PBN Diversity and Inclusion Awards 2021
Social Services: United Way of Rhode Island
United Way of Rhode Island is a name that is familiar to many locally. But Larry Warren, the nonprofit’s chief impact and equity officer, says it’s likely that not everyone understands the full scope of the work the organization undertakes.
Redefining Higher Education: The Strategic Imperative of a Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree
For over a century, the structure of undergraduate education has remained largely unchanged—typically requiring four…
Learn More
“I think many Rhode Islanders fall into one of two categories, they either don’t know what United Way does, or they know one dimension of what it does,” Warren said. “It could be that they only experience, they only interact with United Way [through] a workplace giving campaign, or they only know United Way because they work for an organization that has a grant from United Way. But we have such a diverse array of services and resources that we employ in pursuit of racial equity in our state.”
The United Way, which has more than 1,200 branches worldwide, aims for wide reach and impact. With that, the local Rhode Island branch is certainly making its mark on the Ocean State, working to ensure equity and opportunity for all Rhode Islanders. The nonprofit connects Rhode Islanders with social services through its 211 hotline. It also advocates for legislation, engages and invests in the local community, and provides grants in an effort to expand education and opportunity for a more equitable Rhode Island. United Way has also been supporting vaccine education outreach and the establishment of new vaccination sites during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A crucial part of United Way of Rhode Island’s work involves fundraising and providing grants to local organizations that are doing work United Way deems important. This year, the organization launched LIVE UNITED 2025, a strategic plan to invest $100 million within the next five years to support racial equity in the state, with the funding spanning 72 organizations.
‘We have such a diverse array of services and resources that we employ in pursuit of racial equity.’
LARRY WARREN, United Way of Rhode Island chief impact and equity officer
The strategic plan was built following the “Community First Conversation” series the organization had put together before the COVID-19 pandemic to address key questions about Rhode Island’s future. Warren said, “There were a number of different venues where people invited friends, family, strangers to come together and to answer basically two key questions: ‘Where would Rhode Islanders like to see Rhode Island five years from now?’ and ‘What role do they see United Way playing and getting us there?’ ”
In April 2020, the nonprofit organized its inaugural 401Gives fundraising drive, raising $1.3 million for local nonprofits in one day. The organization topped that feat in its second year of 401Gives, raising $2.3 million on April 1.
United Way of Rhode Island has also made the request for proposals process more accessible for the organizations that United Way partners with. “Philanthropy can be pretty mysterious as to how decisions are arrived at, even when criteria are clearly stated on our website or on the RFP, sometimes how a decision is arrived at is not particularly clear,” Warren said. “So we’re trying to pull back the curtain, so to speak, and be transparent as to how we arrived at a decision.”
All of United Way of Rhode Island’s efforts to promote equity and inclusion garnered the attention of philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, who donated $10 million to the organization in 2020. For Warren, Scott’s donation represents “a huge testament to the work that the team is doing here, that our leadership is coordinating and representing externally.”
That work extends to the organization’s efforts to engage with communities across Rhode Island. In February 2021, United Way of Rhode Island created the “21 Day Equity Challenge,” a challenge that encourages Rhode Islanders to learn more about systemic inequalities and injustices, coinciding with Black History Month. About 1,600 people engaged with the self-guided challenge to dedicate 15 minutes each day to thinking critically about topics such as racial identity, allyship and privilege.
United Way of Rhode Island engages further with local communities through legislative action on social issues, including early childhood education, source of income discrimination and affordable housing. Warren said that the organization is “proud to be one of a number of community partners in advocating for policies or investments and priorities that advance racial equity.”
