About

Summer of Service teen volunteers

For 83 years, United Way of Southwest Louisiana has been committed to building strong, successful families and strengthening our community. When you join the United Way team, you're supporting a powerful movement to impact the region's most pressing health and human service needs.

OUR MISSION: COMMUNITY IMPACT

United Way of Southwest Louisiana is an authority on recognizing, measuring and mobilizing the resources to target community needs in Southwest Louisiana with a focus on Education, Economic Mobility, Health and Basic Needs.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

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United Way of Southwest Louisiana team members

We recognize that in order to achieve our mission, we must continuously strive to be relevant and responsive to our community as a whole. As the diversity in our community grows, we must be increasingly intentional about aligning our practices and policies.

United Way of Southwest Louisiana understands diversity to include all human characteristics that make us unique as individuals. It includes everyone and excludes no one. Inclusion is our strategy to leverage the diversity of our community.

Join us as we continue to address the underlying causes of community problems, transform lives and create opportunities for a good life for all!

OUR COMMUNITY

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Southwest Louisiana

Our community is on the Gulf of Mexico coast of Louisiana and the Texas border and includes the parishes listed below:

  • Allen parish

  • Beauregard parish

  • Calcasieu parish

  • Cameron parish

  • Jefferson Davis parish

Do you really know us?

As a community united, we have done just that. We've created a safety net, but it's not enough. For our community to move forward we must continue to move people and families to positions of lasting independence. In direct alignment with the goals of United Way Worldwide, United Way of Southwest Louisiana recognizes the following community impact areas: Education, Economic Mobility, Basic Needs and Health, as the building blocks for opportunity--individually and collectively.

In order to meet the most critical needs in our community, funding is limited to programs that target the ALICE or "At-Risk" populations.

Accomplishments

Operates in the top 9% of all U.S. United Ways
  • We are in the top 125 out of 1300 United Ways!
Maintains a 4-Star Rating with Charity Navigator
  • Charity Navigator is the nation’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities and accepts no advertising or donations from any nonprofit it evaluates.
  • 4-Star rating means exceptional, exceeds industry standards for financial health and accountability & transparency. A 4-Star rating means this nonprofit outperforms most charities in its Cause and is the highest rating attainable at Charity Navigator.
Maintains a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly GuideStar)
  • One of the first and currently the world’s largest central sources of information on nonprofits
  • Platinum is the highest attainable level of transparency and means they have not only seen all your information but have proven to be run as nonprofits should be.
United Way Member in Good Standing 2022
  • We have complied with all obligations and remain in good standing with United Way Worldwide.
Grow With Google Partner
  • Trusted with Google’s proven resources for training and tools that community organizations can use to enhance their digital skills and grow their online presence.
  • Our videography and photography were highlighted in the annual Google Year in Review Video and Highlights for our work during the COVID-19 global pandemic as a partner
Oldest nonprofit member of the Chamber SWLA
The recipient in 2020 of a MacKenzie Scott Award
  • The largest donation in the nonprofit's history was due to the leadership shown during the pandemic and Hurricanes Laura and Delta followed by Winter Storm Uri and May flooding events.
Recipient of the 2022 Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Award (LEPA) from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Fiscal agent for the Local Federal Emergency Management Agency Board which distributes Emergency Food & Shelter Program funds for FEMA annually
Fiscal agent for the local chapter of Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (SWLA VOAD)

 

Partnerships & Memberships

  • NOAA Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador
  • City of Lake Charles
  • Lake Charles Police Department
  • Calcasieu Parish School Board
  • Calcasieu Parish Police Jury
  • Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office
  • Calcasieu Parish District Attorney's Office
  • Chair of Calcasieu Prisoner Reentry Coalition
  • Southwest Louisiana Human Trafficking Task Force
  • Chamber SWLA Education & Workforce Committee
  • Asset Builders Cooperative Endeavor
  • Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families
  • Perkins V Regional Coalition
  • Louisiana Department of Health Region V Community Advisory and Action Team
  • SWLA Opioid
  • SWLA Suicide Coalition
  • Chamber SWLA Quality of Life Committee
  • United Against Human Trafficking SWLA
  • Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
  • Power to Care Program Partner for Entergy Louisiana

4-Star Charity Navigator

 

2022 Membership in Good Standing

 

original MacKenzie Scott recipient

 

Weather Ready Nation

 

LEPA Award