United Way of the Mid-South

the organization provides funding to over 500 non-profit agencies throughout the United states through donor designated funds. In addition United Way provides grant funding to approximately 80 agencies within the 8 county service area. Grants are targeted to programs that improve education, financial stability, equity, and health and work collaboratively to reduce mid-south poverty.

As the focus of its proactive community impact agenda, United Way of the mid-south's driving the dream (dtd tm), is a resilient human services ecosystem that aligns and integrates the local service delivery system to support families living in poverty. Dtd tm is a system of care, comprised of a network of agencies that helps individuals and families navigate the system of needed services, and create a clear path towards economic security. Dtd is based upon an emerging national standard of care, informed by research- based practice, designed to address and alleviate conditions of poverty. This model prioritizes a multi-generational approach to advancing holistic wellbeing. Dtd tm boosts the power of our health, education and employment systems, working closely with communities whose connections to these resources have become frayed over time. Our collective goal is to help families move towards a socioecomonic future of their choosing.

United Way coordinates the work of multiple agencies to implement the free tax prep/volunteer income tax assistance in crittenden, desoto, fayette, lauderdale, shelby, tate, tipton, and tunica counties. This partnership provides free tax preparation to maximize the total amount of eligible tax credits for low to moderate tax filers. the free tax prep/vita program was funded through multiple sources: internal revenue service,cummins, wells fargo, entergy, and United Way of the mid-south investments. Methodist lebonheur serves as the lead agent for a pass- through grant from the u.s. department of health and human services, office of minority health to deploy a project in partnership with the uwms free tax prep program to increase the number of households receiving free tax preparation services and benefiting from the eitc(earned income tax credit). Funds were used to support the operation of super vita sites, mobile tax preparation, a 2-1-1 information system, a marketing campaign, and volunteer recognition. In the fiscal year ended 6/30/23, over 9,000 tax returns were prepared, returning over 10 million to mid-south families.