United Way of the Bluegrass Inc
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc. is a public charity based in Lexington, Kentucky. It invests in programs and partners serving low-income and underserved people in Central Kentucky, with work focused on basic needs, education, and financial stability.
Key facts about United Way of the Bluegrass Inc
In short: United Way of the Bluegrass Inc gave $664K across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in Kentucky. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 61-0444679
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $664,007
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- Average grant
- $15,442
- Median grant
- $11,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (8 of 43, 2025)
- Total assets
- $4,546,178
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The website directs interested organizations to apply through the organization’s grant portal and says applicants must review the full grant document, including compliance rules and the nondiscrimination policy, before… Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$4.5M
-11.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$664K
-29.0% YoY
Grant Count
43
+4.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
-32.3% YoY
Is United Way of the Bluegrass Inc open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 43 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $12K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
United Way of the Bluegrass says it works to advance education, financial stability, health, and basic needs for people in Central Kentucky. Its grant materials describe support for services such as food, health care, childcare and other education programs, shelter, financial assistance, domestic violence services, legal services, and transportation. The organization’s website also describes 2026 Safety Net Grants as focused on immediate crisis-stabilizing services, including food access, housing stability, and domestic violence crisis response.
Its listed partners illustrate the range of organizations it supports. For example, Simon House describes its mission as reducing homelessness through low-barrier shelters and related services; Jubilee Jobs of Lexington says it helps disadvantaged job seekers gain employment and provides follow-up counseling; and the Child Care Council of Kentucky says it works to expand access to childcare resources, advocacy, and training.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, United Way of the Bluegrass reported 43 grants totaling $664,007. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $77,000, with a median of $11,500. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky.
The largest reported grants included $77,000 to Centro de San Juan Diego for program support; $50,000 to Urban League for affordable housing and youth and educational services; $30,000 to YMCA of Central Kentucky for early learning readiness, healthy eating and physical activity, summer and afterschool learning, and Black Achievers; and $29,000 to Arbor Youth Services for emergency shelter and afterschool outreach. Other notable awards included $24,000 to The Hearing & Speech Center for its Early Learning Center program and $20,000 to GreenHouse17 for domestic violence crisis intervention and healing.
The organization describes separate local, single-county Basic Needs Grants and regional, multi-county Basic Needs Grants, as well as Collective Impact Grants connected to WayPoint Centers. Its grant materials say approximately half of annual funding is reserved for a Basic Needs Fund and approximately half for Collective Impact Grants.
How to Apply
The website directs interested organizations to apply through the organization’s grant portal and says applicants must review the full grant document, including compliance rules and the nondiscrimination policy, before applying. The website-listed 2026 application period ran from April 1 through May 1, 2026, and has passed.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from United Way of the Bluegrass Inc
United Way Of The Bluegrass: Basic Needs Grant - Local
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
United Way Of The Bluegrass: Basic Needs Grant - Regional
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
United Way Of The Bluegrass: Collective Impact Grant
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with United Way of the Bluegrass Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s 2024 filing identifies its service area as ten Central Kentucky counties: Anderson, Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Montgomery, Scott, and Woodford. Its 2025 grant recipients were all in Kentucky.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $664K (2025) to $1.5M (2019). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $664K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Centro De San Juan Diego ($77K). Together the top 10 received $311K.
Grant Size Distribution
229 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 209 grants of 229 (91%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Centro De San Juan Diego Richmond, KY | Program Support | $77,000 |
| Urban League Lexington, KY | Affordable Housing / Youth and Educational Services | $50,000 |
| YMCA of Central Kentucky Lexington, KY | Early learning readiness/healthy eating & physical activity/summer learning camp/afterschool learning/black achievers | $30,000 |
| Arbor Youth Services Formerly Mash Lexington, KY | Drop in Emergency Shelter and Afterschool Outreach | $29,000 |
| The Hearing & Speech Center Lexington, KY | The hearing & speech center early learning center program | $24,000 |
| Gathering Place Mission Georgetown, KY | Men & Women Shleters/ the Emmaus Kitchen | $22,000 |
| Capital City Activity Center Frankfort, KY | Meals on Wheels | $20,500 |
| GREENHOUSE17 (Formerly Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program) Lexington, KY | Crisis Intervention & Healing for Domestic Violence Victims | $20,000 |
| Simon House Frankfort, KY | Emergency shelter for homeless women who are pregnant or have children to transition to a stable lifestyle | $19,600 |
| Hope Center Inc Lexington, KY | Mental Health Program | $19,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,546,178 | $3,369,635 | $3,681,000 | $664,007 (43 grants) |
| 2024 | $5,106,474 | $4,037,671 | $4,396,259 | $935,810 (41 grants) |
| 2023 | $5,030,075 | $5,157,397 | $4,439,745 | $1,102,115 (44 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,546,178 | $5,106,474 | $5,030,075 |
| Revenue | $3,369,635 | $4,037,671 | $5,157,397 |
| Expenses | $3,681,000 | $4,396,259 | $4,439,745 |
| Net Investment Income | $136,194 | $108,834 | $249,981 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 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 May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 5, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing include Dr. Kenneth Jones, chair; David Kyle Murrary, vice chair; Valerie Marshall, immediate past chair; and Anna Minrovic, treasurer. The filing also lists Mary Katherine Kathy Jaeger, Anne Brooks, Brandon Eason, Caryl Pfeiffer, Cathy Jennings, and Chas Sergent as directors.
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc is led by Timothy Johnson, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 26 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Timothy Johnson
President
President, CEO & Board Secretary → President & CEO, 2023
President & CEO → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$58K (2020) → $180K (2025)
Kenneth R. Jones
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bob Kain
Director
Director → Director & Trustee, 2022
Director & Trustee → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Craig L Daniels
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Kidd
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kurt Kogler
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Rooke
Director
Board Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2021
Immediate Past Chair → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Lee Eason
Director
Director → Director & Trustee, 2022
Director & Trustee → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caryl Pfeiffer
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chas Sergent
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maura Smith
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne Brooks
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cathy Marie Jennings
Director
Director & Trustee → Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jade Miles
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Katherine Kathy Jaeger
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pastor Richard Gaines
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rickey W. Smith Sr.
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Bevington
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Juan Castro
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Carpenter
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Schachleiter
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Brien David Lewis
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Gosnell
Vice President, Fianance & Administration
Vice President, Finance & Operations → Vice President & Finance, 2024
Vice President & Finance → Vice President, Fianance & Administration, 2025
On filings since 2023
50 hrs/week
$47K (2023) → $83K (2025)
Valerie Marshall
Immediate Past Chair
Immediate Past Chair → Director, 2023
Director → Immediate Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anna Minrovic
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Kyle Murrary
Vice Chair
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (40)
- Former: Mary E. Meixelsperger (2019–2024) — Immediate Past Chair
- Former: Steven Yates (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Brien Lewis (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Robert Duncan (2024) — Director
- Former: Robert Joseph Kain (2024) — Director
- Former: Mark Sulski (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Vicki Seale (2019–2023) — Vice President of Finance
- Former: Kathy Jaeger (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Richard Gaines (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Cam Freeman (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Kyle Murray (2022–2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: Rob Duncan (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Rick Smith Sr. (2023) — Director
- Former: Chris Thompson (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Dexter W Porter (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Janette Lloyd (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: John Morton (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Stephen Clark (2021–2022) — Former Vice President Finance
- Former: Bill Wilson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Cameron Freeman (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Danny Neely (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Don Tharpe (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: John W Pollom Esq. (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Sharon Votaw (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Matt Moore (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Tony Taylor (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Karen Wheeler (2021) — Director
- Former: Alethea K Ingram Bernard (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Arnold Gaither (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Frank Voss (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Mark D Klee (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Sarah K Bosso (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Scott Lockard (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Harvie B Wilkinson (2019) — Director
- Former: Ken Bicknell (2019) — Director
- Former: Ligia Bejat (2019) — Director
- Former: Matt Thompson (2019) — Director
- Former: Melissa Stephan (2019) — Director
- Former: Morgan K Daulton (2019) — Treasurer
- Former: William Farmer (2019) — President & CEO - Board Secretary
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 $180K, to Timothy Johnson (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 651 Perimeter Drive Suite 510, Lexington, KY 40517
Phone: (859) 233-4461
Website: https://uwbg.org
Frequently asked questions about United Way of the Bluegrass Inc
How much does United Way of the Bluegrass Inc give each year?
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc gave $664K across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $936K across 41 grants.
What is United Way of the Bluegrass Inc's typical grant size?
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc's median grant in 2025 was $11,500, and its average grant was $15,442, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from United Way of the Bluegrass Inc that year got $15K on average.
Where does United Way of the Bluegrass Inc give grants?
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lexington, KY (23 grants), Frankfort, KY (6 grants), Richmond, KY (3 grants) and Georgetown, KY (3 grants).
Does United Way of the Bluegrass Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 43 grants with a stated purpose on United Way of the Bluegrass Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (5 grants).
Who are United Way of the Bluegrass Inc's largest grantees?
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Centro De San Juan Diego ($77,000), Urban League ($50,000) and YMCA of Central Kentucky ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is United Way of the Bluegrass Inc?
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.4M.
What does United Way of the Bluegrass Inc fund?
United Way of the Bluegrass says it works to advance education, financial stability, health, and basic needs for people in Central Kentucky. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Way of the Bluegrass Inc?
The website directs interested organizations to apply through the organization’s grant portal and says applicants must review the full grant document, including compliance rules and the nondiscrimination policy, before… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is United Way of the Bluegrass Inc's EIN?
United Way of the Bluegrass Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-0444679. 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.
Here's the math on researching United Way of the Bluegrass Inc by hand.
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