United Ways of California logo

United Ways of California

Public charity · Grantmaker South Pasadena, CA EIN: 94-1646369 Website

United Ways of California is a public charity based in South Pasadena, California, formed in 1987. It coordinates and enhances the community-impact work of California’s United Ways, with a stated mission focused on improving health, education, and financial results for low-income children and families.

Key facts about United Ways of California

In short: United Ways of California gave $6.6M across 39 grants in 2024 (avg $170K), mostly in California. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.

EIN
94-1646369
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$6,614,214
Grants made (2024)
39
Average grant
$169,595
Median grant
$79,865
New grantees (estimate)
29% first-time grantees (9 of 31, 2024)
Total assets
$5,380,898
Primary geography
California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$5.4M

-42.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$6.6M

-29.5% YoY

Grant Count

39

+21.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$170K

-42.2% YoY

Is United Ways of California open to new grantees?

29%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 9 of 31 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $186K; repeat grants $224K. How we count

Medians: $147K first-time, $151K repeat.

  • 61% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 1005% from 2021 to 2024. 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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The organization states that it improves the health, education, and financial results of low-income children and families by enhancing and coordinating the community-impact work of California’s United Ways.

Its reported programs include partnering with local United Ways on food and farmworker relief, California Earned Income Tax Credit outreach, free tax preparation, and 2-1-1 services. The filing says its 2-1-1 partnerships provided access to the network for 96% of Californians. It also reports that its tax-preparation partnerships helped deliver more than 76,000 federal and state tax returns, saving Californians over $6 million in tax-preparation fees.

Grantees include local United Ways and other organizations. For example, United Way of the Bay Area describes its mission as dismantling the root causes of poverty and building equitable pathways to prosperity. Community Link Capital says it helps people turn ideas into community action through information, planning, civic engagement, and advocacy for human needs in the Sacramento region. Interface Children Family Services describes its work as supporting children, teens, individuals, and families facing challenges including domestic violence, homelessness, mental health concerns, and trauma.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2024, United Ways of California reported 39 grants totaling $6,614,214. Grant amounts ranged from $6,550 to $1,651,409, with a median of $79,865.

The largest reported grants included $1,651,409 to Interface Children Family Services for 2-1-1 services statewide; $646,706 to United Way Fresno Madera for farmworkers relief work and Cal EITC outreach; $457,915 to Inland SoCal United Way for farmworkers relief work; and $387,424 to Community Link Capital Region for 2-1-1 services. Other notable grants included $348,800 to United Way of Kern County for farmworkers relief work, $250,000 to United Way Bay Area for financial stability, and $200,000 to United Way of Greater Los Angeles for financial stability.

The filing describes the USDA Food and Farmworkers Relief Program as providing $600 payments to food and farmworkers through local partners. It also says grants went to agencies participating in outreach and distribution. These payments and the filing’s other program outcomes describe services delivered through the programs, not application instructions for outside grant-seekers. The filing says grants to United Ways and other organizations are monitored through analytical and financial compliance reviews.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All reported 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California. The listed grantees include organizations in Camarillo, Fresno, Riverside, Sacramento, Bakersfield, Santa Maria, Tulare, San Francisco, Stockton, Merced, Los Angeles, and Capitola.

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.

Cities

FresnoReddingSacramentoSanta MariaSan FranciscoVenturaBakersfieldIrvineLos AngelesMercedMontereySan Luis ObispoSanta RosaCapitolaRiversideRancho CucamongaModestoStocktonTulareAlameda

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2.5M$5M$7.5M$10M85 grants2020 27 grants2021 17 grants2022 32 grants2023 39 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $599K (2021) to $9.4M (2023). In 2024 it made 39 grants totaling $6.6M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Icfs: $1.7MIcfs$1.7MUnited Way Fresno Madera: $672K across 2 grantsUnited Way Fresno Madera$672K · 2 grantsInland Socal United Way: $483K across 2 grantsInland Socal United Way$483K · 2 grantsCommunity Link Capital Region: $387KCommunity Link Capital Region$387KUnited Way of Kern County: $349KUnited Way of Kern County$349KNorthern Santa Barbara County United Way: $301KNorthern Santa Barbara CountyUnited Way$301KUnited Way of Tulare County: $264KUnited Way of Tulare County$264KUnited Way Bay Area: $250KUnited Way Bay Area$250KUnited Way San Joaquin: $233KUnited Way San Joaquin$233KUnited Way of Merced County: $219KUnited Way of Merced County$219K

The largest 2024 recipient was Icfs ($1.7M). Together the top 10 received $4.8M.

Grant Size Distribution

200 grants across all recorded years

137<$50K20$50–100K16$100–250K13$250–500K9$500K–1M5$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 137 grants of 200 (69%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Icfs Camarillo, CA2-1-1 Services State-Wide$1,651,409
United Way Fresno Madera Fresno, CAFarmworkers Relief Work, Cal Eitc Outreach$646,706
Inland Socal United Way Riverside, CAFarmworkers Relief Work$457,915
Community Link Capital Region Sacramento, CA211 Svc Work$387,424
United Way of Kern County Bakersfield, CAFarmworkers Relief Work$348,800
Northern Santa Barbara County United Way Santa Maria, CAFarmworkers Relief Work$301,336
United Way of Tulare County Tulare, CAFarmworkers Relief Work$264,040
United Way Bay Area San Francisco, CAFinancial Stability$250,000
United Way San Joaquin Stockton, CAFarmworkers Relief Work, Cal Eitc Outreach$233,090
United Way of Merced County Merced, CAFarmworkers Relief Work$218,870

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2024 $5,380,898 $25,099,810 $25,545,816 $6,614,214
2023 $9,365,349 $39,155,699 $38,745,662 $9,385,906
2022 $5,614,193 $5,982,663 $5,003,536 $932,589
Revenue
Expenses
$0$20M$40M$60M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$5,380,898$9,365,349$5,614,193
Revenue$25,099,810$39,155,699$5,982,663
Expenses$25,545,816$38,745,662$5,003,536

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Peter Manzo as president and CEO, Anne Wilson as chair, and Albert Chavez as CFO. It lists Apple Musni, Larry Olmstead, Lisa Wright, James Olson, Huge Morales, Bob Walker, and Nancy Sasaki as directors.

United Ways of California is led by Peter Manzo, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 3 of 11 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Peter Manzo

    President & CEO

    President CEO → President & CEO, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $246K (2020) → $315K (2024)

  • Anne Wilson

    Chair

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nalleli S. Contreras

    Senior Director of Programs

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $101K (2021) → $118K (2024)

  • Apple Musni

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • James Olson

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lisa Wright

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Larry Olmstead

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Huge Morales

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bob Walker

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nancy Sasaki

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Albert Chavez

    CFO

    On filings since 2022

    40 hrs/week

    $148K (2022) → $219K (2024)

Former officers (4)
  • Former: Stefan Bradley To Sep (2023) — Director
  • Former: Mike Silacci (2020–2022) — Treasurer · Filing note: Through sep 2022
  • Former: Stefan Bradley (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: John Gyllenhammer (2020) — Director · Filing note: Through oct 2020

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

Peter Manzo — President & CEO: $315KPeter ManzoPresident & CEO$315KAlbert Chavez — CFO: $219KAlbert ChavezCFO$219KNalleli S Contreras — Senior Director of Programs: $118KNalleli S ContrerasSenior Director of Programs$118K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $315K, to Peter Manzo (President & CEO). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Contact

Mailing address: 1107 Fair Oaks Avenue Ste 12, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Phone: (213) 808-6227

Frequently asked questions about United Ways of California

How much does United Ways of California give each year?

United Ways of California gave $6.6M across 39 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $9.4M across 32 grants.

What is United Ways of California's typical grant size?

United Ways of California's median grant in 2024 was $79,865, and its average grant was $169,595, across 39 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from United Ways of California that year got $186K on average.

Where does United Ways of California give grants?

United Ways of California gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Sacramento, CA (4 grants), Fresno, CA (2 grants), Riverside, CA (2 grants) and Bakersfield, CA (2 grants).

Does United Ways of California give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 39 grants with a stated purpose on United Ways of California's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Financial Stability" (13 grants), "Farmworkers Relief Work, Cal Eitc Outreach" (6 grants) and "Farmworkers Relief Work" (6 grants).

Who are United Ways of California's largest grantees?

United Ways of California's largest 2024 grantees include Icfs ($1,651,409), United Way Fresno Madera ($671,706 across 2 grants) and Inland Socal United Way ($482,915 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is United Ways of California?

United Ways of California reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $25.1M.

What does United Ways of California fund?

The organization states that it improves the health, education, and financial results of low-income children and families by enhancing and coordinating the community-impact work of California’s United Ways. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from United Ways of California?

United Ways of California has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check www,unitedwaysca.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

What is United Ways of California's EIN?

United Ways of California's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-1646369. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.

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