United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County is a public charity based in Asheville, North Carolina. It brings people, partners, and resources together to improve lives and address community challenges, with current impact areas of youth opportunity and community resiliency.
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc at a glance
In short: United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc gave $3.4M across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $103K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,395,824
- +1597.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +1000.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $102,904
- +54.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $15,286,019
- +81.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (82% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc
- How to Apply
-
The website says application information will be added as the next grant opportunity is rolled out; it does not provide application materials or restrictions in the available information.
- Contact
Mailing address: 50 South French Broad Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 255-0696
Website: https://unitedwayabc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church ($1.6M). Together the top 10 received $2.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
117 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 83 grants of 117 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization is based in Asheville, North Carolina. In 2025, 82% of its reported grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 10% to New York, 5% to Georgia, and 3% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
How United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc gives
- Giving grew 275% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $39K (2023) to $3.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $3.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Asheville, NC | Helene Recovery | $1,557,800 |
| Givedirectly Inc New York, NY | Helene Recovery | $332,200 |
| Hawk Marketplace Atlanta, GA | Gift Cards | $170,000 |
| Buncombe County Schools Asheville, NC | Helene Recovery | $111,102 |
| Asheville Creative Ave Black Mountain, NC | Helene Recovery | $100,000 |
| Core Los Angeles, CA | Helene Recovery | $100,000 |
| Hearts with Hands Swannanoa, NC | Helene Recovery | $100,000 |
| Colaborativa La Milpa Asheville, NC | Helene Recovery | $65,000 |
| Big Ivy Community Center Banardsville, NC | Helene Recovery | $50,000 |
| Center for Participatory Change Asheville, NC | Helene Recovery | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $15,286,019 | $16,342,723 | $9,615,015 | $3,395,824 | 33 | $175,303 |
| 2024 | $8,437,509 | $6,224,908 | $5,443,237 | $200,000 | 3 | $82,845 |
| 2023 | $8,032,072 | $5,078,565 | $5,273,841 | $38,748 | 4 | $31,132 |
| 2022 | $7,990,158 | $6,267,887 | $5,478,015 | $904,393 | 31 | $151,757 |
| 2021 | $8,337,035 | $6,101,037 | $5,408,819 | $1,388,653 | 46 | $192,817 |
| 2020 | $6,700,371 | $4,276,781 | $4,057,755 | $909,452 | 31 | $49,967 |
| 2019 | $7,387,950 | $5,177,299 | $4,795,301 | $1,624,614 | 41 | $27,695 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission, as stated in its 2024 filing, is to “mobilize and support a robust network of people, partners, and resources to co-create opportunities for every person in our community to live free from poverty and injustice.” Its website identifies youth opportunity and community resiliency as its impact areas.
The website describes Community Schools as a way to align resources and partnerships in public schools to support students and families. It also describes United for Youth as a partnership working toward the goal that, by 2035, all Asheville City and Buncombe County students will graduate ready to pursue their goals and dreams. Its Community Investment Grants are designed to provide equitable access to funding for community-based organizations and individuals focused on youth opportunity and success.
The 2025 grants also included support for organizations whose stated missions address a range of needs. For example, Colaborativa La Milpa says its mission is to build the capacity and sustainability of community-based organizations; Sistas Caring 4 Sistas says it works to reduce adverse birth-related outcomes among people of color through doula services, advocacy, and education; and Operation Gateway says it addresses the social determinants of health for returning citizens to decrease recidivism.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the organization reported 33 grants totaling $3,395,824. Grant amounts ranged from $7,200 to $1,557,800, with a median grant of $50,000.
The largest reported grants included $1,557,800 to Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church for Helene recovery; $332,200 to GiveDirectly Inc for Helene recovery; $170,000 to Hawk Marketplace for gift cards; and $111,102 to Buncombe County Schools for Helene recovery. Other notable Helene recovery grants included $100,000 each to Asheville Creative Ave, CORE, and Hearts with Hands, and $65,000 to Colaborativa La Milpa.
The website describes a community-led investment process, guided by a Community Investment Committee. It says the site will be updated with information and an application as the committee rolls out its next grant opportunity.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Himanshu Karvir as chair; Heather Goldstein as chair elect; David G. Worley as treasurer; Maui C. Vang as secretary; and Susanne Swanger as past chair. Directors listed are Jennifer Boyer, Shelia Christofalos, Melissa Hedt, Sonia Kay, and Dionne Greenlee-Jones.
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc is led by Daniel B. Leroy, CEO on every filing since 2019; 3 of 27 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel B. Leroy
CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$79K (2020) → $149K (2025)
Himanshu Karvir
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair Elect, 2022
Chair Elect → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ashley Smith
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debra Campbell
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emma Olson
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Glenn W. Wilcox Sr.
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shelia Christofalos
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Hedt
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dionne Greenlee-Jones
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Giannina Callejas
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Layton Hower
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Hanks
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Ryan Reed
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Annie Jonas
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Dowd
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Boyer
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Legerton
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Figuera
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sonia Kay
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Velene Fagan
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
April Lambert
Vice President Finance
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$35K (2021) → $94K (2025)
Michael Edwards
Vice President Committee Imp
Vice President Community → Vice President Committee Imp, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$111K (2024) → $106K (2025)
Heather Goldstein
Chair Elect
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair Elect, 2024
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susanne Swanger
Past Chair
Chair Elect → Chair, 2022
Chair → Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Zo Mpofu
Board Member
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
Vice Chair → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David G. Worley
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maui C. Vang
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (50)
- Former: Andrew Gmitter (2019–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Chip Craig (2019–2024) — Director Thr
- Former: Jamye Davis (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: John Sutton Jr. (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Kevin McDonald (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Robert McArthur (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Angelica Wind (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: William Hathaway (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Tim Bugg (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Tyshaun Johnson (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Khabonina Beresford (2023–2024) — Director Thr
- Former: Ben T. Craig Jr. (2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Amy Bibby (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Jason A. Walls (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Julie Smith (2019–2023) — Director Thr
- Former: Michael Cortes (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Ann Ray (2019–2022) — Director Thr
- Former: Chris Hoffman (2019–2022) — Director Thr
- Former: Darin Waters (2019–2022) — Director Thr
- Former: Jennie Eblen (2019–2022) — Chair
- Former: Joann Yoder (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Kit Cramer (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Rachael Nygaard (2020–2022) — Director Thr
- Former: Ben Teague (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Cheryl Atkins (2019–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Lakesha McDay (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Laurel Jernigan (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Lavie Montgomery (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Taylor Foss (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Mark Majewski (2020–2021) — Interim Vice President T
- Former: Alice Elio (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Amy C. Barry (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Dave Mannebach (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Denise Patterson (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Derek Allen (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Nona Workman (2019–2020) — Vice President Finance T
- Former: Norma Duran Brown (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Paul L. McDowell (2019–2020) — Chair
- Former: Rasheeda McDaniels (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Shannon Earle (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Suzanne Deferie (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Tracey Johnston-Crum (2019–2020) — Director Thr
- Former: Barbara Whitehorn (2019) — Director · Filing note: Thru 5/2019
- Former: Brian Turner (2019) — Director · Filing note: Thru 2/2019
- Former: David D. Bailey (2019) — President & CEO · Filing note: Thru 5/2019
- Former: Dennis King (2019) — Director · Filing note: Thru 2/2019
- Former: James Lee (2019) — Director · Filing note: Thru 3/2019
- Former: Leon Elliston (2019) — Director
- Former: Linda Kendall Fields (2019) — Director · Filing note: Thru 8/2018
- Former: Scott Burnette (2019) — Director · Filing note: Thru 2/2019
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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $149K, to Daniel Leroy (CEO). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc
How much does United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc give each year?
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc gave $3.4M across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $200K across 3 grants.
What is United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc's typical grant size?
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $102,904, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc give grants?
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (10%) and Georgia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Asheville, NC (23 grants).
Does United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Helene Recovery" (30 grants).
Who are United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc's largest grantees?
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church ($1,557,800), Givedirectly Inc ($332,200) and Hawk Marketplace ($170,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc?
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc reported $15.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $16.3M.
What does United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc fund?
The organization’s mission, as stated in its 2024 filing, is to “mobilize and support a robust network of people, partners, and resources to co-create opportunities for every person in our community to live free from poverty and injustice.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc?
The website says application information will be added as the next grant opportunity is rolled out; it does not provide application materials or restrictions in the available information. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc's EIN?
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-0576157. 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
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 25, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-asheville-and-buncombe-county-inc-morg_bed82e8006154f47ad7487d5e936ea79
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_560576157_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-asheville-and-buncombe-county-inc-morg_bed82e8006154f47ad7487d5e936ea79},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc'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.
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?