$3.3M in expenses

Program investments: united way scmi (uwscmi) and its dedicated staff advance the common good by optimizing opportunities for systems change and improvement that address disparities. Areas of focus for investment include, but aren't limited to, financial stability, education, health, and basic needs. Community investments in last fiscal year: battle creek/kalamazoo -- $2,780,430 invested in 60 programs through 59 agency partners. Capital area -- $245,000 invested in 18 programs through 18 agency partners and 3 collaboratives. Jackson county -- $300,000 invested in 19 programs at 17 agencies.

$5.3M in expenses

Community impact & initiatives: uwscmi drives systems change and improvement through diverse community partnerships, assessment, advocacy, volunteerism, and collaboration to understand and address community needs collectively and strategically via program partnerships, uwscmi-driven initiatives and measurable outcomes. Examples of impact & initiatives in last fiscal year:program assistance center -- a michigan energy assistance program providing households with direct energy assistance to pay heat and electric bills. Participants complete a needs assessment so they are connected with non-energy assistance services they need. 5,491 households received energy security/self-sufficiency programming or referrals. 3,990 households were served using state funding and funding from consumers energy.volunteer income tax assistance (vita) -- voluntary income tax assistance (vita) is one of uwscmi's core programs, providing free tax preparation services for households earning below $69,000. The vita program operates in five counties in michigan: clinton, eaton, ingham, kalamazoo, and shiawassee. In the 2025 tax season, uwscmi's vita program served 5,400 households, who collectively received more than $7.4 million in federal, state, and home heating credit refunds including over $1.5 million in earned income tax credits (eitc). Additionally, through the free service participants collectively saved more than $1.6 million in costly tax preparation fees. Kalamazoo county continuum of care -- increased coordination and find solutions to the gaps, inequities, and challenges to reducing homelessness. In 2025, the coc administered federal funding and state funding to prevent and address homelessness; provided mini-grants to local non-profits serving the unhoused; and redesigned the rentable program to better support alice households in securing or retaining their housing.jobstar -- a resource for employers to help their employees overcome obstacles that may impede their ability to work. 2025 highlight: referrals provided: 1,652 referrals providing 877 employees across more than 20 business. Two highlights included implementing the first year of jobstar's multi-year workplan and wrapping up the federal earmark that allowed 10 nonprofits to participate in a year of programming. Capital area college access network (capcan) -- a community collaborative focused on increasing post-secondary attainment as an achievable reality for all residents by fostering high educational aspirations through the alignment of our institutions and resources. 2025 highlight: capcan staff launched the college ambassador program in which they trained 20 rising seniors to engage with their peers at school regarding the college process and help build a college going culture. Students served: 1,900.

$2.2M in expenses

Donor designations: uwscmi allows donors to designate gifts to other united ways or other qualifying agencies, further expanding community impact.

$8.4M in expenses

Uwscmi also creates 'value-add' within the regional community through its unique position to convene, connect and engage community organizations, institutions and people to create collaborative opportunities to address needs, leverage funding from sources other than annual campaign, and lead collective/shared efforts around education, advocacy and impact.examples in the past fiscal year include:merger in 2022 -- united ways in battle creek/kalamazoo, capital area (lansing and surrounding counties) and jackson county merged to create united way of south central michigan. The merger taps new sources of funding, creates new partnerships, advocates for racial and economic equity more effectively, and takes a bigger role in leading the impact that the individual united ways could not do by themselves. Key accomplishments during 2022 included nearly $26 million in local and regional impact, leading two 21-day equity challenges, building new and diverse partnerships, and earning awards for impact and communication.disaster relief fund -- a regional, evergreen response fund to serve as a vehicle for private and public investment for basic needs in the event of a crisis. This fund was created to address the covid-19 pandemic and remains in place for future crisis situations.small business supports -- a partnership with the city of kalamazoo to provide grants to microbusinesses within the city. Primary focus is on women-owned and/or microbusinesses under black, indigenous or people of color ownership, and emphasis on underrrepresented neighborhoods.