United Way of SLO County
United Way of San Luis Obispo County is a public charity based in San Luis Obispo, California. It works to ensure SLO County residents can access support and resources to thrive, with efforts that include impact grant awards and prevention programming.
United Way of SLO County at a glance
- Total assets
- $1,139,124
- -15.3% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $344,166
- -77.4% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $12,558
- -16.0% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $516,176
- -69.5% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to United Way of SLO County
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 14309, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-4309
Phone: (805) 541-1234
Website: https://unitedwayslo.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Way of SLO County funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 78 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s stated service area is SLO County. Its website says its efforts aim to improve the standard of living for people in the county. The 2024 grants listed above also include recipients based outside California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How United Way of SLO County gives
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). 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
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $634K (2023) to $765K (2021). In 2024 it made 40 grants totaling $663K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Care Merrifield, VA | Unrestricted | $60,000 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $60,000 |
| US Fund for UNICEF FBO Bridge Fund New York, NY | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders USA Hagerstown, MD | Unrestricted | $40,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $27,000 |
| Acumen Fund Inc New York, NY | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| African Wildlife Foundation Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Camfed San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Cuesta College Foundation Margaret Templeton Nursing Scholarship F San Luis Obispo, CA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Cheetah Conservation Fund Alexandria, VA | Unrestricted | $17,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,139,124 | $344,166 | $516,176 | — | — | $12,558 |
| 2024 | $1,344,990 | $1,525,296 | $1,693,329 | $663,000 | 40 | $14,956 |
| 2023 | $1,438,870 | $1,300,267 | $1,445,176 | $634,000 | 38 | $9,160 |
| 2021 | $760,754 | $1,397,173 | $1,317,816 | $764,733 | Total only | $16,920 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is to ensure that everyone in SLO County has access to the support and resources they need to thrive. Its 2023 filing describes its work as building a stronger, healthier, more compassionate community through impact grant awards and prevention programming focused on education, income, and health.
Its grants have supported organizations with varied missions. For example, World Central Kitchen describes its work as providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises; the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art says it enriches the community through art; and the Open Medicine Foundation says it funds collaborative medical research and education for multi-system chronic complex diseases. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
The organization reported 40 grants totaling $663,000 in 2024 and 38 grants totaling $634,000 in 2023. The available information does not establish a typical grant size. Notable 2024 grants included $27,000 to World Central Kitchen, $20,000 to African Wildlife Foundation, and $17,000 each to FINCA International and Cheetah Conservation Fund.
A separate Youth Board program offers annual grants of $1,500 to local groups proposing projects with a positive impact on youth up to age 19. Local nonprofits serving youth may apply; student-submitted applications are also welcome with an adult mentor and sponsoring organization, which may be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, school, or faith-based organization. Youth Board members peer-review applications. The website lists an August 15–September 15, 2026 application period and also indicates that 2026 applications are closed.
The organization says its Community Impact Fund grants are awarded to high-impact programs with measurable outcomes. Its 2023 filing says grants are accompanied by a letter specifying the approved purpose and require a follow-up report describing use of funds and impact achieved.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carlesha Harris as chair, Nicholas Drews as secretary, and Michael Hicks as treasurer. Directors listed are Curtis Abram, Jack Lahey, Patrick Mallon, Christy Mulkerin, Miller Newlon, Susan Scheer Aoki, and Berenice Guadarrama.
United Way of SLO County is led by Doug Yeiser, Interim CEO on every filing since 2024; 2 of 12 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Doug Yeiser
Interim CEO
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$81K (2024) → $50K (2025)
Liz Summer
CEO & Interim COO
Interim CFO → CEO & Interim COO, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$2K (2024) → $61K (2025)
Carlesha Harris
Chair
Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christy Mulkerin
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Berenice Guadarrama
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Curtis Abram
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jack Lahey
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Miller Newlon
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Mallon
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Scheer Aoki
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Hicks
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicholas Drews
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Cliff Stepp (2021–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Jeff Hamm (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Cusack (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Natasha Mercurio (2021–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Trish Avery Caldwell (2021–2024) — Chair
- Former: Zoe Elliot (2024) — Director
- Former: Jeff Brown (2021–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Emily Pan (2023) — Director
- Former: Rick London (2023) — CEO
- Former: Brian Campbell (2021) — Director
- Former: Greg Gillett (2021) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Slosar (2021) — Director
- Former: Roger Fredrickson (2021) — Vice Chair
- Former: Ved Kenjale (2021) — Yb President
- Former: Wade O'Hagan (2021) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $61K, to Liz Summer (CEO/Interim COO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about United Way of SLO County
How large is United Way of SLO County?
United Way of SLO County reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $344K.
What does United Way of SLO County fund?
The organization’s mission is to ensure that everyone in SLO County has access to the support and resources they need to thrive. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Way of SLO County?
United Way of SLO County has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check unitedwayslo.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
Where does United Way of SLO County make grants?
The organization’s stated service area is SLO County. Its website says its efforts aim to improve the standard of living for people in the county. The 2024 grants listed above also include recipients based outside California.
What is United Way of SLO County's EIN?
United Way of SLO County's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3459538. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in United Way of SLO County's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from United Way of SLO County'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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