PHOTO | TROY HULL

United Way of Central Carolinas announced a name change to United Way of Greater Charlotte as well as $16 million in 2023 investments to community-based nonprofits.

The Charlotte region’s United Way has a new name and investment strategy.

The former United Way of Central Carolinas announced Thursday a rebrand to United Way of Greater Charlotte as well as a $16 million in community investments across the region for 2023. Part of that investment is $9 million in grants to 132 grassroots organizations focused on economic mobility as well as $5 million in collaboration with the city of Charlotte for services and housing for homeless people. Another $2 million is made up of community investments and donor-directed funding.

United Way’s funding strategy has evolved in recent years to focus on funding community-based nonprofits after a 2014 study of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas ranked Charlotte last in economic mobility.

“Five years ago, United Way of Greater Charlotte started a journey to align our investment strategy with the community’s most pressing needs to create lasting change,” said Laura Yates Clark, the United Way’s president and CEO. “We couldn‘t do this without the extraordinary support of corporate, individual and public-sector donors – and the countless agencies working every day to create opportunities for all people.”

United Way leaders backed the name change – as well as new branding and logos – to better define the four-county region it serves. In addition to Mecklenburg, the nonprofit reaches communities in Anson, Cabarrus and Union counties.

“‘Greater Charlotte’ evokes a more specific geography than ‘Central Carolinas’ did, and better connects people to where their dollars are going to help people in need,” Clark said.

The $9 million in grants will go to three verticals to improve economic mobility and racial equity:

• $4.9 million to United Neighborhoods, a collection of more than 50 neighborhoods in the city’s Corridors of Opportunity program as well as north Mecklenburg. The investment in neighborhood-focused services is $3.6 million more than last year and adds three neighborhoods last year.

The funding will go to 70 agencies working neighborhoods such as Grier Heights, Lakeview and Renaissance West.

“United Way of Greater Charlotte is addressing complex problems such as economic mobility and racial inequity through bold, fresh solutions,” said United Way board Chair Dee O’Dell, an executive vice president at U.S. Bank. “In response to our community’s desire to produce lasting change and empower those closest to our challenges, we have brought new agency partners to the table to collaboratively create opportunities to help all children and families thrive.”

• $3 million to 55 agencies in Unite Charlotte as part of a collaboration of funding by Mecklenburg County as well as corporate and private donations. Unite Charlotte provides grants and capacity-building support to grassroots organizations founded and led by people of color.

• $873,000 in regional investments to support 27 community-based nonprofits in Anson, Cabarrus, and Union counties. Funding will go to mental wellness programs in Cabarrus; housing stability, food security, childhood literacy and mentoring in Anson; and housing stability, food security, people with intellectual developmental disabilities, childhood literacy, mentoring programs and healthcare access in Union.

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