Our Impact
At United Way Forsyth & Dawson Counties, we help children and families get the support they need to learn, stay healthy, and make ends meet. Your donations support local programs, nonprofit grants, reading mentors, early learning activities, student mental health services, and so much more. We also provide training and coaching for nonprofits and bring community partners together to close gaps in services. Together, this work helps more children read on grade level, families find help with everyday needs, and local organizations better serve our neighbors
We focus our efforts on four key areas that build the foundation for lasting change:
Youth Opportunity
When children and teens have the support they need to succeed in school and in life, they grow into confident, capable adults. From early literacy initiatives like Read United to student mental health support, Youth United, and academic credit recovery, we're opening doors of opportunity for the next generation.
Healthy Community
Good health is the foundation for a good life. We work with partners to expand access to mental health services, promote wellness, and support programs that ensure families have the resources they need to thrive—physically, emotionally, and socially.
Financial Security
Too many hardworking families live paycheck to paycheck, unable to cover the basics. We invest in programs that help families find stability—through job training, financial coaching, access to childcare, housing, transportation, and food security. By supporting ALICE households, we're helping neighbors move from surviving to thriving.
Community Resiliency
Strong communities are prepared to respond, recover, and adapt to challenges—whether that's a natural disaster, an economic downturn, or a family in crisis. United Way builds resiliency by coordinating volunteers, supporting nonprofits, and ensuring emergency resources are available when they are needed most.
Our Work in Action
Across our four impact areas we strengthen our community in five ways:
Nonprofit Capacity Building & Advisory
Strong programs require strong organizations. We help local nonprofits strengthen their leadership, operations, and sustainability through training, coaching, technical assistance, and capacity building grants so they can better support children, improve health, and help families achieve stability.
Education & Youth Success
We help children and young people build a strong foundation for success through early learning, literacy, student support, and leadership opportunities. With the goal of every child reading on grade level by third grade, we strengthen the pathways to lifelong learning, well-being, and future financial security.
Community Collaboration & Connection
We bring nonprofits, schools, businesses, government, and residents together to understand community needs, coordinate resources, and develop shared solutions. These connections help families access support, close gaps in services, and strengthen our community’s ability to respond to challenges and recover from crises.
Advocacy
We use community data and residents’ experiences to raise awareness and help inform decisions that affect local families—from access to housing and health care to education and financial stability.
Grantmaking
We award grants that support local nonprofit programs and strengthen the organizations behind them, helping families meet basic needs, access care, and build a more stable future.
Your Dollars at Work
United Way of Forsyth County is committed to creating real, measurable change for our neighbors in need. The undesignated dollars raised during our annual campaign are distributed through our allocations and community grants processes, ensuring funds go where they are needed most.