United Ways by listening, analyzing, developing, and communicating with Texas United Ways. Our talented staff with a wide range of expertise—public policy, philanthropy, resource development, business management, finance, and strategy—promote and bolster the impact of our members in their local communities.
In our efforts to strengthen and support our United Ways, we have:
- Increased the capacity of United Ways to focus on achieving results.
- Advocated at the state and federal level for policies that build up the nonprofit, education, health, financial stability sectors—the pillars of strong and thriving communities.
- Mobilized networks of United Ways and their partners to advocate for their communities and urge key decision-makers, including elected officials to advance policies that build stronger communities.
- Bolstered the coalition-building and convening efforts of local United Ways and their community partners
- Convened diverse stakeholders on behalf of the network to address complex challenges facing Texas communities and move improvements forward.
- Partnered with state agencies and other statewide stakeholders to scale promising programs and practices across diverse Texas communities.
Suite of Services
At UWT, we believe an effective organization takes strategy to drive results. For this reason, our services focus on securing opportunities on behalf of local United Ways as well as working to address the most critical issues to our members. We pride ourselves in supporting local United Ways so they can ultimately do what they do best: making a difference by uniting and leading in their community.
Services include:
- Day to Day Technical Assistance for UW Staff and Board
- Customized Facilitation
- Strategy Development
- Community Listening
- Visioning
- Storytelling
- Public Policy and Advocacy
- Resource Development and Campaign Best Practices
- Executive Search
- Partnership and Collaboration Development
- Issue Area Research
- Back Office Accounting, HR and other Customized Support
If you are a member interested in any of our services, please fill out the member request form and a UWT staff member will follow up with you.
Member Testimonials
"United Way of Texas has been instrumental to my success as a CEO for my local United Way. The complexity of the United Way system can be overwhelming and sometimes hinders getting to “the answer”. United Ways of Texas instantly sped up my ability to take action and eased my transition into my role. The role of a new CEO can feel isolated but having true partners along side me has made all the difference.
The UWT team is helpful in the success of local Texas United Ways. Their strong leadership, knowledge and expertise are critical to the success of the UW model in Texas."
— Stephanie Chandler
President/CEO of United Way of Grayson County
"Our partnership with United Ways of Texas has provided access to statewide thinking and statewide leadership. This has resulted in strategies and solutions that have positively impacted our community."
— Chris Martin
President & CEO of United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County
"Since we have been a member of United Ways of Texas our entire organization has experienced a sense of security that we are not alone in the challenges we all face; and we have the confidence to explore our realignment of mission knowing it fits with a much larger group. The United Ways of Texas staff facilitated a recent executive director search that drew over 100 applicants from across the country- the first very visible benefit of the partnership."
- Recently joined United Ways of Texas member
If you are interested in becoming a member of United Ways of Texas and being part of the Texas United system please contact Jamie Martinez, jamie.martinez@uwtexas.org or call our office at 512-651-1149. We would be happy to walk you through the process and support you however we can.