United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc
United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc is a public charity based in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Formed in 1954, it funds local nonprofit agency partners and also runs community initiatives focused on human services and support for people rebuilding their lives.
United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc at a glance
In short: United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc gave $1.1M across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $37K), mostly in Louisiana. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,121,988
- +16.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- +3.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $37,400
- +12.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $16,146,849
- +1.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (5 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Louisiana (99% 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 United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc
- How to Apply
-
The 2026–2027 Partnership Grant process began with an online Letter of Intent (LOI); only organizations that submitted an LOI by the deadline were invited to submit a full proposal. Applicants had to be registered 501(c)(3) organizations in good standing, maintain a physical presence in at least one eligible parish, serve residents in the service area, and have a written disaster management plan. The grant page also required service in at least one of the organization’s stated focus areas. Priority was given to programs serving the ALICE population and to proposals aligned with the organization’s objectives, stable programs, evidence-based programming, and financial accountability and transparency. Mailed and emailed submissions were not accepted.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026–2027 cycle’s LOI deadline was December 3, 2025, at 4 p.m.; the RFP closed February 11, 2026, at 4 p.m. Both deadlines have passed.
- Deadline
- The 2026–2027 cycle’s LOI deadline was December 3, 2025, at 4 p.m.; the RFP closed February 11, 2026, at 4 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 815 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601
Phone: (337) 433-1088
Website: https://unitedwayswla.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Abrahams Tent ($136K). Together the top 10 received $713K.
Grant Size Distribution
151 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 151 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s stated service area is Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis parishes in Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 30 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−18%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $965K (2024) to $2.0M (2020). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Abrahams Tent Lake Charles, LA | To support program funded by UW | $136,324 |
| Catholic Charities Diocese of LC Lake Charles, LA | To support program funded by UW | $135,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA Lake Charles, LA | To support program funded by UW | $94,757 |
| Calcasieu Council on Aging Lake Charles, LA | To support program funded by UW | $72,442 |
| Beauregard Council on Aging Deridder, LA | To support program funded by UW | $62,488 |
| Family & Youth Counseling Lake Charles, LA | To support program funded by UW | $60,000 |
| Beauregard Community Concerns Deridder, LA | To support program funded by UW | $40,000 |
| Southwest Louisiana Youth Foundatio Lake Charles, LA | To support program funded by UW | $40,000 |
| Business Disaster and Recovery Mgmt Lake Charles, LA | To support program funded by UW | $36,371 |
| New Covenant Faith Community Develo Lake Charles, LA | To support program funded by UW | $36,000 |
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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 | $16,146,849 | $5,052,212 | $4,723,914 | $1,121,988 | 30 | $456,217 |
| 2024 | $15,843,315 | $6,326,964 | $5,488,401 | $964,896 | 29 | $597,307 |
| 2023 | $15,229,069 | $6,416,688 | $6,493,672 | $1,444,616 | 29 | $291,450 |
| 2022 | $15,403,534 | $5,615,764 | $4,507,051 | $1,364,700 | 30 | $60,038 |
| 2021 | $14,367,832 | $12,386,583 | $5,425,073 | $1,624,501 | 33 | $59,149 |
| 2020 | $7,686,343 | $5,427,837 | $5,081,197 | $2,014,565 | 35 | $35,430 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s website says its mission is to mobilize communities to take action so all can thrive, through strengthening local resilience and advancing healthy communities, youth opportunity, and financial security. Its 2024 filing describes funding programs in education, income, health, and the safety net, as well as supporting community initiatives, disaster management, and case management. The filing names examples of its own programs and activities, including a community helpline, 2-1-1 referral systems, disaster response, prisoner re-entry, and voluntary income tax assistance.
The organization’s partnership grants support nonprofit agencies serving Southwest Louisiana’s human services needs. Examples of grantee work include Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA’s one-to-one relationships for children facing adversity; Beauregard Community Concerns’ shelter for abused women and their children; and Girlie Girls Mentoring Program’s support for young women ages 12–18. Project Build a Future says its mission is to promote affordable, well-designed housing in the Calcasieu Parish area.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, United Way of Southwest Louisiana reported 30 grants totaling $1,121,988. Grants ranged from $7,470 to $136,324, with a median of $25,000. The largest listed awards were $136,324 to Abraham’s Tent, $135,000 to Catholic Charities Diocese of LC, $94,757 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA, $72,442 to Calcasieu Council on Aging, and $62,488 to Beauregard Council on Aging. The stated purpose for these awards was to support programs funded by United Way. Ninety-nine percent of 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Louisiana and 1% to recipients in Tennessee.
Other 2025 recipients included Beauregard Community Concerns ($40,000), Family & Youth Counseling ($60,000), and Girlie Girls Mentoring Program ($25,000). St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital received $16,240; its stated mission is to advance cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Denise Durel as President and Chief Executive Officer and Jennifer Dimas as Director of Finance. It also lists Wendy Aguillard, Jaine Fruge, Debra Lastrapes, Stitch Guillory, Joanne Sovereign, Jason Van Metre, Marcie Michalko, and Tanya Gaudet as directors.
United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc is led by Curtis Brescher, Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 25 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Curtis Brescher
Chair
Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Dimas
Director of Finance
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$64K (2020) → $90K (2025)
Debra Lastrapes
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James McGee
Director
Vice Chair → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Prebula
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tanya Gaudet
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Aguillard
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcie Michalko
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paige Clayton
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shana Scales
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tony Guillory
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Billy Vincent
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jaine Fruge
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Van Metre
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joanne Sovereign
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stitch Guillory
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Denise Durel
Presidentchief Executive Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$146K (2020) → $199K (2025)
Barry Brown
Treasurer
Chair → Past Chair, 2022
Past Chair → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Lacy
Vice Chair
Immediate Past Chair → Director, 2024
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Dwight
Past Chair
Member at Large → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Missy Amidon
Vice Chair
Director → Member at Large, 2024
Member at Large → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scot Tyler
Member at Large
Director → Member at Large, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Martinez
Member at Large
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marvin Lubin
Member at Large
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nate Keller
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (29)
- Former: Boyd Boudreaux (2020–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Floyd Mitchell (2020–2024) — Member at Large
- Former: Gregory Thibodeaux (2020–2024) — Chair
- Former: Keith Faul (2020–2024) — Member at Large
- Former: Kirk Pellerin (2020–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Leona Fletcher (2020–2024) — Immediate Past Chair
- Former: Mike Solari (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Tonya Griffith (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Tony Wood (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Greg Defrates (2024) — Director
- Former: Joe Robinson (2024) — Director
- Former: Nathan Keller (2024) — Director
- Former: Claiborne Self (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Paula Gaspard (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Devon Hyde (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Tony Barre (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Louis-Pierre Clement (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Jason Guidry (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Michael Nodier (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Robert Gelinas (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jolie Rhinehart (2021) — Director
- Former: Chip Arnould (2020) — Chair
- Former: Dana Keel (2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Jim Rock (2020) — Director
- Former: Joanne Logston (2020) — Director
- Former: Joshua Floyd (2020) — Director
- Former: Karl Bruchhaus (2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Rich Harbison (2020) — Director
- Former: Simon Randolph (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $199K, to Denise Durel (PresidentChief Executive Officer). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc
How much does United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc give each year?
United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc gave $1.1M across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $965K across 29 grants.
What is United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc's typical grant size?
United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $37,400, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc that year got $25K on average.
Where does United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc give grants?
United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc gives mostly in Louisiana: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lake Charles, LA (18 grants), Deridder, LA (3 grants), Jennings, LA (2 grants) and Lafayette, LA (2 grants).
Does United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To support program funded by UW" (30 grants).
Who are United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc's largest grantees?
United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Abrahams Tent ($136,324), Catholic Charities Diocese of LC ($135,000) and Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA ($94,757), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc?
United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc reported $16.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.1M.
What does United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc fund?
The organization’s website says its mission is to mobilize communities to take action so all can thrive, through strengthening local resilience and advancing healthy communities, youth opportunity, and financial security. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc?
The 2026–2027 Partnership Grant process began with an online Letter of Intent (LOI); only organizations that submitted an LOI by the deadline were invited to submit a full proposal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc's EIN?
United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 72-0456901. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS October 21, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-southwest-louisiana-inc-morg_beb4001467114ecda373f90894786049
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_720456901_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{United Way of Southwest Louisiana Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-southwest-louisiana-inc-morg_beb4001467114ecda373f90894786049},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Southwest Louisiana 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 Southwest Louisiana Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?