United Way of Central Indiana in Putnam County
Putnam County is the newest county in United Way of Central Indiana’s seven-county service area, having joined in 2021.
In the years since, United Way has invested nearly $400,000 in grants in Putnam County and partnered with 16 nonprofits and schools.
We work with Putnam County organizations to meet the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. Together, we remove barriers and provide life-changing resources to tackle generational poverty.
Community Need in Putnam County
Some 36% of Putnam County households cannot afford a basic household budget.
That’s more than 1 in 3 households – over 5,000 households – that are in or near poverty.
In Putnam County:
Over 1 in 5 households are burdened by housing costs, meaning they spend 30% or more of their income on housing.
48% of households under age 25 can’t afford the basics.
Learn more about the need and dig into the data:
Our Work in Putnam County
United Way’s programs combine community impact with strong local leadership to create lasting change.
Program Impact
For three years, we’ve partnered in Putnam County for our signature ReadUP program, which sends volunteers into elementary schools to help third graders get on track with grade-level literacy.
During the 2024-2025 school year, seven ReadUP volunteers worked with 14 students in Putnam County. For the 2025-2026 school year, ReadUP has expanded to two schools: Cloverdale Elementary School and Tzouanakis Intermediate School.