Because of COVID-19, the needs of the most vulnerable people in our community are increasing. United Way of King County has set up the Community Relief Fund to address these needs. Please support this effort to help those most impacted by COVID-19.
A Word from Our Leadership
Jan. 20, 2021: A Historic Day
January 20, 2021 was a celebration of unity, as we welcome President Joe Biden, Jr., who was sworn in to the highest office in the land with a call for hope and away from the divisions that have torn us apart.
Many of us watched as President Biden delivered an inspiring vision of a brighter path to heal our wounds and turn the page to a new chapter.
This January 20, we celebrate a historic day in America: the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected Vice President of the United States of America: Madam Vice President Kamala Harris!
We congratulate Vice President Harris, a daughter of immigrants who has broken one of the many proverbial glass ceilings in our nation and who embodies the benefit of our country’s incredible diversity.
We have much work to do as a nation. The racial, health and economic crises that have caused so much suffering will not disappear. These challenges are not insurmountable but will require us to unite to find solutions.
At United Way, we will continue to fight for social justice and against systemic and structural racism, which has caused so much pain for too long.
Stay safe, stay well and remain hopeful for a bright future.
Gordon McHenry, Jr.
President & CEO, United Way of King County
Carol K. Nelson
Board Chair, United Way of King County
View statements from our leadership here.
Our Mission
We bring caring people together to give, volunteer and take action to help people in need and solve our community’s toughest challenges.
95% of every dollar donated goes to meet community needs
Racial Equity Matters
Because of institutional and systemic racism, people of color disproportionately experience inequities in our community.
This looks like overrepresentation in homelessness populations—the number of people of color experiencing homelessness is higher than it should be given the general population. This looks like students of color being disciplined more, graded lower and having fewer role models in the classroom than their white peers. This looks like more families of color experiencing poverty than white families.
Race-based inequities are driven by past and present racism and it is imperative that we recognize, acknowledge and address racism in order to make progress towards a community with equal opportunity for all—where people have homes, students graduate and families are financially stable.
At United Way, we’re addressing racial inequities head on. We know that with our funding and policy-making influence—and donor support—we can change racial inequities in King County. Read about our racial equity work here.