Strengthening the Safety Net

Community Investments and Our Partner Network

Using ALICE as our north star, we strengthen health and social services in Southeastern Michigan by improving and expanding programming, removing barriers to coordinated service delivery and fostering collaboration. It takes a collective effort to ensure our community is a place where everyone can thrive. We work together as a partner network to create the best possible conditions for everyone so that no matter which door a person walks through, the phone number they dial, or the database they search, they are quickly connected to resources that meet their needs.

How do we work together with our partner network?

Strategic Investments
Strategic Investments

We provide grants that support the availability of food, health care, youth and housing services. This flexible funding provides a safety net for ALICE households and helps partners remain nimble and responsive to community needs.

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Capacity Building

We provide strategic introductions, trainings and free tools that help amplify our partners’ impact and improves our readiness to participate in a transformed, more connected social services ecosystem.

Collaboration

Together with our partners, we understand needs and strengths, work on solutions, and highlight our collective impact. We use our impact to increase resources that support our partner network.

Advocacy
Advocacy

We advocate for state, federal and local policies that help ALICE households meet their basic needs and experience economic security, with the goal of creating long-lasting positive impacts in our community.

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Community Investments Impact: GRANT YEAR 2025-26: MIDYEAR REPORT

More than 40 percent of households in Southeastern Michigan struggle to afford basic needs like food, housing and health care. Community investments are one of the key ways that United Way works to make a difference for these families. Thanks to our donors, we’ve invested $5.3 million into 95 local organizations this year. We work together to meet the community’s immediate needs and help families move from crisis to stability, and from stability to prosperity.

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Our Impact

These stats and stories show the difference this work made in 2024.
Boots on the Ground: PATH at Community Housing Network (CHN)
“Other funding sources can't always support certain things so there is a vacuum. Thankfully, United Way has partnered with us to fund those gaps with unrestricted dollars.”

Mellena Martinez, director of housing resources at CHN

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in funding provided for food, housing, youth and health care services.

individuals and households projected to be served.

grants provided to strengthen health and social services in our communities.

Getting Families to the Other Side of Crisis
“The more people that know crisis is one missed paycheck away, the more connections and building blocks can happen.”

Brooke Dahlia Hill, president of the Board of Directors at SOS Community Services.

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Investing in Hope: Standing in Partnership with Zaman

Your support helps make this work possible

Want to partner with us or learn more? Visit the links below or contact

Visit our Partner Hub Learn more about our Community information exchange (CIE)
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