United Way of the Golden Triangle Region
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region is a public charity based in Columbus, Mississippi. It raises and invests funds in local programs and initiatives, with its current community investment process focused on measurable improvements in education, health, and financial stability across a seven-county service area.
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region at a glance
In short: United Way of the Golden Triangle Region gave $378K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $29K), mostly in Mississippi. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $378,480
- -1.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $29,114
- +6.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $19,740
- Total assets
- $1,064,408
- +38.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Mississippi (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to United Way of the Golden Triangle Region
- How to Apply
-
The organization’s application page describes a comprehensive application for its 2027–2029 Community Investment Cycle. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations operating as such for at least three years, serving one or more of the seven counties, and proposing programs aligned with education, health, or financial stability. Applicants must have an active local board; incomplete applications are not accepted. Continued funding in Years 2 and 3 depends on satisfactory program performance, compliance with reporting requirements, continued organizational stability, and available funds.
- Review Cycle
- September 25, 2026, by midnight. This deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- September 25, 2026, by midnight.
- Contact
Mailing address: 362 Park Creek Drive, Columbus, MS 39705
Phone: (662) 370-1922
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Way of the Golden Triangle Region funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Boys & Girls Club of the Golden Triangle ($60K). Together the top 10 received $351K.
Grant Size Distribution
75 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 75 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website identifies the service area as Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster, and Winston counties in Mississippi. The organization’s 2024 filing reports that all of its grant dollars that year went to Mississippi recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is United Way of the Golden Triangle Region open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 13 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. How we count
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+5%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $362K (2021) to $438K (2022). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $378K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Club of the Golden Triangle Starkville, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $60,050 |
| YMCA Columbus, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $58,350 |
| Contact Helpline Columbus, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $52,800 |
| Lowndes County Council on Aging Columbus, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $48,000 |
| Helping Hands Columbus, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $36,045 |
| American Red Cross Columbus, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $26,000 |
| Salvation Army Columbus, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $19,740 |
| 4-H Club Foundation of Mississippi Columbus, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $18,140 |
| Boy Scouts of America - Natchez Trace Council Tupelo, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $16,905 |
| Safe Haven Columbus, MS | Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs | $15,350 |
Ready to take the next step with United Way of the Golden Triangle Region?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,064,408 | $671,378 | $995,173 | $378,480 | 13 | $3,909 |
| 2023 | $767,081 | $1,102,924 | $861,627 | $384,175 | 14 | $6,757 |
| 2022 | $541,185 | $703,296 | $935,542 | $437,625 | 18 | $917 |
| 2021 | $749,241 | $1,042,384 | $818,104 | $361,750 | 14 | $85 |
| 2020 | $508,868 | $902,299 | $920,107 | $426,090 | 16 | $430 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is “to empower sustained changes in education, health, and financial stability of our community.” Its current community investment application identifies education, health, and financial stability as program areas. The organization’s website also describes work involving disaster response and community resiliency.
The current application is for programs run by IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organizations. As an example of a supported organization, Safe Haven Inc. received a 2024 grant; Safe Haven describes its own mission as providing emergency shelter and crisis intervention for women and children affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, United Way reported 13 grants totaling $378,480. Grant amounts ranged from $8,100 to $60,050, with a median of $19,740. All reported 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Mississippi. The stated purpose for the listed grants was to provide community support for the recipient organization’s programs.
Larger 2024 awards included $60,050 to Boys & Girls Club of the Golden Triangle, $58,350 to YMCA, $52,800 to Contact Helpline, $48,000 to Lowndes County Council on Aging, and $36,045 to Helping Hands. Safe Haven received $15,350.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kellum Hawk as nominations chair; John Michael Rollins as allocations chair; Jason King as personnel chair; Marti Kauffman, Jay Fisher, and Monty Gilbreath as past presidents; and Andrew Bishop, Nikki Jenkins, Jeanne Pushis, and Stephanie Smith Woodard as directors.
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region is led by Renee Sanders, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 29 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Renee Sanders
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$52K (2021) → $70K (2024)
Elise Wilson
President
Director - Communications Chair → Vice President - Campaign Chair, 2023
Vice President - Campaign Chair → President, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason King
Personnel Chair
Director → Personnel Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Michael Rollins
Allocations Chair
Director → Allocations Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kellum Hawk
Nominations Chair
Past President → Nominations Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Sneed Lowe
Communications Chair
Director → Nominations Chair, 2023
Nominations Chair → Communications Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Priscilla Gardner King
Finance Chairman & Treasurer
Director → Finance Chairman & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yvett Roby
Campaign Chair & Vice President
Director → Communications Chair, 2023
Communications Chair → Campaign Chair & Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Bishop
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Smith Woodard
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Angela Riley
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carlos Rosales
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joey Barnes
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Crystal Breckenridge
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jackson Akwaowo
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine C. Grady
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leroy Nickels IV
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Sobley Livingston
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shavonne Monique Terry
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hays Burchfield
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeanne Pushis
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nikki Jenkins
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Trina Davidson-Brooks
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yash Sarda
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jay Fisher
Past President
Vice President & Campaign Chair → President, 2023
President → Past President, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marti Kauffman
Past President
Director & Campaign Chair → President, 2022
President → Past President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monty Gilbreath
Past President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stan McCrary
Past President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janie Johnson
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (23)
- Former: Kristi Jones (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Tina Holcombe Ferrell (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Ben Upton (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Layforn Profice Jr. (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Montana Marie Rhodes (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Erica Gruseck (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Karen Stanley (2020–2022) — Past President
- Former: Landis Mickens (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Todd Davis (2020–2022) — Past President
- Former: Doug Gosney (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Janie Ashcraft (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Randy Walker (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Bruce Johnson (2020–2021) — Director & Allocations Chair
- Former: Jacqueline Newton (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Kellum Kim (2020–2021) — Past President
- Former: Paige Spears (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Tim Heard (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Cleopatra Jones (2020) — Personnel Chair
- Former: Colin Krieger (2020) — Director
- Former: David Vega (2020) — Director & Nominations Chair
- Former: Megan Pratt (2020) — Director
- Former: Sheila Westbrook (2020) — Director
- Former: William Brown (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $70K, to Renee Sanders (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about United Way of the Golden Triangle Region
How much does United Way of the Golden Triangle Region give each year?
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region gave $378K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $384K across 14 grants.
What is United Way of the Golden Triangle Region's typical grant size?
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region's median grant in 2024 was $19,740, and its average grant was $29,114, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does United Way of the Golden Triangle Region give grants?
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region gives mostly in Mississippi: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, MS (11 grants).
Does United Way of the Golden Triangle Region give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on United Way of the Golden Triangle Region's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Provide Community Support for Organization's Programs" (13 grants).
Who are United Way of the Golden Triangle Region's largest grantees?
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region's largest 2024 grantees include Boys & Girls Club of the Golden Triangle ($60,050), YMCA ($58,350) and Contact Helpline ($52,800), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is United Way of the Golden Triangle Region?
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $671K.
What does United Way of the Golden Triangle Region fund?
The organization’s stated mission is “to empower sustained changes in education, health, and financial stability of our community.” Its current community investment application identifies education, health, and financial stability as program areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Way of the Golden Triangle Region?
The organization’s application page describes a comprehensive application for its 2027–2029 Community Investment Cycle. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is United Way of the Golden Triangle Region's EIN?
United Way of the Golden Triangle Region's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 64-0567987. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in United Way of the Golden Triangle Region's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
International Paper Company Foundation
Memphis, TN
The foundation funds education, hunger relief, health and wellness, and disaster relief, primarily in communities where International Paper operates and has a significant employee presence. In 2024, grants ranged from $500 to $250,000, with a median of $3,500. It accepts unsolicited requests, except Memphis-area requests are by invitation only.
Assets
$76.4M
Grants
472
Total Given
$3.4M
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Inc
Memphis, TN
The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis supports community needs, nonprofit capacity building, and donor-directed and theme-based grants, with awards across West Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northern Mississippi. Its 2025 grants had a median of $20,200, though amounts varied widely; unsolicited requests are accepted only through specific application-based opportunities, not stated as a general process.
Assets
$953.1M
Grants
761
Total Given
$134.3M
Lichterman Loewenberg Foundation
Memphis, TN
The foundation supports a range of causes, including community, youth development, conservation, education, human services, and the arts, with most of its giving going to organizations in Tennessee. Its 2024 grants ranged from $500 to $52,000, with a median of $3,400. It does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected charitable organizations.
Assets
$4.2M
Grants
44
Total Given
$295K
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Community Trust funds eligible nonprofits working to narrow the wealth gap and meet urgent needs, with priorities including economic mobility, education, jobs, homeownership, and community development in metropolitan Chicago and Cook County. Its 2025 grants had a median of $26,500, though amounts varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
4,316
Total Given
$1.2B
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation
Columbus, MS
The foundation supports medical and miscellaneous assistance for indigent individuals and grants to qualified nonprofits, with awards restricted to Lowndes County residents and people within 50 miles of Columbus, Mississippi. Its 2026 grants ranged from $200 to $25,000, with a median of $2,000. It accepts requests by letter with biographical and financial information; the filing does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$979K
Grants
13
Total Given
$60K
More similar funders
More Funders in Mississippi
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). United Way of the Golden Triangle Region funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-the-golden-triangle-region-morg_0e092e05f5f541ea865a00b40ffd6f85
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_640567987_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{United Way of the Golden Triangle Region funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-the-golden-triangle-region-morg_0e092e05f5f541ea865a00b40ffd6f85},
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 the Golden Triangle Region'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 the Golden Triangle Region down — hundreds of funders to go?