United Way of Halton and Hamilton is a 4-star charity. It is financially transparent, has reasonable overhead costs, and has an average results reporting grade of B. 

The United Way of Halton and Hamilton (UWHH) was created after the amalgamation of the United Way of Burlington & Greater Hamilton, the United Way of Oakville, the United Way of Halton Hills and the United Way of Milton on April 1, 2017. The charity notes in its 2017 Impact Report that by broadening its scope and pooling the resources of the four United Ways, it could create a more effective and sustainable organization that delivers greater social impact in the five communities it serves.

In F2023, the charity focused on three areas: Poverty to Possibility; Healthy People, Strong Communities; and All That Kids Can Be. The charity does not break down its spending by these three areas.

Poverty to Possibility grants help ensure that the most vulnerable people in the community have access to the most basic needs in life, such as food, shelter and transportation. These programs aim to offer money management, financial counseling and employment training so individuals and families can build their assets for long-term financial stability. UWHH reports that in F2023 it helped 13,017 people increase their food security and helped 4,474 people move toward employment and/or financial stability.

The charity’s Healthy People, Strong Communities grants help increase the quality of life in communities by supporting mental health, parenting, wellness, recreation and social programs. These programs aim to give people the tools, confidence and support to live independently and take better care of themselves and their families. In F2023, UWHH funding helped 7,189 people access supports like addiction services. UWHH also funds 211, a service that helps people access health and social services. It received 6,915 touchpoints with community members in F2023.

UWHH’s All That Kids Can Be grants help children by funding mentorship, counseling, crisis prevention and recreational programs. These programs aim to give youth self-esteem, confidence, positive behaviour and a sense of belonging so they can grow into engaged and productive adults. In F2023, the charity helped 35,466 children and youth be involved in their community.

In F2023, United Way Halton and Hamilton received $11.5m in donations. It also received $698k in donated goods-in-kind. Fundraising costs are 17% of donations and administrative costs are 6% of revenues (less investment income). Total overhead spending is 23%. For each dollar donated, 77 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

Reserve funds of $14.8m can cover program and grant expenses for 2 years at the F2022 level. Reserve funds include $2.8m in funds held at Halton Community Foundation, Burlington Community Foundation, Oakville Community Foundation, and Community Foundation of Halton North.

In F2023, UWHH sold a property resulting in a gain on sale of capital assets of $2.1m. It also purchased $56k worth of capital assets during the year. As Ci reports capital expenditures less proceeds from sale of capital assets, the value is negative in F2023.

United Way Halton and Hamilton’s F2023 T3010 filing with the CRA is not yet publicly available at the time of this report. As such, compensation data reflects F2022.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to the United Way of Halton and Hamilton for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 3, 2023 by Emily Downing.