This page outlines Youth Opportunity investments during the July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, fiscal year. Community Resiliency investments can be found HERE.
We make our Youth Opportunity external investments in two ways: United for Youth Community grants that support the Bold Community Goal, and Community Schools contracts that support services provided directly at one or more of our nine community schools. The United for Youth leadership team has identified a core focus along with several objectives. These decisions and the leadership team's future direction will guide investments in services to address the Bold Community Goal. You will find all individuals and organizations receiving Youth Opportunity-related grant or contract support below.
Community Schools | Community Schools Contracts: $1,150,300
- Asheville City Schools — Student Support: $23,000
- Asheville City Schools — Afterschool Mental Health Support: $5,500
- Asheville City Schools — Afterschool Enrichment: $7,800
- Asheville City Schools Foundation/In Real Life — Afterschool Programming: $55,000
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC — Mentoring: $17,500
- Black Men Mondays — Mentoring: $5,000
- Bountiful Cities: $10,000
- Buncombe County Schools — Afterschool Enrichment: $142,000
- Buncombe County Schools — Mental Health Support: $50,000
- Buncombe County Schools — Afterschool Mental Health Support: up to $15,500
- Buncombe County Schools — Family Resource Center Support: $35,000
- Blue Ridge Health — School-Based Health Clinics: up to $600,000
- Center for Participatory Change — Mentoring/Family Engagement: $20,000
- Journeyment — Mentoring: $25,000
- LEAF — Arts Enrichment: $3,000
- UNETE — Mentoring/Family Engagement: $120,000
- Working Wheels: up to $16,000
Summer Learning Programs:
- Asheville City Schools Foundation/In Real Life: $3,000
- Project Lighten Up Programs of Excellence: $7,000
- Raices: $7,000
- Unoja Health, Wellness and Justice Collective: $7,000
- Youth Transformed for Life (YTL): $7,000
United for Youth I United for Youth Community Contracts: $250,000
- KL Training Solutions — My Daddy Taught Me That: $50,000
- Coach Sherman Williams: $50,000
- Team Us: $50,000
- Project Lighten Up Programs of Excellence: $100,000
Other Contracts: $15,000
- WNC Nonprofit Pathways - to build and strengthen skill base in local nonprofits: $15,000
Remember, when you give to United Way’s LIVE UNITED Fund you are joining forces with others by supporting ALL of these agencies listed above AND you are supporting United Way’s own programs: 24/7 information and referral services through NC 211, our volunteer center, Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, and Community Schools. This is the power of United Way!
While most donors choose to give directly to United Way (the LIVE UNITED Fund), others choose to designate their gift. Designated gifts can go to any 501(c)(3) and we will direct the give to that organization for you. Keep in mind that if you are making a gift of $1,000 or more and would like to be counted as a Leadership Giver, and want to designate, you will need to choose from one of our funded programs. Questions? Call us at (828) 255-0696.