Butler County United Way logo

Butler County United Way

Public charity · Grantmaker Hamilton, OH EIN: 31-0734490 Website

Butler County United Way is a public charity based in Hamilton, Ohio. It connects and mobilizes resources to address human-service needs and improve lives, using fundraising, grantmaking, and collaboration with community partners.

Butler County United Way at a glance

In short: Butler County United Way gave $700K across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in Ohio. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2025)
$700,260
-3.4% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
32
-11.1% vs 2024
Average grant
$21,883
+8.7% vs 2024
Median grant
$16,926
Total assets
$3,607,374
+5.9% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
9% first-time grantees (3 of 32, 2025)
Primary geography
Ohio (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Butler County United Way

How to Apply

The organization uses a Request for Proposal process. The process begins in April, submissions are due in mid-June, and funding decisions are made in mid-August. Awarded programs have a funding cycle from October through September of the following year. The application page lists instructions, a new-program funding application, a logic model, a budget, compliance materials, and a submission checklist. Funding is program-focused. The organization also describes additional funding opportunities for programs provided in Middletown, Trenton, Monroe, and Madison Township.

Review Cycle
Mid-June.
Deadline
Mid-June.
Contact

Mailing address: 323 North Third Street, Hamilton, OH 45011
Phone: (513) 863-0800
Website: https://bc-unitedway.org

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Butler County United Way funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Shared Harvest: $55KShared Harvest$55KCatholic Charities of SW Ohio: $53KCatholic Charities of SW Ohio$53KButler County Education Service Center: $46KButler County EducationService Center$46KCommunity Building Institute Middletown Inc: $39KCommunity Building InstituteMiddletown Inc$39KButler County CASA: $37KButler County CASA$37KServe City: $36KServe City$36KEnvision Partnerships: $35KEnvision Partnerships$35KYWCA: $34KYWCA$34KBig Brothers Big Sisters: $32KBig Brothers Big Sisters$32KWomen Helping Women: $31KWomen Helping Women$31K

The largest 2025 recipient was Shared Harvest ($55K). Together the top 10 received $398K.

Grant Size Distribution

160 grants across all recorded years

152<$50K7$50–100K1$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 152 grants of 160 (95%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The organization offers funding to eligible nonprofits and government units located in or serving the Butler County area. Its website also identifies additional funding opportunities for programs provided in Middletown, Trenton, Monroe, and Madison Township. Its 2025 filing reports that all grant dollars went to Ohio recipients.

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.

Cities

HamiltonCincinnatiOxfordFairfieldMiddletownLiberty TownshipWest Chester TownshipWest ChesterLebanonApexHartfordNew York

Is Butler County United Way open to new grantees?

9%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 3 of 32 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $23K. How we count

Medians: $9K first-time, $19K repeat.

  • 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$500K$1M$1.5M29 grants2019 37 grants2020 33 grants2021 28 grants2022 31 grants2023 36 grants2024 32 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $638K (2022) to $1.1M (2020). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $700K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Shared Harvest Fairfield, OHHunger Relief Progra$55,488
Catholic Charities of SW Ohio Hamilton, OHMental Health$52,555
Butler County Education Service Center Hamilton, OHEvery Child Succeeds$46,403
Community Building Institute Middletown Inc Middletown, OHCradle to Career$39,200
Butler County CASA Hamilton, OHVoice for Abused$36,638
Serve City Hamilton, OHMove Forward Housing$36,072
Envision Partnerships Hamilton, OHProject Success$35,336
YWCA Hamilton, OHDove House Shelter$34,196
Big Brothers Big Sisters Hamilton, OHOne-to-One Mentoring$31,669
Women Helping Women Cincinnati, OHCrisis Services$30,600
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

The organization was formed in 1920.

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2025$3,607,374$1,466,178$1,526,935$700,26032—
2024$3,407,463$1,668,042$1,507,574$724,70636$61,012
2023$2,702,374$1,669,215$1,627,456$662,89931$17,485
2022$2,626,901$2,530,162$1,607,001$637,68428$18,327
2021$1,723,973$1,655,419$1,537,889$784,04933$10,652
2020$1,713,325$2,135,302$2,001,159$1,142,93437$11,988
2019$1,641,887$1,940,389$1,835,169$758,24429$57,401

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The organization’s stated mission is to connect resources to important community needs, using community input to prioritize issues and determine solutions. Its website identifies four impact areas: Youth Opportunity, Healthy Community, Financial Security, and Community Resiliency. It also names early childhood education and households near the federal poverty level (the ALICE population) as strategic priorities.

Funding is program-focused rather than agency-wide and is intended to support measurable impact. The organization offers local 501(c)(3) nonprofits and government units located in or serving the Butler County area the opportunity to apply.

Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantee work. Community Building Institute describes its mission as engaging residents, organizations, and institutions to mobilize resources and improve communities. Serve City says it meets the needs of poor, low-income, homeless, and other needy people in Butler County. Women Helping Women describes its mission as preventing gender-based violence and empowering survivors. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not Butler County United Way’s.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, Butler County United Way reported 32 grants totaling $700,260. Grant amounts ranged from $6,200 to $55,488, with a median of $16,926. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio.

Among the largest 2025 awards were $55,488 to Shared Harvest for a hunger-relief program; $52,555 to Catholic Charities of Southwest Ohio for mental health; $46,403 to Butler County Education Service for Every Child Succeeds; $39,200 to Community Building Institute for Cradle to Career; and $36,638 to Butler County CASA for Voice for Abused. Other notable awards included $36,072 to Serve City for Move Forward Housing, $34,196 to YWCA for Dove House Shelter, and $31,669 to Big Brothers Big Sisters for One-to-One Mentoring.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Pamela Cottle as President/CE; Kevin McKinney as Treasurer; Mariann Penska as Secretary; Andrew Schnell as Chairperson; Marcia Andrew as Vice Chairpe; and Larry Mulligan as Past Chair. It also lists Michael Jordan, Susan Bremer, Brian Chamberlain, and Michael Holbrook as members.

Butler County United Way is led by Pamela Cottle, President since 2024 (on filings since 2023); 1 of 15 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Pamela Cottle

    President

    Interim President & CEO → President, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    40 hrs/week

    $80K (2024) → $93K (2025)

  • Andrew Schnell

    Chairperson

    Member → Vice Chairperson, 2023

    Vice Chairperson → Chairperson, 2025

    On filings since 2022

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kevin McKinney

    Treasurer

    Member → Treasurer, 2021

    On filings since 2019

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Larry Mulligan

    Past Chair

    Vice Chairperson → Chairperson, 2023

    Chairperson → Past Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Susan Bremer

    Member

    On filings since 2019

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kim McKinney

    Member

    On filings since 2020

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Quinton Moss

    Member

    On filings since 2021

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marcia Andrew

    Vice Chairperson

    Member → Vice Chairperson, 2025

    On filings since 2023

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Holbrook

    Member

    On filings since 2023

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sharon Klein

    Member

    On filings since 2023

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Wally Zancan

    Member

    On filings since 2023

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mariann Penska

    Secretary

    Member → Secretary, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Brian Chamberlain

    Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jennifer Jackson

    Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Jordan

    Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    0.8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (22)
  • Former: Jeff Eberlein (2019–2024) — Member
  • Former: Nabila Ahmad (2019–2024) — Secretary
  • Former: Peter Abner (2019–2024) — Member
  • Former: Molli Stephens (2024) — Member
  • Former: Ron Rohlfing (2020–2023) — Member
  • Former: Krystal Tipton (2021–2023) — President & CEO
  • Former: Jamie Agular (2023) — Member
  • Former: Catherine Evans (2019–2022) — Member
  • Former: Walter Zancan Jr. (2019–2022) — Member
  • Former: John Whelpton (2020–2022) — Member
  • Former: Rick Pate (2020–2022) — Member
  • Former: Lauren Nelson (2021–2022) — Member
  • Former: Jamie Jordan (2022) — Member
  • Former: Amy Macechko (2019–2021) — Member
  • Former: Lee Geiger (2019–2021) — Member
  • Former: Margaret Baker (2019–2021) — President & CEO
  • Former: Shawn Hamilton (2019–2021) — Member
  • Former: Carol Hauser (2019) — Member
  • Former: Heather Wells (2019) — Member
  • Former: John Clemmons (2019) — Member
  • Former: Michael Bain (2019) — Treasurer
  • Former: Mike Holbrook (2019) — Member

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Pamela Cottle — President/Ce: $93KPamela CottlePresident/Ce$93K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $93K, to Pamela Cottle (President/Ce).

Frequently asked questions about Butler County United Way

How much does Butler County United Way give each year?

Butler County United Way gave $700K across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $725K across 36 grants.

What is Butler County United Way's typical grant size?

Butler County United Way's median grant in 2025 was $16,926, and its average grant was $21,883, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Butler County United Way that year got $11K on average.

Where does Butler County United Way give grants?

Butler County United Way gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hamilton, OH (14 grants), Cincinnati, OH (7 grants), Middletown, OH (5 grants) and Fairfield, OH (3 grants).

Does Butler County United Way give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on Butler County United Way's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.

Who are Butler County United Way's largest grantees?

Butler County United Way's largest 2025 grantees include Shared Harvest ($55,488), Catholic Charities of SW Ohio ($52,555) and Butler County Education Service Center ($46,403), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Butler County United Way?

Butler County United Way reported $3.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.5M.

What does Butler County United Way fund?

The organization’s stated mission is to connect resources to important community needs, using community input to prioritize issues and determine solutions. Its website identifies four impact areas: Youth Opportunity, Healthy Community, Financial Security, and Community Resiliency. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Butler County United Way?

The organization uses a Request for Proposal process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Butler County United Way's EIN?

Butler County United Way's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-0734490. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(8)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 25, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 10, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 10, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 22, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 9, 2024)
  7. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 9, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Butler County United Way funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/butler-county-united-way-morg_62e1e23ffa254c649d2612cb6d72ebf7

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_310734490_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Butler County United Way funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/butler-county-united-way-morg_62e1e23ffa254c649d2612cb6d72ebf7},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}

The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.

Figures come from Butler County United Way's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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