About United Way
United Way Regina has a rich history of bringing local experts, corporate and community partners together to solve complex social issues. No single individual or agency can solve deeply rooted community problems alone. These problems are complex and interconnected. For example, unaffordable housing is linked to food insecurity and inadequate childhood nutrition. Research shows that food insecurity impedes children from reaching their full physical, cognitive and psychosocial potential.
United Way is helping to meet the needs of our community’s most vulnerable. Together, with a strong network of allies, we give children and youth the support they need to get a great start in life, do well in school and reach their full potential. Yet, in the 2021-2022 school year, 42.7% of all Saskatchewan children at Kindergarten entry arrived with some or significant difficulty completing developmental tasks. Success in life begins with a quality education. Yet, thousands of children and youth across the province lack the support they need. We’re working to change the odds by investing in tomorrow’s future leaders today. When we invest early, we ensure more children get a strong start in life, teenagers have tools to learn and grow, and young adults thrive in the job market.
Education is the best way out of poverty in part because it is strongly linked to economic growth. United Way Regina’s core work focuses on the removing barriers and addressing disparity gaps in education. As we continue to recover from COVID-19 and its effects on our community, we are committed to creating more equitable systems, providing more children and youth access to education and opportunities to succeed.
Our community is faced with some very complex challenges. To solve them, it will take extensive cross-sector partnerships and initiatives working better together for greater impact and long-term results. United Way Regina can make a bigger difference when we lead the charge to address issues.
Every day, United Way volunteers, donors and advocates make a difference in their own backyards. We seek collaborative partners with aligned vision and mission as well as shared values and goals. The ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t work. United Way Regina works with companies, government, school divisions, nonprofits and others to address complex challenges. Our partners contribute more than money. Their ideas, volunteer power, in-kind support and more help us to build stronger, more resilient communities. Sometimes, United Way Regina can make a bigger difference by taking the role as leader, facilitator, convenor or funder.
No matter what hat we wear, we look at the big picture in order to deliver a coordinated response when addressing the needs of children and youth. We strive to move beyond managing symptoms by creating lasting pathways out of poverty for good.
While some supporters want their donation directed to their favorite agency or cause, most often donors trust United Way Regina to strategically invest to further our bold goal to realize better outcomes for children and youth facing barriers. Whether we lead the initiative or partner to support local champions, United Way plays an important role as a community change agent to engage, inspire, influence and get involved to make a difference. We no longer simply make grants. Instead, we roll up our sleeves and lead key programs and initiatives in order to promote understanding, raise awareness, engage community, build momentum and show measurable progress in support children and youth facing barriers to thrive.
- 211 Saskatchewan – a free, confidential 24/7 service connecting Saskatchewan to services
- Brain Architecture Game – fun, interactive facilitated learning session focused on early childhood
- Literacy Programs – Family Literacy, Summer Success, Attendance Matters, Book Vending Machines
- Communities Building Youth Futures – youth empowerment and engagement program
- Poverty Simulations – interactive group experience illuminating the realities of poverty
- Workplace Campaigns – team-centered FUNdraising that helping your workplace give back to your community through donations or volunteering
All donations to United Way Regina stay local, where they are invested in agencies, initiatives, and programs in Regina and the surrounding area — including Moose Jaw, Swift Current and Weyburn.
No. Canada has over 69 United Ways that are autonomous and operated by a voluntary Board of Directors within the communities they serve. While we are part of a worldwide movement that allows us to maximize efficiencies and cost advantages, each United Way works locally to raise funds and invests in its own, local community.
Supporting United Way
United Way Regina complies with the Association of Fundraising Professional’s Donor Bill of Rights and is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information. The information you provide is used to assist in the administration and acknowledgement of your gift, to issue tax receipts, and to fulfill your information questions. We do not release donor names unless requested by the donor. Learn more in our privacy policy.
Never. No one should feel pressured to give, and everyone should be able to make their own, informed choice.
If you provided your email, you should have received your tax receipt automatically. If you can’t find it, or have any questions about your tax receipt, please contact our donor services team by calling 306-751-4750 or email info@unitedwayregina.ca
United Way holds itself accountable to its donors, and invests donated resources as wisely, efficiently, and effectively as possible, generating a high return on community investment. We rigorously monitor and report on the impact of our investments so donors can be confident their investment is making a positive difference. In addition, United Way routinely earns top rankings from a variety of organizations that benchmark against other Canadian non-profits of similar scope and size.
FUNDING AND INVESTMENT DECISIONS
United Way Regina over the past many years has worked with amazing partner agencies who continue to do incredible work in the community. Over the last several years however, like many charitable organizations in Canada, United Way Regina has felt the influences of a turbulent economy, the digital revolution, and changing philanthropic trends.
With the current disruption in the social sector and the continuing impact of COVID-19, United Way has had to closely reconsider budgets and community investments, and shift its direction towards a more holistic approach to deepening overall community impact.
With the current yearly funded partner agreements ending in June 2023, United Way is revisiting our Community Investment Strategy and with community consultations, we will develop a new allocation process that is open, transparent and inclusive.
As part of United Way’s stewardship of donor dollars, there is a rigorous process in place to ensure the best investment of resources. Experienced staff and volunteers make investment decisions based on community needs, research, and funding criteria.
United Way invests to minimize duplication among programs and looks for measurable results, quality performance, and innovative approaches to solving social issues. All United Way investments are guided by our Board-approved Community Impact Strategy and annual reviews are conducted. For co-funded programs and initiatives, we work with governments and other funders to ensure funding is complementary and not duplicating existing efforts.
For signature initiatives, such as Campaign for Grade Level Reading, investment decisions are guided by conditions needed for collective impact to achieve large-scale social change: a common agenda, shared measurement systems, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support organizations.
Yes. Some programs are specifically funded as pilot initiatives or funding is provided to agencies / programs on a pre-determined duration.
Currently, agency grant commitments are for one-year duration only. Agency grants are resourced through the annual workplace campaign. These funds are subject to change. When annual campaign fundraising goals are not met, the grant review process uses specific criteria and a team of volunteer assessors to help make difficult recommendations for increased, reduced or discontinued funding for specific agencies or their programs.
In 2024, United Way Regina will transition to an open call for proposals to further evolve our process to be more equitable and aligned to our strategic priorities.
Other reasons for discontinuing funding may include an agency’s governance, accountability, outcome measurement shortfall, or simply no longer requiring United Way funding due to other funding sources, such as government grants. Before ending funding, United Way always engages in discussion with the agency to explore options that may help remedy performance or accountability issues, implement efficiency building strategies, or engage United Way volunteers to assist with governance, financial management, or program delivery.
ADMINISTRATION COSTs
United Way Regina estimates fundraising costs will be between 10 and 20 per cent. This is well below the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)’s acceptable level of 35 per cent. Administrative costs, in part, also fund initiatives that drive systems change and capacity building of the social sector—work that brings great value to our community. United Way files an annual T3010 with Canada Revenue Agency and our financials are audited annually by an independent auditor. To see United Way’s detailed financial statements, visit unitedwayregina.ca/reports
All salaries at United Way, including senior management, are benchmarked against other Canadian non-profit organizations of similar size and scope. United Way Regina is in compliance with the required T3010 regulatory reporting to CRA for its executive compensation; the latest T3010 data can be viewed on the CRA’s website.
Donor choice or “Donor Designation” is an added service United Way offers to its donors that allows them to direct their gift to any registered charity in Canada. United Way’s core business is about making a measurable difference by focusing on our community priorities. The time and resources devoted to processing donor choice designations are costly and take us away from dedicating time to support our core business. The processing fee offsets the administration cost and ensures United Way can continue to meet the needs in our community.