From HardshipTo Hope

You’ve heard of us. Now understand what we do.

For more than 100 years, Metro United Way has been improving lives and our community, which includes Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, and Shelby counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties in Indiana. We are uniquely positioned to harness the power of donors, volunteers, thought leaders, experts, other nonprofits, and government at all levels to ensure positive, sustainable change for every person in our seven-county region. Now more than ever, we are focused on three priorities: thriving kids, strong households, and an equitable community. We invite you to join us and be a part of transforming Greater Louisville.

2025 Impact Report

See the incredible impact we made TOGETHER!

View Impact Report Here

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Watch Highlights of Metro United Way's 2025 Impact Report

OUR PRIORITIES

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From HARDSHIP
To HOPE

…for Every Child, Every Family, Every Neighborhood.
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This work is being done through NEW, innovative initiatives such as

  •

    FundBLACKFounders

    In response to the lack of capital and resources, FundBLACKFounders was founded and helps Black entrepreneurs raise capital by offering support and training to grow their businesses, providing access to crowdfunding platform and matching grants to what is raised.

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  • Clinical Entrepreneurship

    A pilot designed to help mental health professionals gain the skills needed to start their own practices. This program simultaneously creates new career pathways for mental health providers, offers employers a unique training benefit to improve retention of their clinicians, and builds mental health capacity across the region.

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  • United Neighborhoods

    Our neighborhood model prioritizes resident-driven priorities, strategies and solutions for investment, and understands that sustained neighborhood change requires listening to residents, authentic relationship-building, significant investment, and a long-term commitment.

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  • Safe & Stable: Housing for All

    The Safe & Stable: Housing for All campaign seeks to ensure that the FY26 Louisville Metro Budget prioritizes critical investments in homeless services, homelessness prevention, and the development of affordable housing units. Through a coordinated strategy by a group of housing organizations and supporters, we aim to secure key funding allocations that address the growing housing crisis and homelessness in Louisville.

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  • Young Men United

    Young Men United is designed to create barrier-free pathways for young Black men to reach their academic and career goals by bringing wrap-around supports to youth in our community to and through college graduation.

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  • Black L.O.V.E.

    Black L.O.V.E. (Live. Own. Vote. Excel.) Philanthropic Partnership utilizes strategic guidance and leadership of Black leaders and philanthropic partners. The partnership structure provides a collaborative opportunity to pool philanthropic resources and collective thought leadership.

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  • YALift!

    YALift! is a guaranteed income pilot program to empower young adults to forge their own path toward financial security.

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Along with existing programs and initiatives like

We serve Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, and Shelby counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties in Indiana.

Impact Map

Click and zoom in for details of where our work is located

Why this work is important to our community’s success

  • Louisville ranks 5th in the nation for concentrated poverty

  • Kentucky is the 7th poorest state in the country; Indiana has the 20th highest poverty rate

  • There is a 12-year life expectancy gap between East and West Louisville

  • Homelessness has increased by 41% from 2018 to 2021 in Louisville

  • 1 in 5 families in MUW’s 7-county region struggle to make ends meet

  • Kentucky ranks 40th in the country in child wellbeing; Indiana ranks 24th

  • 22% of Kentucky children and 16% of Indiana children live in poverty

  • In 2019, the poverty rate for African Americans in Louisville was around 26%, compared to approximately 10% for white residents

  • When compared to peer cities, Louisville’s nonprofit organizations receive less support from several key sources.

    Source: 2023 Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNPE) “State of Nonprofit Sector” report

  • High-income households give less and our local government is spending less to address challenges than local governments in other cities.

    Source: 2023 Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNPE) “State of Nonprofit Sector” report

  • If those who make more than $200,000/year raised their annual giving by simply 1% of their total income – that would put Louisville on par with our peer cities for individual giving – and bring in an additional $80 million a year.

    Source: 2023 Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNPE) “State of Nonprofit Sector” report

2025 Highlights

  • Read our full 2025 Impact Report

    View

  • 31,075 impact kits created and distributed to 78 agencies

  • 23,100 diapers collected and distributed

  • 175 beds built by 143 volunteers and given to students who did not have a bed to call their own

  • 819 CHILDREN SCREENED through our developmental screening hub that equips families with resources, provides referrals, and distributes books and activities (now available in four languages!)

  • 32,502 BOOKS distributed throughout our 40+ Little Free Libraries

  • 172 helped to reduce debt, and 386 FAMILIES helped with housing stabilization

  • Expanded United Neighborhoods efforts in the California and Parkland neighborhoods in west Louisville as well as the Claysburg neighborhood of Jeffersonville, Indiana, deepening resident-led revitalization focused on health, safety, and economic stability with $450K IN NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENTS

  • 9 NEW INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS and another 6 have been pre-approved for a mortgage loan

  • 14,053 calls and connections made through our 211 helpline

  • Awarded 40 SCHOLARSHIPS through Young Men United, supporting local high school students in pursuing higher education and leadership development.

  • Took 30 STUDENTS on college tours to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), providing firsthand exposure to institutions that nurture academic excellence and cultural pride.

  • Continued investment in 22 BLACK-LED ORGANIZATIONS through the Black L.O.V.E. (Live. Own. Vote. Excel.) Philanthropic Partnership, advancing a culture of philanthropy rooted in generosity, justice, and shared accountability. These organizations continue to strengthen capacity, expand community reach, and drive systems-level change.

  • Hosted three BEYOND BUZZWORDS speakers, sparking organization-wide conversations on equity, belonging, and the role of language and leadership in driving meaningful change.

 

View our Impact Tracker to learn more

 

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