by Dalton Black, executive director
Communities don’t thrive because of one person or one organization. They thrive when neighbors, nonprofits, businesses, and leaders come together with a shared vision: to make life better for everyone.
At United Way, we believe the surest way to build lasting change is through collaboration. When one nonprofit succeeds, our entire community rises. When a food pantry expands its reach, a child goes to bed nourished. When a childcare provider grows its capacity, more parents can work and provide for their families. When a housing program helps someone find stability, the ripple effect touches classrooms, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
A Call for Bold Collaboration
Recently, I attended the Kansas Health Foundation’s HealthRise 2025 event. Ed O’Malley, the Foundation’s CEO, challenged us with a vision: Kansas is ranked 28th in overall health among states—but we should strive to be number one. To get there, he said, will require bold collaborations.
That message resonated deeply. Bold collaboration is exactly what United Way is built for. We know that no single program can move a state or a community from 28th to 1st. But when organizations work together—sharing resources, expertise, and heart—the impossible starts to look possible.
This call is also timely. The Kansas Health Foundation has identified upward mobility as its focus area for the coming year. That aligns directly with the work of United Ways across Kansas, including ours, as we shine a light on ALICE households (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These are the families who earn above the poverty line but still struggle to afford life’s basics—childcare, housing, food, transportation, healthcare.
By centering upward mobility, we’re showing our dedication not just to local collaboration but also to working alongside funders and statewide partners who share this mission. It’s one more way we’re building the bold coalitions needed to transform Kansas communities.
Why Collective Impact Matters
The challenges our communities face—hunger, housing insecurity, access to childcare, health gaps—are too big for any one organization to solve alone. But when we bring nonprofits together, we create something powerful: a network of solutions, each one amplifying the others.
United Way isn’t just a funder. We’re a convener, a connector, a catalyst. We help nonprofits grow their capacity, strengthen their programs, and find the partnerships that take their work further. And when that happens, our entire community becomes stronger.
Lifting Each Other Up
The beauty of collective impact is that it honors every organization’s role. No one carries the burden alone. Instead, we each bring our strengths to the table: knowledge, passion, expertise, lived experience. Together, those strengths add up to real transformation.
Through this approach, we’ve seen coalitions form around housing, childcare, healthy living, disaster response, and more. Each one is built on the belief that when we link arms and invest in each other’s success, we all win.
A Community Transformed
Imagine a future where every family has access to healthy food, every child has the opportunity to learn and grow, and every person has a safe place to call home. That future is possible—not because of one program, but because of many organizations rising together.
Together, we’re not just addressing problems. We’re building solutions that last.
Because when we unite, we don’t just create change—we create a community where everyone belongs, everyone contributes, and everyone thrives.
The United Way 