United Way of Greater Knoxville has awarded $3.9 million in Community Investment Grants to 105 nonprofits across its five-county service area. The grants seed, grow, and strengthen effective, collaborative programs with measurable outcomes in economic mobility, early care and education, and healthy communities.
“For more than a hundred years, United Way of Greater Knoxville has stood alongside the nonprofits serving our community and helping our neighbors in need,” said Chrystal Armstrong Brown, president and CEO of UWGK. “Many of our funded partners are now serving record numbers of people, making this funding especially important. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of our donors, and we take seriously the responsibility of stewarding the dollars they entrust to us. We are proud to invest in local organizations doing important work for our neighbors every day.”
Community needs assessments and continuing input from service providers guide the grants. UWGK convenes 3,000 to 5,000 people monthly from schools, after-school programs, employers, higher education, health care and direct-service organizations. In addition, 110 community volunteers contributed more than 1,500 hours on 14 review panels.
Among this year’s grantees, 88 serve Knox County, 13 serve Jefferson County, seven serve Grainger County, three serve Claiborne County and two serve Union County; 11 work in multiple counties. Many partners address more than one impact area.
- Economic Mobility: Sixty-nine percent expand economic opportunity and financial stability through safe housing, workforce development, financial literacy and support services. The work targets poverty and the ALICE threshold — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — describing working households unable to afford basic needs.
- Early Care and Education: Sixty-six percent support early education and well-being by expanding high-quality child care, narrowing achievement gaps and increasing trauma-informed support through middle school.
- Healthy Communities: Ninety-three percent expand nutritious food, affordable health care, mental health services and substance-use support through education, prevention and solutions addressing root causes.
Last year, UWGK-funded programs affected more than 429,000 people. Since 2020, UWGK has awarded more than $61 million in grants. Funded partners leveraged another $12.8 million last year. The full grantee list and grant-process information are at uwgk.org.
“Our mission is to unite people and resources to strengthen communities,” Armstrong Brown said. “Through our 2026 campaign, we are inviting East Tennesseans to help create a future where individuals have access to the resources they need to live healthier lives, families have greater economic stability, opportunity is accessible for every child and the prosperity of our region is shared by all.”
The annual campaign’s workplace, corporate and individual donors make the grants possible. UWGK also provides funded partners with training, resources, technical assistance and collaboration opportunities, and offers other funding opportunities during the year. Nonprofits may visit uwgk.org or email nonprofitsupport@unitedwayknox.org.
UWGK, part of United Way Worldwide, announced the grants from its 2025 Community Investment Funds and launched its 2026 campaign during a Sept. 10 Market Square block party with Visit Knoxville. United Way Worldwide is the world’s largest charitable organization, and UWGK works to create a community where all neighbors can thrive.
Nonprofits interested in learning more about funding and support available through UWGK can visit uwgk.org or email nonprofitsupport@unitedwayknox.org.
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