United Way of Wyoming Valley
United Way of Wyoming Valley is a public charity based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, that supports programs and services for children, families, and other residents facing poverty or immediate threats to their well-being. The organization was formed in 1956, and its website says its mission has focused on strengthening the community and improving the lives of vulnerable residents for over 100 years.
United Way of Wyoming Valley at a glance
In short: United Way of Wyoming Valley gave $1.6M across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $39K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,591,860
- -19.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- -19.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $38,826
- -0.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $23,750
- Total assets
- $33,987,494
- +8.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (5 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to United Way of Wyoming Valley
- How to Apply
The 2025–2027 opportunity required an LOI submitted through the organization’s LOI process; applicants were encouraged to complete the questionnaire in Word and then copy and paste their responses into the submission…
The 2025–2027 opportunity required an LOI submitted through the organization’s LOI process; applicants were encouraged to complete the questionnaire in Word and then copy and paste their responses into the submission form.
- Review Cycle
- Friday, January 3, for the 2025–2027 cycle; this was a past deadline as of October 2, 2026.
- Deadline
- Friday, January 3, for the 2025–2027 cycle; this was a past deadline as of October 2, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: 100 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilkes Barre, PA 18701
Phone: (570) 829-6711
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Way of Wyoming Valley funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Family Service Association ($127K). Together the top 10 received $894K.
Grant Size Distribution
231 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 150 grants of 231 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization is based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Its filing describes programs and services in Susquehanna County and Berwick, as well as HIV/AIDS services in a six-county region of northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania and 6% to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
Cities
Is United Way of Wyoming Valley open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 41 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $42K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $29K 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2025) to $3.9M (2020). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Family Service Association Wilkes-Barre, PA | Program Operating Costs | $127,250 |
| Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA Wilkes-Barre, PA | Program Operating Costs | $120,000 |
| Commission on Economic Opportunity Wilkes-Barre, PA | Program Operating Costs | $101,127 |
| Dollywood Foundation Pigeon Forge, TN | Program Operating Costs | $92,214 |
| Wyoming Valley Children's Association Forty Fort, PA | Program Operating Costs | $90,475 |
| Luzerne County Head Start Inc Wilkes-Barre, PA | Program Operating Costs | $78,000 |
| Catholic Youth Center Wilkes-Barre, PA | Program Operating Costs | $77,837 |
| Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton Scranton, PA | Program Operating Costs | $71,135 |
| Domestic Violence Service Center Wilkes-Barre, PA | Program Operating Costs | $69,081 |
| Catholic Social Services Wilkes-Barre, PA | Program Operating Costs | $66,941 |
Ready to take the next step with United Way of Wyoming Valley?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The grant totals were reported across 41 grants in 2025, 51 in 2024, and 46 in 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,987,494 | $12,609,886 | $10,976,755 | $1,591,860 | 41 | $2,011,324 |
| 2024 | $31,442,606 | $10,458,932 | $9,648,059 | $1,982,052 | 51 | $561,454 |
| 2023 | $28,369,420 | $9,285,511 | $8,151,970 | $1,813,324 | 46 | $713,663 |
| 2022 | $25,303,702 | $9,071,760 | $7,991,324 | $2,751,574 | 55 | $532,806 |
| 2021 | $26,122,959 | $8,409,309 | $6,492,584 | $1,657,084 | 38 | $967,495 |
| 2020 | $19,996,367 | $8,168,860 | $7,815,607 | $3,858,826 | 42 | $236,438 |
| 2019 | $19,803,775 | $6,403,149 | $5,764,371 | $3,210,412 | 49 | $358,658 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is “to impact lives - today, tomorrow, and forever.” Its stated program areas include helping at-risk children enter kindergarten ready to learn and progress through school, supporting the financial stability and health of at-risk individuals and families, and providing access to food, shelter, and other essential services for people facing immediate threats to their well-being. Its current funding strategies include Education, Financial Stability, Health, and Safety Net.
The 2025–2027 funding announcement invites IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organizations that provide, or could implement, high-quality services aligned with those strategies to apply. Among the 2025 grantees, Family Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania describes its work as serving children, individuals, families, and communities; Wyoming Valley Children’s Association describes its work as early childhood education and related support services; and Luzerne County Head Start describes its work as early care and education for pregnant women and children from birth to age five. Domestic Violence Service Center describes its mission as working to eliminate domestic violence and support safety and self-sufficiency for victims in Luzerne and Carbon counties. Volunteers in Medicine describes providing free primary and preventive care to working uninsured and underinsured people in Luzerne County.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, United Way of Wyoming Valley reported 41 grants totaling $1,591,860. Grants ranged from $6,071 to $127,250, with a median of $23,750. The largest awards included $127,250 to Family Service Association, $120,000 to Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, $101,127 to Commission on Economic Opportunity, $92,214 to Dollywood Foundation, and $90,475 to Wyoming Valley Children’s Association. The listed purposes for these awards were program operating costs.
For its 2025–2027 funding opportunity, the organization requested Letters of Intent through its LOI submission process and provided a questionnaire and logic models. The announcement specified that late applications and applications missing required information or documents would not be accepted. The announced LOI deadline of Friday, January 3, was for a past cycle.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Don Brominski as Executive/Governance Chair, Danielle Hawley as 2nd Vice Chair and Treasurer, and Troy Standish as Secretary and member of the Executive/Governance group. It also lists Gino Bartoli, Sarah Block, Carmen Kahiu, Bill Sordoni, John McCarthy, Susanne Mullin, and Pat Endler in committee or leadership roles. The organization’s 2024–2025 annual report identifies Sara Peperno as President and CEO.
United Way of Wyoming Valley is led by Sara Peperno, CEO on the 2025 filing; 3 of 35 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sara Peperno
CEO
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$36K (2025)
Carl J. Witkowski
Steering Chair & Cic Committee
Executive, Governance & Steerin → Governance & Steering Chair, 2021
Governance & Steering Chair → Steering Chair & Cic Committee, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Don Brominski
Executive & Governance Chair
Board Chair & Executive Committee → Executive, Governance Chair & Steering, 2024
Executive, Governance Chair & Steering → Executive & Governance Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tara Mugford Wilson
Chair & Executive Committee
Executive & Cic Committee → 1st Vice Chair, Executive Committee, Cic & Steering, 2023
1st Vice Chair, Executive Committee, Cic & Steering → Chair & Executive Committee, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carmen Kahiu
Personnel, Ethics Chair & S
Personnel, Ethics & Steering → Personnel, Ethics Chair & Steerin, 2024
Personnel, Ethics Chair & Steerin → Personnel, Ethics Chair & S, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christine Jensen
Cic - Chair & Executive
Cic Vice Chair → Cic - Chair & Executive, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William M. Jones
Former CEO
President & CEO → Former CEO, 2025
On filings since 2019
$164K (2019) → $187K (2025)
Francis Collini
CFO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$86K (2023) → $93K (2025)
Danielle Hawley
2nd Vice Chair & Treasurer
Audit & Finance Committee → Treasurer, Finance & Audit Chair, 2023
Treasurer, Finance & Audit Chair → 2nd Vice Chair & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Graham III
Finance & Audit Committee
Finance Committee → Investment Committee, 2021
Investment Committee → Finance & Audit Committee, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Troy Standish
Secretary, Executive & Governor
Executive, Governance & Steerin → Secretary, Executive & Governance, 2023
Secretary, Executive & Governance → Secretary, Executive & Governor, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carmen Magistro
Finance & Audit Committee
Finance Committee → Finance & Audit Committee, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tina Dowd
Steering, Finance & Audit C
Steering Committee → Steering, Finance & Audit Committee, 2024
Steering, Finance & Audit Committee → Steering, Finance & Audit C, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gino Bartoli
Finance & Audit Committee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Block
Hiv & Cic Committee
Hiv Committee → Hiv & Cic Committee, 2023
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Zubeen Saeed
Steering & Governance Committee
Personnel Committee → Steering Committee, 2023
Steering Committee → Steering & Governance Committee, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Vieney
Personnel, Ethics & Cic Com
Personnel, Ethics & Cic → Personnel, Ethics & Cic Committee, 2024
Personnel, Ethics & Cic Committee → Personnel, Ethics & Cic Com, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Atty Paul Rushton
1st Vice Chair & Executive
2nd Vice Chair, Executive & Governance → 1st Vice Chair, Executive & Governance, 2024
1st Vice Chair, Executive & Governance → 1st Vice Chair & Executive, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Beth Hastie
Cic Committee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Kimbrough
Steering & Cic Committee
Steering Committee → Steering & Cic Committee, 2024
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg Cant
Finance, Audit & Governance
Governance & Steering → Finance, Audit & Governance Committee, 2024
Finance, Audit & Governance Committee → Finance, Audit & Governance, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Forseman
Personnel, Ethics & Hiv
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John McCarthy
Finance, Audit & Young Prof
Finance, Audit & Young Professional → Finance, Audit & Young Prof, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Megan Kennedy
Cic Committee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Brewster
Cic Committee
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pat Endler
Cic & Steering Committee
Cic - Chair, Steering & Executive → Cic & Steering Committee, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susanne Mullin
Finance & Audit Committee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Sordoni
Executive Committee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Myers
Finance & Audit Committee
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dani Mooney
Cic Vice Chair & Hiv
Cic Committee → Cic Vice Chair & Hiv, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ed Casulli
Finance & Audit Committee
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Josh Katyl
Governanace, Personnel & E
Governanace, Personnel & Ethics Committee → Governanace, Personnel & E, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kerri McKeown
Cic, Personnel & Ethics Com
Cic, Personnel & Ethics Committee → Cic, Personnel & Ethics Com, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lindsay Griffin-Boylan
Governanace Committee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Thalenfeld
Cic Committee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (43)
- Former: Gert McGowan (2023–2024) — Cic Committee & Vice Chair
- Former: Brad Berryman (2019–2023) — Personnel, Ethics & Berwick
- Former: Jennifer Sordoni (2019–2023) — Executive, Governance - Chair & Steering
- Former: Judy Bloom (2023) — Personnel, Ethics & Finance
- Former: Atty Catherine O'Donnell (2019–2022) — Personnel Committee
- Former: Brian Rinker (2019–2022) — Finance & Audit Committee
- Former: Jessica Cronauer (2019–2022) — Young Professionals
- Former: Lauren Allen (2019–2022) — Cic Committee
- Former: Richard Kazmerick (2019–2022) — Finance Committee
- Former: Sam Rostock (2019–2022) — Treasurer, Executive & Finanance
- Former: Shawn Walker (2019–2022) — Investment Committee
- Former: Teri Ooms (2019–2022) — Steering Committee
- Former: Lindsey Griffin (2020–2022) — Young Professionals
- Former: Mary Moga (2020–2022) — Personnel Committee
- Former: Alexandra Grover (2021–2022) — 100th Anniversary Committee
- Former: Paul Esquire Rushton (2021–2022) — Governance Committee
- Former: David Pedri (2019–2021) — Investment Committee
- Former: Donna Farrell (2019–2021) — Personnel Committee
- Former: Karen Borton (2019–2021) — Secretary, Executive & Cic Committee
- Former: Kevin Rea (2019–2021) — Audit Committee
- Former: R. Greg Collins (2019–2021) — Finance Committee
- Former: Ron Beer (2019–2021) — Finance Committee
- Former: Thomas J. Stires (2019–2021) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Gina Dipippa (2020–2021) — Berwick Advisory Council
- Former: Rebecca Binder (2020–2021) — 100th Anniversary Committee
- Former: John Baum (2021) — Steering Committee
- Former: Ken Fernandez (2021) — Personnel & Ethics Committee
- Former: Mary Kate Henry (2021) — Personnel Committee
- Former: Atty Thomas J. Campenni (2019–2020) — Governance Committee
- Former: Jason Williams (2019–2020) — Personnel Committee
- Former: Kathy Lantz (2019–2020) — Campaign Committee
- Former: Mary Kate Lambert (2019–2020) — Personnel Committee
- Former: Patrick J. Endler (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Rob Miller (2019–2020) — Finance Committee
- Former: Scott Lynett (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Thomas Botzman (2019–2020) — Governance Committee
- Former: William E. Sordoni (2019–2020) — Executive Committee & Governance Committee
- Former: Anne Skleder (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Conrad Schintz (2019) — Campaign Committee
- Former: Jessica Kingsborough (2019) — Board Member & Campaign Co-Chair
- Former: Joseph Lesko (2019) — Executive Committee & Cic Chair
- Former: Lindsey Bezick (2019) — Young Professionals
- Former: Scott Pertl (2019) — Personnel Committee Chair
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 $187K, to William M Jones (Former CEO). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about United Way of Wyoming Valley
How much does United Way of Wyoming Valley give each year?
United Way of Wyoming Valley gave $1.6M across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 51 grants.
What is United Way of Wyoming Valley's typical grant size?
United Way of Wyoming Valley's median grant in 2025 was $23,750, and its average grant was $38,826, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from United Way of Wyoming Valley that year got $16K on average.
Where does United Way of Wyoming Valley give grants?
United Way of Wyoming Valley gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wilkes-Barre, PA (19 grants), Kingston, PA (3 grants), Berwick, PA (3 grants) and Bloomsburg, PA (3 grants).
Does United Way of Wyoming Valley give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of United Way of Wyoming Valley's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (41 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are United Way of Wyoming Valley's largest grantees?
United Way of Wyoming Valley's largest 2025 grantees include Family Service Association ($127,250), Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA ($120,000) and Commission on Economic Opportunity ($101,127), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is United Way of Wyoming Valley?
United Way of Wyoming Valley reported $34.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $12.6M.
What does United Way of Wyoming Valley fund?
The organization’s stated mission is “to impact lives - today, tomorrow, and forever.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Way of Wyoming Valley?
The 2025–2027 opportunity required an LOI submitted through the organization’s LOI process; applicants were encouraged to complete the questionnaire in Word and then copy and paste their responses into the submission… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is United Way of Wyoming Valley's EIN?
United Way of Wyoming Valley's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 24-0831490. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 7, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). United Way of Wyoming Valley funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-wyoming-valley-morg_f45bd05c08fb46a2a75d6cdcc41b4a85
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_240831490_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{United Way of Wyoming Valley funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/united-way-of-wyoming-valley-morg_f45bd05c08fb46a2a75d6cdcc41b4a85},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Wyoming Valley'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 Wyoming Valley down — hundreds of funders to go?