Inland Southern California United Way has gained more incentive to further its reach thanks to recent grant from the James K. Wilden Fund via IECF.
“This is one of those rare gifts that we can depend on at United Way,” says Kimberly Starrs, President and Chief Executive Officer of Inland Southern California United Way and Inland Southern California 211+. “It’s so nice having unrestricted gifts, because they enable us to do the work that’s most pressing, and it allows us to fill gaps with the service we provide.”
Those nonprofits’ services are vast and aligned with a mission to champion “the education, financial stability, health, and housing of every person in the Inland Southern California region.”
Starrs says that means uniting people, ideas, and resources to empower the community and improve lives. One of the organization’s main goals is to empower communities to action, which can allow them to thrive.
Services such as the Small and Micro Business Resiliency Grant Program, for instance, is a unique joint effort between the City of Riverside, Inland SoCal United Way 211+, and the Inland Small Business Development Center that offers support to local businesses and self-employed individuals with funding given through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
To be sure, the nonprofit offers much more, in fact—from rental assistance and crisis hotlines to court referrals and prescription savings.
“We provide about 50 different services to the community and serve about a million people,” Starrs points out, noting that the organization has been vigilant for more than 90 years locally, “actively listening and responding to local needs.”
To that end, it champions community resiliency, financial security, and health. The nonprofit itself has about 600 volunteers and nearly 150 staff members serving the communities of Riverside, San Bernardino, and East Los Angeles Counties.
Starrs has been with the organization for 20 years.
“For me,” she says, “it’s always been about the people—nothing but the people—that I love most about being here.”
One of the most exciting new aspects of the organization, she says, has been its rebranding efforts.
“We’ve recently gone through a brand refresh globally as a network,” she adds. “That may not have reached everybody’s eyeballs or ears just yet, but we’re an organization that’s almost 150 years old [nationally], and we’re committed to staying relevant, fresh, and accessible to our community.”
What she appreciates most about the brand refresh is that it pulls together unique mission-driven components of the nonprofit.
“Our first campaign to come out of that refresh was ‘United is the way,’” she says. “It’s a play on our name, but it really encompasses the ethos of our agency—that together, united, we can accomplish anything.”
On the near horizon is the nonprofit’s Annual Golf Classic, which takes place on Jan. 31, 2025, at Classic Club in Palm Desert. The annual outing All proceeds support the programs and services of the organization.
Learn more at inlandsocaluw.org.
This article was originally published in The Press-Enterprise, November 2024
Stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.
