United Way of Greater Victoria

About United Way of Greater Victoria:

Founded in 1937, United Way of Greater Victoria (UWGV) grants funds to local charities to improve lives and build a stronger community in the Greater Victoria area. UWGV’s three main granting programs are Healthy People Strong Communities, All That Kids Can Be, and From Poverty to Possibility. In F2018, UWGV granted $4m to 68 organizations, of which $1.4m were donor-designated. The programs funded by the charity affected the lives of 72,000 individuals in Victoria. 

In F2018, UWGV reported that one in four people living on Vancouver Island have mental health challenges which affect their lifestyle and can lead to social isolation. It funded 34 Healthy People Strong Communities programs, which worked to strengthen communities by increasing people’s sense of belonging. This accounted for 42% of granting activities in F2018.

According to UWGV, 16% of children in Victoria are living in poverty and one in four children are considered developmentally vulnerable when they enter school. In F2018, the organization funded 32 All That Kids Can Be programs, designed to provide youth with mentoring and learning resources necessary to succeed in school. This accounted for 32% of granting activities in F2018.

The organization has found that, with a current minimum wage of $12.65, 46% of residents spend at least 30% of their income on rent. In F2018, it funded 21 From Poverty to Possibility programs, designed to help people living in poverty become more independent and self-sufficient. This accounted for 26% of granting activities in F2018.

Results and Impact:

Ci has chosen to highlight the following results from United Way of Greater Victoria’s programs in F2018.

In F2018, UWGV’s programs motivated 5200 individuals and families to get involved in their communities. The organization’s All That Kids Can Be programs resulted in support for 300 youth and their families, allowing them to have a successful school year. Lastly, The Poverty to Possibility programs allowed 11,000 individuals to find meaningful jobs and better manage their expenses to support their families.

Financial Review:

United Way of Greater Victoria is a large charity which received donations of $5.2m in F2018. Administrative costs are 5% of revenues and fundraising costs are 26% of donations. For every dollar donated, 69 cents go to its programs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead expenditures. UWGV has funding reserves of $9.2m, of which $1.6m are donor-endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity can cover its granting activities for just over two years.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to United Way of Greater Victoria. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 10, 2019 by Stefan Tetzlaff.