United Way of Central Indiana in Hamilton County
For six decades, United Way of Central Indiana has been serving people and families in Hamilton County.
Since 1966, we’ve worked with organizations throughout the county to meet the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. Together, we remove barriers and provide life-changing resources to tackle generational poverty.
United Way provides grants to Hamilton County community organizations, supports coalitions and partners to implement programs and initiatives.
Over the last six years, United Way has invested over $5 million in grants in Hamilton County and partnered with 47 nonprofits and schools.
Community Need in Hamilton County
There are more households struggling in Hamilton County than the total number of households that exist in Boone County, United Way data shows.
And the number of households in need in Hamilton County has increased by 38% since 2018 – the largest growth in this population in United Way’s seven-county service area.
In Hamilton County:
25% of households cannot afford a basic household budget. That’s 1 in 4 households – over 35,000 households – that are in or near poverty.
1 in 5 households are burdened by housing costs, meaning they spend 30% or more of their income on housing.
69% of households under age 25 can’t afford the basics.
Learn more about the need and dig into the data:
Our Work in Boone County
United Way’s programs combine direct community impact with strong local leadership to create lasting change.
Community Leadership
Our commitment goes beyond grants. Our team members serve on key local initiatives:
- Invest Hamilton County Early Learning Taskforce
- Behavioral Health Collective
- Hamilton County Housing Collaborative
Direct Impact through ReadUp & Center for Working Families
More than a decade of partnership in Hamilton County delivering ReadUP, connecting volunteers with third graders who need extra literacy support.
- In the 2024–2025 school year, 20 volunteers supported 12 students at Stony Creek Elementary in Noblesville.
Grace Care Center named the first Hamilton County Center for Working Families site in August 2025.
- Through one‑on‑one coaching, the Center for Working Families model helps residents build financial stability and move up the economic ladder.
“Children’s TherAplay is thrilled and honored to receive a grant from United Way's 2026 Impact Funds. The funds from this grant will be vital in supporting our efforts to expand programming to provide caregiver mental health support and access to after-school therapy sessions to low-income families raising a child with a disability.
“We are extremely grateful for the support and look forward to impacting the lives of countless families together."
– Kathy Pelletier, Executive Director, Children’s TherAplay