View United Way Bay Area's Latest Press Releases

View Our Latest Press Releases

United Way Bay Area Launches Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program, Providing 100 Families in Alameda County Each With $18,000 in Direct Cash Payments

United Way Bay Area launches a groundbreaking guaranteed basic income pilot in Alameda County, providing 100 families with $18,000 in direct payments. Discover how this initiative supports financial stability and empowers our community.

Learn More About the Pilot Program

Statement: United Way Bay Area on the Missed Opportunity To Change the Future of Affordable Housing With the Defeat of Proposition 5

United Way Bay Area supports Proposition 5, a critical measure to address California's housing crisis and ensure affordable housing for all. Learn how this initiative can create lasting change in our communities.

Read our full statement on Proposition 5

United Way Bay Area Welcomes Keisha Browder as Chief Executive Officer

United Way Bay Area proudly welcomes Keisha Browder as its new CEO. With a proven track record in nonprofit leadership, Keisha is dedicated to advancing equity and fighting poverty across the Bay Area. Learn more about her inspiring vision for our community.

Learn More About Our New CEO

United Way Bay Area Announces Enhanced Financial Coaching Capabilities For People With Disabilities

United Way Bay Area (UWBA) has expanded its free financial coaching for residents with disabilities, integrating the initiative into its SparkPoint™ program with support from the Wells Fargo Foundation and National Disability Institute (NDI). This initiative provides specialized training to 29 financial coaches across eight Bay Area locations, aiming to improve financial health for people with disabilities.

Learn More About This Expanded Opportunity

STATEMENT: Interim CEO of United Way Bay Area, Kelly Batson, condemns Supreme Court decision criminalizing homelessness

Statement from Kelly Batson, Interim CEO of United Way Bay Area, the area's most respected and effective philanthropic organization fighting poverty, condemning the Supreme Court’s decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson

Read Our Statement on the Supreme Court Decision Criminalizing Homelessness

United Way Bay Area supports 24 housing organizations in the region with grants in honor of Affordable Housing Month

For the third year in a row, United Way Bay Area is awarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to local nonprofits fighting homelessness and addressing the lack of affordable housing in the region with innovative solutions

New research: Bay Area residents face persistent housing crisis, with additional needs varying by county and race

Calls and texts to United Way Bay Area for assistance on its 211 helpline over the prior 90-day period reflect a region struggling to meet basic needs

Read Our Press Release

United Way Bay Area Commences Search for Next CEO

United Way Bay Area, one of the most respected and highly effective philanthropic organizations fighting poverty in the region, announced that the search for its next CEO has begun. Outgoing CEO KEVIN ZWICK ANNOUNCED HIS PLANS TO STEP DOWN earlier this year after three and a half years at the helm.

United Way Bay Area 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.

Learn More About the Opening of the SFSU SparkPoint Center

New research: Bay Area residents continue to utilize 211 resources at levels exceeding pre-pandemic

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

United Way Bay Area receives $3 Million grant from BMO to support household financial stability across the Bay Area

The four-year grant will help support United Way Bay Area’s SparkPoint centers located at community colleges and service center

Learn more about this grant from BMO

United Way Bay Area Statement - September 14 2023

Statement from TaShon Thomas, Director of Public Policy at United Way Bay Area on Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 (ACA 1).

New Research: Financial Support and Coaching Improves Persistence and Graduation Rates for Community College Students by 86%

This new evaluation finds substantial evidence students assisted are more likely to stay enrolled and earn a degree.

United Way Bay Area awards $750,000 in housing justice grants to 23 local nonprofits

UWBA is awarding grants totaling $750,000 to 23 Bay Area organizations as part of their Housing Justice Initiative grantmaking efforts

Learn more about our Housing Justice Initiative grantmaking efforts

United Way Bay Area receives $3M grant from Safeway Foundation to address food insecurity

The 4-year grant will fund monthly stipends and financial coaching to help break the cycle of poverty and end hunger for 100 families in Alameda County

Learn More About the $3M Grant

New United Way study finds over 1 in 4 Bay Area households struggle to meet basic needs

New data reveals the true cost of living in the Bay Area – too many working families don’t earn enough to meet a decent standard of living based on 2021 census data

Governor Newsom’s Proposed January 2023-2024 Budget Key Investments Brief for UWCA Members

Governor Newsom’s Proposed January 2023-2024 Budget Key Investments Brief for UWCA Members Statement from Pete Manzo, President & CEO, UWCA Californians deserve a state budget...

CEO of United Way Bay Area, Kevin Zwick, Applauds Passage of Local Affordable Housing Initiatives Across the Bay Area

San Francisco, Calif., Nov. 9, 2022—Yesterday was an important day for the thousands of Bay Area residents fighting to keep themselves and their neighbors housed.

STATEMENT: CEO of United Way Bay Area, Kevin Zwick, applauds passage of the Inflation Reduction Act but...

Statement from Kevin Zwick, CEO of United Way Bay Area, the area’s most respected and effective philanthropic organization...

OVERTURNING ROE V. WADE WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY

Statement from Kevin Zwick, CEO of United Way Bay Area, one of the region’s most respected and effective philanthropic organizations fighting poverty

UNITED WAY BAY AREA RELEASES ITS 2021 ANNUAL REPORT

The report details its 99th year fighting poverty, including aid to over 880,000 neighbors in need and nearly $5 million in grants to the community.

UNITED WAY BAY AREA TO AWARD $1M IN HOUSING JUSTICE GRANTS TO MORE THAN 20 LOCAL NONPROFITS

San Francisco, Calif., May 27, 2022 – United Way Bay Area (UWBA) is awarding grants totaling $1M to more than 20 Bay Area organizations as part of their inaugural Housing Justice Initiative grantmaking efforts...

UNUSED RENTAL RELIEF FUNDS TO SUPPORT CALIFORNIA RENTERS

CEO of United Way Bay Area, Kevin Zwick, applauds President Biden’s decision to transfer unused rental relief funds to support California renters FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE...

UNITED WAY BAY AREA JOINS FORCES WITH ALE INDUSTRIES

Cheers for a Cause raises awareness and funds for UWBA SparkPoint centers. Oakland’s longest-running brewery, Ale Industries, partnered with United Way Bay Area (UWBA)...

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING UWBA’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVE!

By Anton Timms and Scott Marlowe There are hundreds of thousands of Bay Area families that struggle to make ends meet and find it...

OPINION: WHY BAY AREA NEEDS TO ELIMINATE SINGLE-FAMILY ZONING

Several cities across the region are beginning to confront the racist and exclusionary history of restrictive zoning laws THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED...

UPLIFT: A MUSICAL EXPERIENCE

Attending a private concert from the comfort of your own home was a novel idea until 2020. Once the pandemic struck, musicians across the...

CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND

One of United Way Bay Area’s toughest fights is helping individuals and families afford and access food and other basic needs. In a region as...

WHY PHILANTHROPY MATTERS TO REAL PEOPLE

Rose Brantley has lived in her Cupertino apartment complex for over 21 years. In nearly all that time, the 78-year-old West Valley resident worked just...

UNITED WAY BAY AREA CEO ANNE WILSON TO RETIRE FEBRUARY 28 AFTER 40 YEARS OF SERVICE

SAN FRANCISCO (January 21, 2020)—United Way Bay Area (UWBA) CEO Anne Wilson has announced her retirement after 40 years of service—she joined the nonprofit...

UNITED WAY WORLDWIDE LAUNCHES COVID-19 COMMUNITY RESPONSE AND RECOVERY FUND

United Way Worldwide today announced that it has established the COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund to support communities affected by COVID-19. Donations...

LOCAL NONPROFIT LEADER KEVIN ZWICK JOINS UNITED WAY BAY AREA AS CEO

The national search for the new CEO of United Way Bay Area (UWBA) has yielded an impact-oriented nonprofit leader with deep expertise in addressing...

UNITED WAY BAY AREA’S EARN IT! KEEP IT! SAVE IT! (EKS) PROGRAM

SAN FRANCISCO, February 10, 2021—Low- to moderate-income residents of the Bay Area can get free, secure and high-quality tax help through United Way Bay...

CHABOT COLLEGE LAUNCHES THE NEWEST SPARKPOINT CENTER

Chabot College today officially opened a SparkPoint center, the newest in the United Way Bay Area (UWBA) network of locations designed to serve students...

UNITED WAY BAY AREA RECEIVES $750,000 GRANT FROM WELLS FARGO TO LAUNCH RENTAL RELIEF FUND

The United Way Bay Area Rental Relief Fund, created by Wells Fargo, will provide rental assistance to 300 families through UWBA’s existing network of SparkPoint Centers...

UNITED WAY BAY AREA COVID-19 COMMUNITY RELIEF FUND DISTRIBUTES $4.3 MILLION, MORE SUPPORT NEEDED

Dollars flowing in phases from United Way Bay Area’s (UWBA) COVID-19 Community Relief Fund to help residents hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis now...

UNITED WAY BAY AREA LAUNCHES COVID-19 COMMUNITY RELIEF FUND FOR EIGHT COUNTIES

United Way Bay Area’s (UWBA) COVID-19 Community Relief Fund has raised $4.35 million since its launch on March 18 and this week will award...

NEW UNITED WAY BAY AREA GRANTS TO LOCAL NONPROFITS WORKING ON CENSUS 2020 BRING TOTAL TO $1.5 MILLION

SAN FRANCISCO (January 15, 2020)—United Way Bay Area(UWBA), the state-designated, regional Administrative Community-Based Organization (ACBO) for Census 2020, has completed a second round of...

UNITED WAY BAY AREA AWARDS NEARLY $1.1 MILLION TO NONPROFITS SEEKING A COMPLETE COUNT IN CENSUS 2020

SAN FRANCISCO (October 24, 2019)—United Way Bay Area (UWBA), the state-designated, regional Administrative Community-Based Organization (ACBO) for Census 2020, has awarded a total of $1,082,000...

Press Releases

MEDIA INQUIRIES Caitlin McShane – EMC Communications EMAIL or call 1-415-225-8855.