United Way of Rock River Valley
United Way of Rock River Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and public charity headquartered in Rockford, Illinois, serving Winnebago County. Founded in 1919 (with roots in a tradition beginning in 1887), the organization has operated as a community fixture for over 100 years. The organization unites community partners, employers, volunteers, and donors to address local needs and improve lives across the region.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$11.4M
+16.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$932K
-28.7% YoY
Grant Count
26
-3.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$36K
-25.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: United Way of Rock River Valley unites the collective power of our community to improve lives.
Vision: A future where everyone has a seat at the table, working together so that every person in Winnebago County has the opportunities and resources to succeed.
The organization's work currently focuses on two primary areas:
Helping Kids Read
Reading proficiency by third grade is a critical indicator of future success. United Way leads and invests in literacy initiatives supporting children from birth through elementary school, including:
- Book distribution programs placing tens of thousands of books into local homes annually
- I READ classroom volunteering supporting K–3 students
- United for Literacy, a community-wide early literacy initiative combining efforts of more than 30 community organizations
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, providing free books by mail to children ages 0–5
The organization aims to have 75% of children in Winnebago County reading at or above grade level by 2034, addressing a current crisis where only 32% of third-grade students read at grade level.
211 Resource Line
United Way 2-1-1 operates as a 24-hour, 7-day information and referral hotline connecting residents to available community resources. The service is free, confidential, and helps people access resources for rent and utility assistance, childcare, clothing, food, mental health care, and other critical needs.
Strong Neighborhoods Initiative
United Way supports local nonprofits by providing them free space through Strong Neighborhood Houses. These strategically located resource centers serve surrounding communities with programming addressing drug awareness, suicide prevention, housing acquisition support, and other neighborhood-specific needs. The initiative brings together police and social service agencies in under-resourced neighborhoods, offering services such as ESL classes and employment support.
Grantmaking
United Way of Rock River Valley distributes grants to support nonprofit organizations and community programs aligned with its focus areas.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
United Way of Rock River Valley serves Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $11,382,495 (2025)
Total Revenues: $4,009,409 (2025)
Total Expenses: $2,898,845 (2025)
Total Liabilities: $363,000 (2024)
Annual Revenue: $5,866,977 (from company data)
Total Giving: $932,229
Employees: 14 (as of 2025)
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $11,382,495 | $9,746,473 | $8,583,112 |
| Revenue | $4,009,409 | $3,619,821 | $2,673,485 |
| Expenses | $2,898,845 | $3,141,559 | $2,053,782 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $309,108 | $173,409 | $78,480 |
| 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
135 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from United Way of Rock River Valley
Healing Illinois Grant
UNITED WAY OF ROCK RIVER VALLEY
Amount
$14,568
Deadline
Rolling / Open
United for Literacy Initiative - Book Distribution Funding Partnership
UNITED WAY OF ROCK RIVER VALLEY
Amount
Up to $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
United for Literacy Initiative - Service Funding Stream
UNITED WAY OF ROCK RIVER VALLEY
Amount
More than $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Julie Bosma - CEO/President
Octavia Williams - Director of Development
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JULIE BOSMA | CEO | 40 | $132,834 |
| MARK BALDWIN | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| JASON BLUME | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RICK CIGANEK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DALE DICKINSON | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| ALLI BERNADI INSKO | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| EDWARD ZUROWSKI JR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TERRI KNIGHT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CASEY LESTER | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| EJ MILLER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JULIE O'ROURKE | INTERIM TREA | 1 | — |
| MARY SIMMONS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LA'KESHIA WINGO | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DR EBONY WRENN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Collins Aerospace presented a grant to United Way of Rock River Valley for its literacy initiative, demonstrating corporate support for the organization's educational focus.
United Way Blackhawk Region announces grant awards | Community Briefs | gazettextra.comThe organization has expanded its impact through United for Literacy, a unified comprehensive plan involving partnerships with more than 30 community organizations, including 20 United Way-funded partners, to improve literacy outcomes across Winnebago County.
United Way Blackhawk Region announces grant awards | Community Briefs | gazettextra.comContact Information
Address: 612 N Main St Ste 300, Rockford, IL 61103-6998
Phone: 815-968-5400
Website: unitedwayrrv.org
EIN: 36-2167843
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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