United Women of East Africa Support Team
United Women of East Africa Support Team (UWEAST) is a San Diego, California–based public charity. It describes itself as a cultural hub serving San Diego’s East African community through services and advocacy intended to foster resilience, self-sufficiency, and well-being.
United Women of East Africa Support Team at a glance
In short: United Women of East Africa Support Team gave $1.1M across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $57K), mostly in California. 5% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,141,674
- -36.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- -13.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $57,084
- -27.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $39,058
- Total assets
- $7,534,925
- +154.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 20, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (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 Women of East Africa Support Team
- Contact
Mailing address: 6523 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92115
Phone: (619) 277-0402
Website: https://uweast.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Women of East Africa Support Team funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Majdal Community Center ($190K). Together the top 10 received $912K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 31 grants of 65 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
UWEAST describes its community and services as centered on San Diego’s East African community, including East African women and families in City Heights. All 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is United Women of East Africa Support Team open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 20 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $59K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $43K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2024). 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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $355K (2021) to $1.8M (2023). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Majdal Community Center El Cajon, CA | Assistance | $190,130 |
| Pana-V San Diego, CA | Assistance | $103,874 |
| Karen Organizaiton of San Diego San Diego, CA | Assistance | $102,029 |
| Refugee Assistance Center San Diego, CA | Assistance | $96,091 |
| Southern Sudanese Community Center San Diego, CA | Assistance | $95,571 |
| Haitian Bridge Alliance San Diego, CA | Assistance | $78,656 |
| Somali Bantu Community of San Diego San Diego, CA | Assistance | $78,584 |
| License to Freedom El Cajon, CA | Assistance | $75,589 |
| Association for Youth and Community Advancement San Diego, CA | Assistance | $48,397 |
| OneOC Santa Ana, CA | Assistance | $43,276 |
Ready to take the next step with United Women of East Africa Support Team?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,534,925 | $7,728,932 | $4,637,431 | $1,141,674 | 20 | $203 |
| 2023 | $2,962,861 | $5,524,136 | $5,059,228 | $1,806,646 | 23 | $89 |
| 2022 | $2,364,836 | $4,349,001 | $3,923,874 | $1,005,638 | 11 | $56 |
| 2021 | $1,478,345 | $3,186,126 | $2,390,391 | $355,311 | 11 | $35 |
| 2020 | $639,618 | $1,226,228 | $973,831 | — | — | $85 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
UWEAST states that its mission is to provide culturally competent health services, education, and advocacy to improve the well-being of East African women and families and address community concerns. Its filing describes programs and support for East African women and children, including health, education, advocacy, and domestic-violence-related services. Its website also describes youth tutoring, adult learning, entrepreneurship and financial-literacy programming, and community health programs.
Examples of organizations receiving grants in 2024 include Haitian Bridge Alliance, whose stated mission includes advocating for fair and humane immigration policies and providing humanitarian, legal, and social services, particularly to Black migrants and other communities; License to Freedom, which says it promotes nonviolence, self-sufficiency, and advocacy for refugee and immigrant survivors of abuse; and Survivors of Torture International, which describes its work as facilitating healing for survivors of torture or trauma, educating the public and professionals, and advocating for survivors and the abolition of torture. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not UWEAST’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, UWEAST reported 20 grants totaling $1,141,674. Grant amounts ranged from $7,547 to $190,130, with a median of $39,058. The largest reported awards included:
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sahra Abdi as Executive Director; Sarah Cooper as Board Treasurer; Haleemah Zulali as Board Secretary; and Anna Shayo as Board Chair. It also lists Mahedere Berhanu, Dr Mike McKay, Alex Metz, Anna Slaby, Christiane Assefa, and Madhushree Ghosh as directors.
United Women of East Africa Support Team is led by Sahra Abdi, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 12 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sahra Abdi
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$100K (2020) → $191K (2024)
Anna Shayo
Board Chair
Board Secretary → Board Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mahedere Berhanu
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike McKay
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alex Metz
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anna Slaby
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christiane Assefa
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Madhushree Ghosh
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maria Luisa Zuniga
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samuel Mandler
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Cooper
Board Treasurer
Board Chair → Board Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Haleemah Zulali
Board Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Abrahim Tessema (2020–2023) — Board Treasurer
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 $191K, to Sahra Abdi (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about United Women of East Africa Support Team
How much does United Women of East Africa Support Team give each year?
United Women of East Africa Support Team gave $1.1M across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 23 grants.
What is United Women of East Africa Support Team's typical grant size?
United Women of East Africa Support Team's median grant in 2024 was $39,058, and its average grant was $57,084, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from United Women of East Africa Support Team that year got $20K on average.
Where does United Women of East Africa Support Team give grants?
United Women of East Africa Support Team 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 San Diego, CA (15 grants) and El Cajon, CA (2 grants).
Does United Women of East Africa Support Team give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on United Women of East Africa Support Team's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Assistance" (20 grants).
Who are United Women of East Africa Support Team's largest grantees?
United Women of East Africa Support Team's largest 2024 grantees include Majdal Community Center ($190,130), Pana-V ($103,874) and Karen Organizaiton of San Diego ($102,029), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is United Women of East Africa Support Team?
United Women of East Africa Support Team reported $7.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.7M.
What does United Women of East Africa Support Team fund?
UWEAST states that its mission is to provide culturally competent health services, education, and advocacy to improve the well-being of East African women and families and address community concerns. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Women of East Africa Support Team?
United Women of East Africa Support Team has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check uweast.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is United Women of East Africa Support Team's EIN?
United Women of East Africa Support Team's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 80-0516550. 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
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). United Women of East Africa Support Team funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/united-women-of-east-africa-support-team-morg_4c66614521974972bb291c40ced5f0c3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_800516550_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{United Women of East Africa Support Team funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/united-women-of-east-africa-support-team-morg_4c66614521974972bb291c40ced5f0c3},
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 Women of East Africa Support Team'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.
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