Metro United Way Inc is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Louisville, Kentucky, serving a seven-county region. Founded in 1917, the organization has been improving lives and communities for over 100 years by engaging people to give, advocate, and volunteer. The organization operates as a grantmaking foundation and volunteer-led community organization that connects donors, volunteers, and nonprofit partners to address systemic community challenges.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$46.4M
+3.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.1M
-14.1% YoY
Grant Count
124
-23.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$41K
+12.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To improve lives and our community by engaging people to give, advocate, and volunteer.
Vision: A community whose people achieve their full potential.
The organization's work is organized around three primary pillars:
- Thriving Kids: Ensuring community children have what they need to thrive, including developmental screening, educational resources, and support services.
- Strong Households: Helping families break cycles of poverty and work toward better futures through workforce development and household stability programs.
- Equitable Community: Creating a region where zip code does not determine destiny and everyone has opportunity to reach their full potential.
Grantmaking
Metro United Way distributes approximately $7.9 million annually in grants across multiple programs and partners.
Grant Range
$10,000 - $100,000 (varies by program)
Average Grant
amount: $5,042 - $1,000,000
Review Cycle
- Success rate: 11% (based on available data)
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Metro United Way serves a seven-county region including:
- Kentucky: Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, and Shelby counties
- Indiana: Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties
The organization works with over 1,000 nonprofit partners across this region.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- Total assets: $46,430,013 (as of April 2024)
- Total assets: $44,673,097 (as of April 2024, alternate reporting)
Annual Giving & Revenue:
- Total giving: $5,407,472
- Total revenues: $15,692,029 (fiscal year 2024)
- Total expenses: $17,276,881 (fiscal year 2024)
- Annual grants distributed: $7,880,378 (2023)
Governance Notes:
- Operates a donor-advised fund
- Maintains 76 employees
- Coordinates efforts among 7,201 donors and 6,676 volunteers
- Works with 615 corporate partners
Audit Findings: The organization's April 2024 tax filing identified a material weakness in internal controls, noting a deficiency in internal financial or governance controls that could limit the organization's ability to track and report financial data reliably.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $46,430,013 | $44,673,097 | $47,408,698 |
| Revenue | $16,856,902 | $15,692,029 | $16,153,529 |
| Expenses | $16,320,833 | $17,276,881 | $21,197,284 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,459,606 | $2,150,399 | $770,475 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Goodwill Industries of Kentucky ($158,104), Apprisen ($91,389), Family Scholar House Inc ($87,500).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Not 1 Fatherhood and Families Louisville, KY | Parent and Child Time Programming | $38,000 |
| 300FOR300 Clarksville, IN | Youth Success RFP | $15,293 |
| A Brighter Tomorrow Louisville, KY | Capacity Building Beneficiary Grant | $6,800 |
| A to B Transportation Transit Inc Louisville, KY | Capacity Building Beneficiary Grant | $6,800 |
| ACE Project Inc Louisville, KY | Ace Place Program | $15,000 |
| Align Southern Indiana Floyds Knobs, IN | Basic Needs Support and Responsible Thinking Classrooms | $20,000 |
| Americana World Community Center Louisville, KY | After school programming and family education | $80,000 |
| AMPED Louisville, KY | To support youth programming | $72,500 |
| Apprisen Louisville, KY | Financial Coaching Subgrant March | $91,389 |
| Asili Inc Louisville, KY | Youth Success Supplemental Funding | $46,800 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President and CEO: Adria Johnson (appointed in 2021 as the first African American to lead the organization)
Chief Financial Officer: Phil Bond (502.292.6121 or phil.bond@metrounitedway.org)
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adria Johnson | President, CEO, and Board Secretary | 50 | $266,844 |
| Phillip Bond | Chief Financial Officer | 50 | $151,819 |
| Melony Murphy | Chief Brand Officer | 50 | $116,778 |
| Robert Gunn | Chief Equity and Impact Officer | 50 | $141,139 |
| Joanna Erny | Chief of Staff | 50 | $124,110 |
| Jeremy Jarvi | Chief Development Officer | 50 | $118,627 |
| Sarah McQuillen | Chief Policy Officer | 50 | $119,496 |
| Tracy L Barber | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Lonnie E Bellar | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Lynda D Bolt-Jones | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Anya P Bond-Beckley | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Lisa A Bottorff | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Patricia Carver | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Karen M Cost PhD | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Patrick J Coty | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Douglas Craddock Jr | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Sam Draut | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Ashley N Duncan | Board Chair | 1 | — |
| Kevin N Troy Fowler | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Mathew Gibson | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Keith Hamilton | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Natalie H Harris | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Jerry Henderson | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Erin Herbert | Director | 0.5 | — |
| William H Hollander | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Larry W Horn Jr | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Kristel Jensen | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Aimee M Jewell | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Josh Aaron Kornberg | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Stephen M Lukinovich | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Jennifer Nachreiner | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Ashwin Netto | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Crystal L Peterson | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Judith Nell Petty | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Valecia A Quinn | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Tanelle Sawyer | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Kelly W Schulz | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Maddie Shepard | Director | 0.5 | — |
| William D Stout | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Thomas Wallace | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Sydney R Whitlock | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Kristen M Williams | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Suzanne Wright | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Nicole Yates | Director | 0.5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**Major Grants Received:**
Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded $3.6 million to Metro United Way to help expand operations in southern Indiana
Metro United Way Inc - Grant Information & Application DetailsFord Philanthropy awarded $125,000 to address transportation barriers for students
Metro United Way Receives $125,000 Grant from Ford Philanthropy to Address**Strategic Initiatives:**
Metro United Way launched the "Hardship to Hope" campaign, an ambitious community-wide effort with the goal of lifting 260,000 neighbors from hardship to hope by 2030. The campaign addresses the fact that 21% of families—or 260,000 people—in the seven-county region struggle to afford basic needs including food, housing, child care, and transportation. The organization projects that achieving this goal could result in an additional 15,500 individuals entering the workforce and create a $776 million impact on the local economy.
Metro United Way Inc - Grant Information & Application Details**Investment History:**
Over a four-year period, Metro United Way invested $48.8 million to address systemic community challenges.
Metro United Way Inc - Grant Information & Application DetailsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Metro United Way Inc fund?
**Mission:** To improve lives and our community by engaging people to give, advocate, and volunteer. **Vision:** A community whose people achieve their full potential. The organization's work is organized around three primary pillars: • **Thriving Kids:** Ensuring community children have what they need to thrive, including developmental screening, educational resources, and support services. • **Strong Households:** Helping families break cycles of poverty and work toward better futures through…
How do I apply for a grant from Metro United Way Inc?
Metro United Way distributes approximately $7.9 million annually in grants across multiple programs and partners. **Grant Characteristics:** • Grant range: $10,000 - $100,000 (varies by program) • Average grant amount: $5,042 - $1,000,000 • Decision timeline: 2-3 months from application deadline • Success rate: 11% (based on available data) **Recent Grantmaking Activity:** • Distributed 111 awards in 2023 • Created and distributed 31,075 impact kits to 78 agencies (2025) • Invested more than $1…
Where does Metro United Way Inc make grants?
Metro United Way serves a seven-county region including: • **Kentucky:** Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, and Shelby counties • **Indiana:** Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties The organization works with over 1,000 nonprofit partners across this region.
What size grants does Metro United Way Inc award?
In 2025, Metro United Way Inc awarded 124 grants totaling $5.1M — an average of about $41K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Metro United Way Inc's EIN?
Metro United Way Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-0444680. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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