Community Partnerships
Uniting Partners Countywide
At United Way of San Diego County, we're dedicated to addressing systemic inequalities by implementing economic and education initiatives. Our approach hinges on community collaboration, recognizing that our collective strength is amplified when we work together towards a shared goal, a tradition we've upheld for over a century.
We unite a wide range of stakeholders across the county, including school districts, nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, and philanthropists. By joining forces around a common mission, we cultivate innovative collaborations that leverage resources and proven practices to create lasting, positive change in the lives of San Diegans across our region.
53,180
lives impacted throughout San Diego County through strength of partnerships.
108
community partners uniting to close gaps in education and economic mobility.
$819,715
subgranted to partner organizations in 2023-2024.
Why Partner With UWSD?
Community Impact Areas of Expertise:
We use data, continuous learning, facilitation, and evidence-based best practices to uncover the best ways to support San Diegans.
Convening and Facilitation:
As a community fixture for over a century, UWSD is uniquely positioned as a neutral convener across sectors. We unite partners and agencies together and provide active, strategic facilitation to uncover opportunities, establish shared priorities, and move to action.
Research and Evaluation:
UWSD ensures we are capturing data to measure our impact at multiple levels: client-level, partner-level, process-level, and systems-level. We also prioritize tracking data so we can continuously improve to be more effective throughout our initiatives.
Evidence-based Practices and Process Management:
Our continuous improvement framework and results-based facilitation enable us to identify, operationalize, and elevate evidence-based best practices that can be spread and scaled. Through our continuous improvement process, we can assess the viability of strategies and ensure that projects are implemented fully and accurately.
Funding & Resources:
We work with partners, philanthropy, foundations, corporations, and other grantors to identify the best ways to use funds and resources to build sustainable, long-term support for initiatives.
“Our organization has partnered with United Way of San Diego County for 2 Years on the STEAM-to-Careers after-school program at Lincoln High School. The partnership has significantly enhanced our organization’s ability to address community needs in the area of arts. As well as providing valuable resources and networking opportunities. Partnering with United Way has provided our organization with financial assistance, networking events, and has helped us implement more effective programs.”
- Kanika Swafford is a Case Manager/Care Advocate at Paving Great Futures (Core 6)
“We have been partnering with United Way of San Diego County for almost 3 years. We participated in their Level Up programming at the YMCA and STEAM to Careers at Lincoln and Escondido High Schools. The Fleet Science Center’s mission is to “realize a San Diego where everyone is connected to the power of science,” so by reaching the students in our communities of interest and engaging them in STEM activities and careers, we have been able to expand our reach to an audience that we don’t often reach through our regular programming. This partnership has been so wonderful in terms of a group of organizations dedicated to providing our communities with opportunities for growth and advancement. I hope that this partnership will continue to grow and strengthen as we collaborate on projects in the future.”
- Julie Medina, Education Manager of School Programs at Fleet Science Center
“Escondido Education COMPACT and United Way of San Diego County have been looking for ways to partner since 2021 to help families cross the digital divide in the middle of remote learning through United Way’s Digital Divide Grant. We helped circulate Visa gift cards to hard-working families in the county who had suffered a reduction of hours or lay-offs due to the pandemic. Most recently, as we try to rebuild robust in-person programming for our youth, we have partnered to facilitate a class exploring healthcare careers for United Way of San Diego County’s STEAM-to-Careers initiative. We look forward to continuing that partnership in the future!”
- Mirjana Rodriguez, Program Director, Workforce Development and Health & Safety Programs of COMPACT
“By partnering with United Way, we’ve been able to offer essential tax assistance to families and promote the Child Tax Credit, ensuring they receive the support they deserve. This partnership has allowed us to provide the concrete supports that families need to achieve financial stability and access vital resources, ultimately enhancing the well-being of our entire community.”
- Christie Yorty, Regional Senior Project Director, YMCA Childcare Resource Service
“By collaborating closely with United Way of San Diego County for over two decades, we’ve amplified our impact, reaching deeper into our communities and providing vital support to San Diegans in need. Together, we’ve not only addressed immediate financial challenges but also fostered lasting change, building a stronger, more resilient future for all.”
- Teresa Smith, CEO of Dreams for Change
Thank You to Our Partners
Partner With Us!
Fill out the form below to learn more about partnering with UWSD on community initiatives.