Did you know that last year, over 53,000 San Diegans received support through United Way of San Diego County (UWSD)? When you give to UWSD, your donation stays right here in our community. Together with local schools, nonprofits, businesses, policymakers, volunteers, and our dedicated San Diego-based staff, we harness the collective strength of our community to tackle disparities in education and economic mobility, addressing not just immediate needs, but the root causes of systemic challenges.

How Your Donation Creates Impact

We believe in long-term, sustainable change. We not only offer our own education and economic mobility programs, but we also partner with local nonprofits, businesses, and policymakers to amplify resources and design strategies that ensure everyone in San Diego County can achieve educational success and financial stability.

Here’s how your support powers our programs:

Education Programs: Building Brighter Futures

Education empowers young people with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate a rapidly changing world and career landscape. For this reason, UWSD is dedicated to closing educational achievement gaps through early childhood literacy and career readiness programs, creating brighter futures for our San Diego County youth.  

United for Literacy

71% of California’s 4th graders aren’t proficient in reading, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This alarming statistic threatens kids’ academic success and life prospects, with minority and low-income children being hit the hardest. This is important because literacy levels are closely linked to high school graduation rates and economic success. 

Through our United for Literacy program, UWSD is working towards closing these literacy gaps by ensuring children in our county have the support, resources, and opportunities needed to read proficiently and thrive in school and in life. We provide children ages 3–8 with books, writing tools, multi-lingual support, and literacy-rich experiences at home, school, and in the community.

Building stronger readers requires collaboration among families, schools, communities, businesses, nonprofits, and elected officials. By working together and leveraging proven strategies, we can ensure every child in San Diego County has the tools and opportunities to reach their full potential, creating lasting, positive change across the region.

STEAM-to-Careers & Dream with STEAM

Your donation to United Way of San Diego also helps prepare the next generation for success through UWSD’s STEAM-to-Careers program. Through this program, high school students in historically disinvested communities, such as Escondido and Lincoln Heights, explore careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Children and young adults cannot be what they cannot see, and it is our job, as a collective community, to provide the mirror for our local students.

This after-school program provides students with real-world experience through hands-on projects, mentorship, and career-readiness training. They develop essential skills like interviewing, resume-building, and creating LinkedIn profiles. Students are offered tracks such as healthcare, creative writing, engineering, and more to learn more in depth about their area of interest and what careers may be available to them. Students in the creative writing track become published authors in a shared book, while those in the healthcare track can earn CPR certification.

With the support of our donors and partners, our vision is to scale STEAM-to-Careers across opportunity zones in San Diego County, equipping even more students with the knowledge, connections, and confidence they need to enter the workforce prepared. 

Dream with STEAM

Our Dream with STEAM summer program takes learning further, offering students the chance to explore diverse industries across the region. Students at partner schools engage in hands-on skill-building activities and connect with experts from local STEAM-based organizations through site visits at businesses such as Eli Lilly, KPBS, Dr.Bronner’s, Taylor Guitars, San Diego Safari Park, Solar Turbines, PCL Construction, and UCSD. This program responds to the growing need for talent in the region and expands access to STEAM jobs for students who may not have exposure to these industries. The program also introduces students to a range of professionals, some of whom share their backgrounds, demonstrating that a pathway to these careers is within their reach. 

Since its inception, UWSD has also awarded over $171,500 in educational awards, removing financial barriers and helping students learn, grow, and dream big. Additionally, it has had 673 participants in the STEAM-to-Careers afterschool program and 156 participants in the Dream with STEAM summer program. 

Students who participate in the program feel accomplished and more prepared for their path after graduation. 

With your donation, you’re helping UWSD empower the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders.

Economic Mobility Programs: Building Financial Stability

Financial security is the foundation for building a prosperous future, and United Way of San Diego County is helping families and individuals achieve it.

Through our comprehensive economic mobility programs, we provide residents in under-resourced communities with the financial tools, education, and guidance they need to lay the groundwork for long-term success. From free tax preparation and personalized financial coaching to safe banking services, UWSD creates real, tangible pathways to financial stability.

Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition (EITC)

$34 million. That’s how much San Diegans received in tax refunds thanks to free tax help from United Way of San Diego County and our Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition partners in the 2025 tax season.

For more than 24 years, the UWSD-led San Diego EITC Coalition (made up of over 45 community organizations) has provided free tax preparation services, helping millions of local residents claim the credits they’re eligible for and maximize their refunds.

Through the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program, UWSD and our partners mobilize volunteers to make this possible. VITA volunteers receive free IRS training, volunteer hours, networking opportunities, and the chance to make a tangible difference in our community. 

In 2025 alone, VITA volunteers prepared 47,581 tax returns, putting $34+ million back into the pockets of San Diego residents and boosting the local economy.

They also saved $8,653,050 million+ in tax preparation fees, an average of $350 per individual or family filing.

Helping families and individuals get money back allows them to cover essentials like groceries, rent or mortgage payments, utilities, transportation, and more. Our EITC Coalition and VITA volunteer program prove the power of community-driven support in helping San Diegans thrive.

SparkPoint 

SparkPoint empowers clients to build economic mobility through a trauma-informed, equity-centered, and family-focused approach. Coaches work 1:1 with clients to identify goals, develop tailored strategies, and foster long-term financial resilience, helping individuals and families achieve their financial milestones. SparkPoint also hosts Money Management Workshops across San Diego County, offering expert-led financial education on topics such as budgeting, credit, and debt management while connecting participants to valuable community resources.

SparkPoint’s financial coaching provides budgeting help, goal-setting, and connections to career and housing resources to help people reach goals such as creating and sticking to a budget, purchasing a car, saving for the first month’s rent and security deposit, paying down credit card debt, and advancing their careers. The program is founded on the notion that individuals are the experts of their own lives and what kind of support they need to succeed. Coaches meet people wherever they are on their financial journey and help them map out real steps forward.

Since its launch, the SparkPoint program has provided one-on-one financial coaching to 67 clients and hosted workshops that have reached 175 individuals. Impressively, 76% of clients have achieved at least a 30% improvement in key financial areas, including income, savings, credit score, or debt. By providing financial education, we help ensure the next generation has the knowledge and tools to achieve financial stability and break cycles of generational insecurity.

San Diego Bank On Coalition

Did you know the lifetime cost of living without a bank account can reach $40,000? Many San Diegans without traditional bank accounts turn to payday lenders and check-cashing services, often paying high fees and interest that make financial challenges even harder. 

United Way of San Diego County is tackling this issue through the San Diego Bank On Coalition, connecting communities to low-cost banking, practical financial education, and outreach programs that help people take control of their money and build a more secure financial future.

Flexible, Rapid Response in Times of Need

United Way of San Diego County can quickly shift resources to meet emerging community needs, providing support where it’s needed most. Unlike many small charities, we have the partnerships and capacity to support our community through unexpected events, such as disasters or economic challenges. 

For example, during the January 2024 floods in San Diego County, UWSD activated emergency funds to support over 100 children and families. Through a 10-week hands-on science and literacy program in partnership with UCSD CREATE and Words Alive, and a flood-relief pop-up event providing books and school supplies, 63 students in kindergarten through fifth grade received critical educational support during a time of crisis.

We’re a Hub for Community Impact

United Way of San Diego County serves as a central partner for a wide range of community organizations, including nonprofits, schools, and government agencies, helping them coordinate efforts, reduce duplication, and launch initiatives in underserved areas. By pooling donations, grants, and partnerships, UWSD ensures your support reaches more people in our community than most single charities can on their own. 

We back multiple programs spanning education, financial stability, and literacy, allocating resources where they’re needed most. By supporting many nonprofits and initiatives at once, UWSD can provide shared resources, streamline services, maximize efficiency, and track impact– capabilities that smaller organizations often struggle to achieve on their own.

Creating Philanthropic Pathways for Local Businesses

United Way of San Diego County empowers local businesses to make a real impact through our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. We offer flexible giving opportunities tailored to each team to provide year-round engagement.

Your Donation in Action

Every dollar you give stays in San Diego County, strengthens our network of community organizations, and empowers kids, families, and neighbors to thrive. From building literacy and career skills to creating financial security, your gift fuels change that lasts for generations.

Join us. Together, we can build a stronger, more equitable San Diego County. 

DONATE TODAY

The post The Real Impact of Donating to United Way of San Diego County appeared first on United Way of San Diego County.

The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for a family of four is $32,150. This measure is based on a calculation established in the 1960s that simply multiplies the cost of a minimum food diet by three to account for other family expenses. Because it only accounts for food costs and doesn’t consider modern expenses like housing, childcare, transportation, or healthcare, the FPL is a severely outdated and ineffective metric for evaluating true economic status or determining adequate support from the federal government.

But the 2025 Real Cost Measure report shows a family of four in San Diego County with two adults, one child in elementary school, and one in preschool actually needs more than $116,000 annually just to meet basic needs. That’s the equivalent of three full-time minimum-wage jobs.

For many local families, the official federal poverty threshold doesn’t come close to capturing the real cost of living here. Rent, groceries, child care, health care, and transportation costs have all risen dramatically, and yet the metrics for measuring financial need have barely changed in decades. That’s why the findings from this Real Cost Measure are so critical.

The Real Cost Measure also finds that:

• Almost HALF of San Diego County families with children under age six are not making enough to cover their expenses.
• On average, 97% of households below the Real Cost Measure in San Diego have at least one working adult.
• 42% of local households spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
• And when you have two kids, child care at $19,000 a year is a family’s second highest expense.
• Approximately 70% of single-mother households in San Diego County are not meeting the basic costs of living.

What Is the Real Cost Measure Report?

This year, United Ways of California, in partnership with local United Ways across the state, released The Real Cost Measure in California 2025. For over ten years, this annual report has provided an in-depth look at how rising costs continue to shape economic opportunity and what we can do to create a future where every Californian can achieve financial security.

The Real Cost Measure is designed to show the true cost of living in our state. It shines a bright light on what it actually takes for households just to get by and to cover basic needs. While the federal poverty level might label around 10% of Californians as “poor,” the Real Cost Measure reveals a much starker truth:

More than 1 in 3 California households (nearly 3.7 million families) don’t earn enough to make ends meet.

This means that even with full-time jobs, many families still struggle to afford essentials like housing, food, and transportation.

The Real Cost Measure goes beyond income alone. It looks at:

• Household makeup (number of adults and children)
• Conjugal status (single parents)
• Education level of the head of household
• Gender and ethnicity
• Regional cost differences (because living in San Diego County is very different from living in Fresno or Redding)

The 2025 study examines how systemic and historical inequities contribute to this ongoing struggle, particularly for communities of color, women-headed households, and workers in low-wage industries.
The Real Cost Measure study gives policymakers, nonprofits, and community leaders actionable insights into who is struggling and why.

The data underscores an urgent need for expanded income support, affordable housing, and workforce development initiatives to help families move from surviving to thriving.

Turning The Data Into Action in San Diego County

United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) hosted the 2025 Real Cost Measure Event on October 7, 2025, gathering local partners, policymakers, and community leaders around one shared goal: building a stronger, more equitable San Diego.

Attendees heard firsthand from an inspiring panel of local experts and changemakers:

• Senator Steve Padilla, California State Senate
• Stephen Russell, President & CEO, San Diego Housing Federation
• Alondra Alvarado, President & CEO, San Diego Hunger Coalition
• Pamela Gray Payton, VP & Chief Impact & Partnerships Officer, San Diego Foundation

Together, we explored how economic pressures are affecting San Diego families and what actions can help close the gap between getting by and getting ahead.

United Way of San Diego County’s Programs for Financial Stability

United Way of San Diego County partners with organizations across the region to ensure that all children, individuals, and families have the support they need to achieve educational success and financial security.

Through education-focused initiatives like United for Literacy, which supports early childhood reading, and STEAM-to-Careers, an after-school program introducing students to in-demand fields in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, we help open doors to opportunity.

We also lead programs that strengthen financial well-being, including SparkPoint, a financial coaching program; the San Diego Bank On Coalition, which expands access to safe and affordable financial services for unbanked and underbanked residents; and the San Diego County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition, which helps low- to moderate-income individuals and families file their taxes for free.

Beyond our own programs, we collaborate with local nonprofits, businesses, and policymakers to drive lasting community impact.

Why It Matters for San Diego

San Diego is the second most expensive place to live in the United States, according to a 2025 Redfin analysis of housing affordability among the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Housing costs alone can consume much of a household’s income, even for those earning well above the federal poverty line.

The Real Cost Measure offers a local roadmap for action. By revealing the true cost of living in our community, it helps leaders and policymakers design solutions that reflect what families actually need to make ends meet and build lasting stability.

At United Way of San Diego County, we’re using these findings to create and support programs that help bridge the gap for struggling individuals and families. By shining a light on the growing issue of unaffordability, we’re encouraging local policymakers, organizations, and businesses to take meaningful action.

When we redefine what “low income” really means, we also redefine what’s possible for San Diego County’s future.

Join the Movement

Everyone has a role to play in shaping a more equitable and resilient San Diego County. Share the insights from the Real Cost Measure, start conversations in your community, and advocate for policies that give every person a fair shot at economic mobility.

You can take action by supporting local nonprofits that help families meet their basic needs, volunteering your time or expertise, and making your voice heard by contacting local policymakers about issues affecting affordability and access to opportunity.

Visit unitedwaysca.org/realcost to explore the data, follow @unitedwaysd to stay informed about local efforts, and share these insights with your own networks to help spread awareness and inspire action.

Together, we can turn awareness into action and ensure that every San Diegan has the opportunity to live with dignity, stability, and hope.

The post What It Really Costs to Get By in San Diego County (The Real Cost Measure Study Explained) appeared first on United Way of San Diego County.

UWSD Affinity Groups: Networking with a Purpose

How are you connecting in and outside of your organization? What avenues are you using to build your professional development and make an impact on your community? UWSD is here to help you! United Way of San Diego County’s Emerging Leaders and Women United affinity groups are a great way to connect with like-minded peers across various industries while also providing a way to give back to those in our community who need support most. Typical networking groups often lack a philanthropic aspect, but UWSD’s affinity groups allow members to network with a purpose, in turn creating a long-lasting impact on both members and the broader community. We believe that we all rise when we lift others.

Networking can be a daunting task, but UWSD’s affinity groups offer a welcoming, enriching, and fun environment for all current and prospective members. Each event is an opportunity to make new connections, learn about other organizations, and become a champion for philanthropic causes that create a deeper impact across San Diego County.

Our Emerging Leaders network, which focuses on volunteerism and professional development, delivers on its mission to turn today’s members into tomorrow’s leaders. Emerging Leaders’ events provide opportunities for professionals to foster strong relationships with peers across non-profit and private sectors in industries such as manufacturing, insurance, education, engineering, social services, marketing, and more. Past events have included professional skill-building workshops taught by San Diego business leaders, as well as tours of The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park and the San Diego International Airport. As a member, you are given an inside look into San Diego businesses and access to the professionals that lead them!

Women United currently represents more than 70 members across a variety of industries and sectors, offering meaningful philanthropic opportunities to learn, lead, network, and support other like-minded professional women. Whether taking advantage of local volunteer opportunities or fundraising for a college scholarship, members experience the first-hand impact that they make when uniting together. Women United members not only raise funds, they also determine how the Women United Fund dollars will be allocated to make the most impact on helping women and children here in San Diego County. In 2022, Women United allocated $150k to support 10 high school seniors with scholarships, seed funding for UWSD’s STEAM to Careers programming, and a two-year partnership with Armed Services YMCA-Camp Pendleton to support Operation Little Learners.

Emerging Leaders and Women United offer high-quality activities such as workshops and programming to enhance professional skills and one-of-a-kind experiences that leave members with a fresh perspective, and often, new friendships. The value from both organizations extends beyond attending networking events – both new and long-standing members can get involved in purposeful charitable work, support their professional ambitions, and develop close personal connections outside of their existing social circle.

By subscribing to the UWSD newsletters and following UWSD on social media, you can stay up-to-date on all upcoming events and opportunities. You can learn more about Women United and Emerging Leaders and join them at one of their next events.

The post UWSD Affinity Groups: Networking with a Purpose appeared first on United Way of San Diego County.