United Way Waterloo Region Communities is a 3-star charity. It is financially transparent and has a B+ Results Reporting grade, which is above average. Its overhead spending is 49%, which is not within Ci’s reasonable range. Its reserve funds can cover program costs for one year and eight months, which is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 1981, United Way Waterloo Region Communities (UWWRC) grants funds to local charities, businesses, and organizations that address complex social issues in the Waterloo Region, such as poverty and inequality. The charity reports that one in eight households in the Waterloo region struggle to afford to put food on the table. It also reports that 2,371 people in the Waterloo Region were experiencing chronic homelessness in 2024, which is more than double the number in 2021.

UWWRC spent $2.8m on its programs and grants in the fiscal year ending March 2025 (F2025) as well as $171k in donor-designated grants. UWWRC grants to eight program areas: Community and Social Supports; Affordable Housing and Homelessness; Children and Youth; Mental Health and Addictions; Food Insecurity; Hate, Gender-Based and Family Violence; Leadership, Volunteerism and Capacity Building; and Literacy, Employment Skills and Assistive Devices.

In F2025, UWWRC invested into 79 local non-profit programs and initiatives, which supported 299,807 families and individuals across all its spending areas. 

Community and Social Supports got 27% ($764k) of program and grant spending in F2025. UWWRC grants to services and activities that unite people through shared goals or interests. These include cultural festivals, community gatherings, social enterprise projects and more. In F2025, its funding served 87,316 people. It also helped fund 7,794 client appointments for the Compass Refugee Centre. 

Affordable Housing and Homelessness got 16% ($454k) of program and grant spending in F2025. UWWRC grants to organizations that provide emergency shelters, eviction prevention, and long-term housing solutions for individuals facing homelessness. In April 2025, it gave 11 grants. In F2025, its funding served 10,094 people.

Children and Youth got 16% ($453k) of program and grant spending in F2025. UWWRC grants to organizations that provide opportunities for youth to progress their social, emotional and physical development. These opportunities include mentorship, counselling and recreational programs. In July 2025, it gave 15 grants. In F2025, it also helped fund 6,227 emergency shelter bed stays for One Roof Youth Services. In F2025, its funding served 12,568 people.

Mental Health and Addictions got 14% ($378k) of program and grant spending in F2025. UWWRC grants to organizations that provide personalized mental health support and public education about mental health. In F2025, its funding served 18,418 people. In F2025, it helped fund 124 counselling sessions for Shalom Counselling Services, providing $40.32 per session.

Food Insecurity got 12% ($323k) of program and grant spending in F2025. UWWRC grants to organizations that improve access to nutritious food and progress individuals’ cooking skills. In F2025, its funding served 92,710 people. In F2025, it helped fund more than 100,000 meals for A Better Tent City. 

Hate, Gender-Based and Family Violence got 8% ($230k) of program and grant spending in F2025. UWWRC grants to organizations that provide support for victims of abuse and services to address discrimination. In F2025, its funding served 1,498 people. In F2025, it helped fund 181 moves out of dangerous homes for survivors of hate, gender-based and family violence at Shelter Movers Southwestern. 

Leadership, Volunteerism and Capacity Building got 4% ($117k) of program and grant spending in F2025. UWWRC grants to organizations that support leadership skill development and volunteering opportunities. In F2025, its funding served 75,408 people. In F2025, it helped fund the match of 6,000 volunteers with meaningful opportunities to support the non-profit sector at Volunteer Waterloo Region. 

Literacy, Employment Skills and Assistive Devices got 3% ($76k) of program and grant spending in F2025. UWWRC grants to organizations that help individuals develop core skills, such as numeracy, digital literacy and overall academic confidence. In F2025, its funding served 1,795 people. In F2025, it funded three organizations. 

United Way Waterloo Region Communities’ financial statements follow activity-based costing, a financial reporting best practice. This means the charity provides a breakdown of program, administrative, and fundraising costs.

UWWRC received $4.5m in donations in F2025, which is 88% of total revenue. UWWRC spent $2.8m on its programs and grants in F2025, which is 55% of revenue (excluding donor-designated grants). In F2025, it recorded a deficit of $148k.

UWWRC spent $1.6m on fundraising costs, which is 36% of donations. It spent $631k on administrative costs, which is 13% of revenue. UWWRC has total overhead spending of 49%. For every dollar donated to UWWRC, 51 cents are available to go to the cause. This is not within Ci’s reasonable range of 65-95.

UWWRC has $4.7m in reserve funds (cash and investments). Its reserve funds can cover 169% or one year and eight months of its annual program and grant costs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

United Way Waterloo Region Communities follows United Way Canada's cost allocation guidelines of 2019. United Way Waterloo allocates its overhead costs to fundraising and program costs. Charity Intelligence shows administrative costs backed out of program costs. Charity Intelligence shows fully costed fundraising expenses (direct fundraising costs and allocations of overhead). From discussions from UWWRC's management, clarity in disclosure will help us review correct cost allocations moving forward.

This report is an update that has been sent to United Way Waterloo Region Communities for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 28^th, 2025, by Leah DeFrancesco.