When Basic Needs Are Met, Dreams Take Flight.
Help students like Rose finish school, stay housed, and build a brighter future.
You can help them get there.
As a donor, board member, and Women United council member, I have been deeply impressed by United Way Bay Area’s stewardship of contributions. I have witnessed firsthand how we transform financial support into tangible, lasting impact for Bay Area residents.
Michelle Branch
Board Director - United Way Bay Area
Women United council member, Principal and Founder Branch Law Group
Your Impact Reaches Farther Than You Think
With your help, we mobilize support and solutions for the biggest challenges facing our community—making a difference, one person at a time.
$1,500,000 Emergency Food and Shelter Program food funding remains on hold for local partners – gifts keep meals moving while dollars are delayed.
144% Increase in food-related calls to 211 (Jan–Oct 2025) vs. same period last year.
594,770 Individuals in the Bay Area that are food insecure (11%).
In Addition to Donating Online, Here Are More Ways to Give
Check
Making a gift by check is a simple and impactful way to support our mission. Your gift helps provide essential services to families across our region. Please make checks payable to United Way Bay Area and mail to:
United Way Bay Area550 Kearny Street, Suite 510
San Francisco, CA 94108
Donor Advised Fund (DAF)
A Donor Advised Fund acts like a charitable investment account, allowing you to recommend grants to UWBA. You receive an immediate tax deduction, and your assets grow tax-free while supporting causes you care about. With just one tax receipt and a single giving platform, you can streamline your philanthropy and make a lasting impact.
Explore sample language to recommend a grant to UWBA
Stocks and Bonds
Gifting appreciated securities like stocks and bonds, is a smart way to support our mission. You avoid capital gains taxes and receive a charitable deduction for the full market value of your gift, making a greater impact without reducing your cash flow.
Download our stock transfer form
IRA Charitable Rollover
If you’re 70½ or older, you can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), directly from your IRA to United Way Bay Area – a tax smart way to give. If you are 73 or older, this gift can count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), helping you reduce taxable income while supporting families struggling to make ends across the Bay Area.
Explore sample language to request an IRA Charitable Rollover
Life Insurance
You can make a lasting impact by naming United Way Bay Area as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy or donating a policy you no longer need. This is a meaningful way to support our work without affecting your current finances.
Real Estate
Donating real estate — residential, commercial, or undeveloped land — can provide significant tax benefits while supporting our mission. Your property can be given outright or used to fund a gift that pays you income for life.
Double Your Impact With Matching Gifts
Make your generosity go further! Many employers offer matching gift programs, allowing your donation to United Way Bay Area to have double the impact. Together, we can create a stronger, more equitable Bay Area.
FAQ: Why Your Gift Matters and How Your Donation Helps the Bay Area
Q: Why should I give to UWBA?
Giving to United Way Bay Area is a direct way to help people in our community who are working hard to get through a tough moment. Sometimes it’s a family on the edge of eviction, a parent trying to keep food on the table between paychecks, or someone who simply doesn’t know where to turn next. Your support helps us connect people to resources that can make an immediate difference and also set them up for more stability down the road. We partner with organizations across the region that already know their neighborhoods well, so your gift reaches people quickly and respectfully. And because needs change throughout the year — especially toward the end of the year when costs add up — your donation helps us stay responsive. At its core, giving to UWBA means you’re helping someone stay on their feet, regain some stability, and feel a little less alone in a difficult moment.
Q: Where does my money go?
Your donation stays right here in the Bay Area and supports the services people rely on every single day. Donations support programs like 211, where real people answer calls from someone who might be looking for a meal tonight, a bed for the weekend, or help navigating rent relief — sometimes all in the same call. Your support also fuels SparkPoint®, where families meet with coaches who help them sort through things like credit scores, job searches, debt, and long-term planning. These are practical, hands-on conversations that build confidence and open new opportunities over time. We also provide grants to local nonprofits and support broader efforts that make our region fairer and more affordable. No matter where the dollars land, they go toward helping people regain stability, move forward, and feel more secure in the place they call home.