United Way of Waco-McLennan County
United Way of Waco-McLennan County is a public charity based in Waco, Texas, formed in 1952. It supports local nonprofit programs addressing community needs through partnerships, strategic investment, and advocacy, with stated priorities including health, youth opportunity, financial security, and community resiliency.
United Way of Waco-McLennan County at a glance
- Total assets
- $1,285,381
- -15.4% vs 2023
- Revenue (2024)
- $973,392
- -18.9% vs 2023
- Net investment income (2024)
- $13,455
- +80.1% vs 2023
- Expenses (2024)
- $683,293
- -57.1% vs 2023
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to United Way of Waco-McLennan County
- How to Apply
-
The next grant eligibility application window is scheduled to open in Fall 2026. The website directs prospective applicants to review the current eligibility criteria and impact framework.
- Review Cycle
- No specific application deadline is stated.
- Deadline
- No specific application deadline is stated.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1227 N Valley Mills Dr 212, Waco, TX 76710
Phone: (254) 752-2753
Website: https://unitedwaywaco.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Way of Waco-McLennan County funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 74 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s grant cycle supports programs across McLennan County. Its listed grantees include organizations based in Waco and other Texas cities.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How United Way of Waco-McLennan County gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2023). 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 2019 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $6K (2021) to $1.6M (2019). In 2023 it made 23 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Commmunity Doulas of Waco Waco, TX | Birth & Postpartum Doula Support Program | $85,540 |
| La Puerta Waco, TX | La Puerta Affordable Counseling Services | $75,000 |
| Christian Women's Job Corps of McLennan County Waco, TX | Ged Track | $68,735 |
| Greater Waco Legal Services Waco, TX | Legal Services | $68,735 |
| Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children Waco, TX | Prevention & Education, Victims Center | $50,000 |
| Communities in Schools of the Heart of Texas Waco, TX | Communities in Schools Case Management | $50,000 |
| Girl Scouts of Central Texas Austin, TX | Girl Scouts Beyond Bars | $50,000 |
| American Gateways Waco, TX | Immigration Legal Services for Families in McLennan County | $46,750 |
| CASA of McLennan County Waco, TX | Court Appointed Special Advocates | $46,750 |
| Mission Waco Mission World Waco, TX | My Brother's Keeper/Social Services Program | $46,750 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,285,381 | $973,392 | $683,293 | — | — | $13,455 |
| 2023 | $1,520,056 | $1,199,798 | $1,590,926 | $1,000,000 | 23 | $7,471 |
| 2022 | $1,279,246 | $1,024,879 | $1,255,473 | $600,000 | 28 | $1,889 |
| 2021 | $1,227,039 | $1,563,457 | $801,413 | $6,237 | 1 | $2,272 |
| 2020 | $1,035,168 | $1,585,594 | $1,839,647 | $800,000 | 22 | $4,444 |
| 2019 | $1,449,270 | $1,591,512 | $2,368,066 | $1,576,540 | 30 | $2,401 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states its mission as strengthening the community by mobilizing resources to measurably improve lives. Its grantmaking supports work in education, health, financial stability, and safety-net services, with its website also identifying healthy community, youth opportunity, financial security, and community resiliency as impact areas. Its child well-being work brings local residents together to understand the needs of area children and families, develop community solutions, and take action.
Examples of grantees’ work include La Puerta, which describes its mission as helping the Spanish-speaking community connect with social and community resources; Greater Waco Legal Services, which provides affordable legal services and community-driven problem solving; and CASA of McLennan County, which recruits and supports volunteers advocating for children in foster care. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not descriptions of United Way’s own services.
Grantmaking
The organization’s 2023 IRS filing reports $1 million in grants across 23 grants; its 2022 filing reports $600,000 across 28 grants. The filing explains that 2023 awards were paid over a 24-month cycle from September 2023 through August 2025, and that no additional grants were made in 2024 while that cycle continued. Separately, the organization’s website reports awarding $1 million in June 2025 to 27 organizations supporting 31 programs for the 2025–2027 cycle. It received nearly $4.4 million in requests from 37 organizations for that cycle.
Reported 2023 awards included $75,000 to La Puerta, $68,735 and $39,790 to Greater Waco Legal Services, $50,000 to Girl Scouts of Central Texas, and $46,750 each to Mission Waco Mission World, American Gateways, and CASA of McLennan County.
Applications go through a competitive process. The website describes an eligibility phase, application phase, review by the Financial Review Council and Community Investment Councils, funding recommendations, and approval by the Impact & Engagement Committee and Board. The filing says funded partners submit financial reports and program outcomes semi-annually, including client counts, demographics, and measures of client impact; timely and complete submissions are required to maintain funding status and future eligibility.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The organization’s 2024 filing lists J T Carpenter as chair; Tammy Richards as vice chair/immediate; Hector Sabido as secretary/governance chair; Reagan Fitz-Gerald as treasurer/finance chair; Paula Solano as community impact chair; and Tammie Bowman as resource development chair. It also lists Betty Bauer, Kristina Campos-Davis, Deidra Emerson, and Diego Genera as directors.
The website identifies Wendy Ellis as CEO and lists Karen Brown as Senior Director of Finance and Administration, Haley O’Connell as Director of Impact & Engagement, and Allen Holt as Director of Resource Development.
United Way of Waco-McLennan County is led by Wendy Ellis, CEO on every filing since 2021; 1 of 19 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Wendy Ellis
CEO
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$92K (2021) → $132K (2024)
Hector Sabido
Secretary & Governance Chair
Director → Secretary & Governance Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. T. Carpenter
Chair
Director → Secretary & Governance Chair, 2023
Secretary & Governance Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paula Solano
Com Impact Chair
Director → Com Impact Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Reagan Fitz-Gerald
Treasurer & Finance Chair
Director → Treasurer & Finance Chair, 2023
On filings since 2022
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tammie Bowman
Resource Development Chair
Director → Resource Development Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Orlando Rodriguez
Director
Director → Treasurer & Finance Chair, 2021
Treasurer & Finance Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Betty Bauer
Director
Director → Res Development Chair, 2022
Res Development Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deidra Emerson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Guerra
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristina Campos-Davis
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shane Turner
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tracy Guillory
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diego Genera
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ed Love
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank Graves
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Geoff Nelson
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Juan Lopez
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tammy Richards
Vice Chair & Immediate
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
Chair → Vice Chair & Immediate, 2024
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (20)
- Former: Mitchell Horner (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Edward Love (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Iliana Neumann (2020–2023) — Com Impact Chair
- Former: J. Tanner Moore (2022–2023) — Vice Chair & Res Development Chair
- Former: Andrew Pick (2019–2022) — Secretary & Governance Chair
- Former: Casey Turner (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Dawn Rogers (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Barbara Mosacchio (2019–2021) — Executive Officio & CEO
- Former: Dan Ingham (2019–2021) — Res. Development Chair
- Former: John Taylor (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Mark Hobbs (2019–2021) — Secretary & Governance Chair
- Former: Jessica Juarez (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Tanner Moore (2021) — Director
- Former: Cheryl Gochis (2019–2020) — Vice President
- Former: Jamie Gipe (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Malcolm Duncan (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Ray Vann (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jeanie Johnson (2019) — Director
- Former: Jeanne Byrd (2019) — Director
- Former: Robert Ward (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $132K, to Wendy Ellis (CEO).
Frequently asked questions about United Way of Waco-McLennan County
How large is United Way of Waco-McLennan County?
United Way of Waco-McLennan County reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $973K.
What does United Way of Waco-McLennan County fund?
The organization states its mission as strengthening the community by mobilizing resources to measurably improve lives. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Way of Waco-McLennan County?
The next grant eligibility application window is scheduled to open in Fall 2026. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does United Way of Waco-McLennan County make grants?
The organization’s grant cycle supports programs across McLennan County. Its listed grantees include organizations based in Waco and other Texas cities.
What is United Way of Waco-McLennan County's EIN?
United Way of Waco-McLennan County's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-1189027. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
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
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 25, 2024)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
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