What We Do

Together, we fight for the health, education, financial stability and basic needs of every person in south central Kansas.

United Way is leading the charge to create positive and permanent change. We do this by forging unlikely partnerships, forming new solutions to old problems and mobilizing the best ideas and resources. But we don’t do it alone. We inspire others to join the fight. We enable individuals, groups and companies to make a difference – individually and collectively – through their time, talents and treasure.

Together, we’re an unstoppable force for good.

OUR FOCUS

Our focus is on health, education, financial stability and basic needs — the building blocks for a good quality of life and a strong community. Click below to learn more about what we’re doing, the programs we invest in and our lasting impact in each area.

WHERE WE SERVE

United Way of the Plains serves south central Kansas, including Sedgwick, Butler, Cowley, Sumner, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, and Barber Counties, and parts of Reno and Harvey Counties.

United Way of the Plains serves south central Kansas, including Sedgwick, Butler, Cowley, Sumner, Harper, Barber, Pratt and Kingman Counties, and parts of Reno and Harvey Counties.

GUIDED BY RESEARCH

We start with research to understand what the greatest needs are in our community.

2021 Community Conditions Report

View the report here. Download the report here.

HOW WE HELP

We take five approaches to tackling our community’s toughest issues at their root causes:

PROGRAM INVESTMENTS

Every year, we invite local nonprofits to submit investment applications for programs that address the greatest needs in the community in the areas of health, education, financial stability and basic needs. Ever wonder how we distribute funds? Because United Way is built on community, we enlist the help of community volunteers through the investment review process. More than 100 volunteers review grant applications and make funding recommendations to the United Way Board of Directors.

Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate in the investment review process. Learn how you can make an impact as a volunteer.

Red "United Way Helps Here" hanging on a fence outside a funded partner's office.
Are you a nonprofit that would like to apply for a program grant?

Hands of various people stacked on top of each other to illustrate how we're working together to solve problems.

COLLECTIVE IMPACT

Some community problems are beyond the scope of any one organization or service sector. To tackle those issues, we’ve adopted a unique problem solving approach called collective impact. For example, Impact ICT Continuum of Care brings together partners from multiple sectors, including nonprofits; faith community; federal, state, and local governments; businesses; and persons with lived experience to tackle homelessness in our community. United Way serves as the backbone organization to support the work of the coalition. Learn more about how they are working to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring for all our neighbors in Sedgwick County. 

DIRECT SERVICES

In addition to funding programs and coordinating partnerships, we also provide direct services. 

Looking for help? Dial 211 to get connected to community resources.

Looking for help?
Get connected. Get answers.

A gift-in-kind program that accepts corporate donations and gives them to nonprofits, for free.

A gift-in-kind program that accepts corporate donations and gives them to nonprofits, for free.

Our Volunteer Center matches people with projects at local nonprofits.

Matching volunteers with opportunities at nonprofits to transform our community.

Whether it is a tornado, flood,, wildfire or pandemic, we help our community respond and recover.

Whether a natural disaster or a pandemic, we help our community respond and recover.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

In addition to funding local programs through the grant review process, we also partner with other organizations to support special programs, such as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and free income tax prep services.

Visit our focus areas of education, health, financial stability and basic needs to see how we are partnering with organizations to address pressing needs in each of these areas.

A tutor helps a middle school student with their homework.
A woman types on a laptop.

GRANT WRITING

We research, apply for and manage grants that can impact the needs of our community, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) grant for homeless services and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance grant that funds the free tax prep program. By leveraging grant dollars, we help donor dollars go further and have a larger impact.

$0
worth of grants were obtained in 2022.

RESULTS OF OUR WORK

Who do we help? Could be the guy in the cubicle next to you, the teenager who rang up your groceries at the store, or the elderly woman who walks her dog by your house every day. They are people like you and me, who live here and need our help.

In 2022, United Way of the Plains helped people…
0
times
Ensuring Your Gift Goes Further

Because of what we do – leverage resources, grants, donated goods and volunteers to tackle issues head on – your gift has a greater impact in the community when given through United Way.

A dollar bill to illustrate stewardship.
$1 Donation Becomes…
Stack of money to illustrate stewardship.
$2.51 Worth of Impact
A mentor with a group of high school girls.

GET INVOLVED

United, we help our neighbors thrive. United, we strengthen our community. United, we get results that last for generations.

Icon of hands donating money to support our community.
Give

Donate today and shape the future.

A megaphone to help spread the word about the work and results of United Way.
Advocate

Use your voice to power change.

Icon of a woman with a heart on her shirt to show how volunteering makes a difference in people's lives.
Volunteer

Find a project you can put your muscle into.

LEARN MORE

Explore this site, check our Frequently Asked Questions page or contact us today at (316) 267‑1321.

Want to join our team of #HandRaisers and #GameChangers? Check our current job openings.