Building On A Century of Impact
For over a century, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County has brought people and resources together to tackle our community's toughest challenges. Since our founding in 1921, we have evolved from fundraising and volunteer mobilization efforts, to a community-wide movement that connects schools, nonprofits, businesses, and neighbors around a shared vision of a united and resilient community where everyone belongs and everyone thrives.
Over time, our focus has sharpened. Guided by community input, we now concentrate on two key impact areas:
YOUTH OPPORTUNITY
Education opens doors to brighter futures. That's why we work with families, schools, and partners to ensure every young person has the support they need — from early learning through college and career. By clearing obstacles and aligning resources, we're helping the next generation grow, achieve, and thrive.
COMMUNITY RESILIENCY
Strong communities don't just survive challenges — they adapt and emerge stronger. From natural disasters to social and economic shifts, we help mobilize the people, resources, and systems needed to respond in times of crisis. Together with partners, we build the connections and infrastructure that make recovery possible and long-term resilience a reality.
Our history shows that united communities can achieve anything. This is the core of our mission and the future we are building together.
Our Strategies
We strengthen youth opportunity and community resiliency through strategies that turn vision into action. By fueling impact with bold investments and partnerships, rallying people through engagement and volunteerism, and grounding every step in data, we create pathways that work. And by advancing public policies that remove barriers, we ensure that progress lasts — empowering young people to pursue their goals and dreams and communities to adapt with strength.
- Investments and Partnerships
We direct resources where they matter most, building strong collaborations and securing funding that multiplies impact. By uniting donors, partners, businesses, and organizations, we create lasting change that no single organization or individual can achieve alone. - Community Engagement
We bring people together to listen, learn, and act. Through shared stories, collective problem-solving, and celebrating progress, we strengthen the bonds that hold communities together. - Volunteerism
WE believe everyone has the power to make a difference. By mobilizing volunteers, we channel time, talent, and passion into action that transforms lives and communities. - Data as a Driver
We use data to illuminate needs, guide decisions, and measure impact. This evidence-driven approach ensures accountability and helps us scale what works. - Public Policy
We advocate for stronger systems that remove barriers and expand opportunity. By working to shape policies that create successful students and families, and resilient communities, we help ensure progress reaches everyone.
A Framework For Systems Change
At the center of our work is a growing understanding of, and commitment to, using Collective Impact as our organizing framework. By aligning partners around shared goals and coordinating strategies, we foster collaboration that drives systemic change. As the Backbone Organization for United for Youth, we focus on building connections, supporting partners, and strengthening systems so young people and communities can thrive together.