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A female presenting individual in a black shirt smiling in front of a SparkPoint sign. A female presenting individual in a black shirt smiling in front of a SparkPoint sign.

Help Break the Cycle of Poverty

500,000 of our Bay Area neighbors still struggle to meet their basic needs. Today thousands of neighbors are building better futures thanks to United Way Bay Area and you. One of them is Sui.

"To me it’s like a blessing!” Once trapped in debt and despair, Sui is now rebuilding her life, boosting her credit, and mending key relationships, all thanks to support and services like Free Tax Help and financial coaching through SparkPoint™ – enabled by your donations.

Please make a gift to help your neighbors, like Sui, in your community, today!

Donate Today

Episode 1: Basic Needs

In this episode we discuss the idea of basic needs, the barriers individuals face, and the compound effects of inadequate access to essentials like food and housing.

Just a Moment

 

UWBA 101 – Welcome to the Conversation

 

Just a Moment is a six-episode series diving into United Way Bay Area’s comprehensive approach to fighting poverty. From ensuring basic needs to advocating for housing justice, each episode features expert guests discussing how targeted actions in employment, financial stability, and mobilizing our network contribute to a thriving Bay Area.

 

Watch the Series Now

GIVE

Every dollar counts.

Donate Now

ADVOCATE

Your voice matters.

Learn how you can advocate with us

VOLUNTEER

Give your time.

Learn about opportunities

OVER 500,000 BAY AREA HOUSEHOLDS STRUGGLE TO MEET BASIC NEEDS

We’re out to change that.

Join Us

Impact Areas: Our Major Areas of Focus in the Fight Against Poverty

Meeting basic needs

Our Basic Needs programs, partnerships, and policy work, support people in our community to meet their basic needs.

Learn more about meeting basic needs

Employment and career opportunities

We believe that access to education and employment opportunities is necessary to ensure that individuals are successful in school and in their careers.

Learn moreabout employment and career opportunities

Financial stability

Our programs address various aspects of financial stability to make sure individuals and families can thrive in their daily lives, reach their goals, and recover from a crisis quickly

Learn More about financial stability

Housing justice

UWBA is deepening our focus on improving access to stable, affordable housing and homelessness prevention resources.

Learn More about housing justice

Meeting basic needs

Our Basic Needs programs, partnerships, and policy work, support people in our community to meet their basic needs.

Learn more about meeting basic needs

Employment and career opportunities

We believe that access to education and employment opportunities is necessary to ensure that individuals are successful in school and in their careers.

Learn moreabout employment and career opportunities

Financial stability

Our programs address various aspects of financial stability to make sure individuals and families can thrive in their daily lives, reach their goals, and recover from a crisis quickly

Learn More about financial stability

Housing justice

UWBA is deepening our focus on improving access to stable, affordable housing and homelessness prevention resources.

Learn More about housing justice

Our Impact

67000000

$67M+ returned to the community in tax refunds though our free tax preparation program EKS

96850

calls and texts answered by our 211 helpline

2784

clients received long-term financial or career coaching through SparkPoint

Halfway There: Charting Progress in the Pursuit of Equity

UWBA CEO, Kevin Zwick’s reflections on 2023, highlighting milestones, challenges, and the path toward an equitable and impactful New Year.

Read Kevin's 2023 Reflections

Featured Content

2023 Annual Report

We invite you to read about the work and impact of United Way Bay Area for the 2023 fiscal year. We addressed the many needs of our eight-county region, an area impacted by the rising costs of inflation, serving nearly 650,000 community members.

Access Our Annual Report

San Francisco State University SparkPoint Center Launch

The SFSU Food+Shelter+Success Office and United Way Bay Area invite you to celebrate the launch of our Spark Point Program at SF State.

Attend the Launch of the SFSU SparkPoint Program

2023 Impact Report

In our most recent completed fiscal year, July 2022 to June 2023, we served nearly 277,254 community members as our region continued its recovery from the fallout of a global pandemic and faced an uphill battle with the rising costs of living. We invite you to learn more about our efforts in our community.

Read our 2023 Impact Report

Financial Support & Coaching Improves Graduation Rates

A new evaluation of United Way Bay Area’s SparkPoint program finds substantial evidence students assisted are more likely to stay enrolled and earn a degree.

Learn more about the findings of this study

DEI Journeys

Discover the same curated content we use internally to help stimulate discussions and consider perspectives that are typically excluded from the conversation.

Learn More About Our DEI Journey

What We're Up To

Read our latest blogs, press releases and news.

One-on-One with 211

What happens when you call 211? Call Specialist, Lacey, takes us inside this 24-hour community support helpline.

Explore This Q&A With Lacey

UWBA Commences Search for Next CEO

UWBA, one of the most respected and highly effective philanthropic organizations, announced that the search for its next CEO has begun.

Read More About Our Search

UWBA Opens New Sparkpoint Program at San Francisco State University

We were joined today by SFSU officials, faculty, students, & SF Supervisors for the opening of a new SparkPoint program on at SFSU.

Read About The Launch of the New SparkPoint Center

5 Ways Whole Communities Can Benefit From Affordable Housing

Karen Nemsick talks about uplifting communities, boosting the economy, & creating healthier environments all with affordable housing.

Discover How Communities Can Benefit from Affordable Housing

New Research Shows Bay Area Residents Continue to Utilize 211

Calls texts for assistance on our 211 helpline highlight a persistent need for resources, volumes consistently exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

Learn More About 211 & Its Community Impact

Stories of Impact

Learn how your gift supports services and programs that change lives in the Bay Area.

Meet Jamila

For many in the Bay Area, life's unexpected turns can mean the difference between stability and crisis.

Learn how her call to 211 Helpline provided aid to her neighbor during a power outage and identity theft crisis

Meet Lupe

When she was wrongfully evicted, Guadalupe reached out to UWBA community partner, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy for help.

Read Lupe's Story

Meet Arya

Arya shares her experience with the UWBA Youth Opportunities Pathways (YOP) College Essay Workshop and how this helped her university prospects.

Learn About Arya's Experience

Get Involved Today!

Give

Help struggling Bay Area residents break the cycle of poverty.

Support the Cause!

Advocate

Take action to break the cycle of poverty.

Your Voice Matters!

Volunteer

Volunteer to dismantle the root causes of poverty and build equitable pathways to prosperity.

Make a Difference!

Connect

Connect with like-minded individuals that want to make a positive impact in the Bay Area.

Connect Today!

Connect & Engage With Us on Your Favorite Social Channel

Check out our Social Media Feed

Join Thousands of Like-Minded Community Members That Receive Regular Email Communications From Us.

 

Be the FIRST in the know about…

  • the latest news about our work and impact in fighting Bay Area poverty
  • upcoming events to connect with others and grow your network
  • impactful volunteer opportunities
  • opportunities to give back to support our bay area community

Also stay up to date on how you can join us to make a local impact through our public policy initiatives.

 

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