Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our organization is seeking to improve the lives of area residents by funding programs at area nonprofits that focus on education, health, financial stability and independence. In addition to making grants to the agencies, the United Way of Norman also manages collaborative initiatives to fully meet the needs of the community.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Education
Education is one of three Impact Areas that defines the work of the United Way of Norman and the other nonprofit agencies it helps fund. The focus is on agency programs and collaborative initiatives that help ensure academic success, including early childhood education, middle and high school academic success, preparing families to help facilitate learning, improved graduation rates and school supplies for low-income families.
Health
Health is one of three Impact Areas that defines the work of the United Way of Norman and the other nonprofit agencies it helps fund. The focus is on agency programs and collaborative initiatives that help ensure healthy adults and children and initiatives that help keep area residents, especially the elderly and those with disabilities, in their homes longer.
Financial Stability
Financial is one of three Impact Areas that defines the work of the United Way of Norman and the other nonprofit agencies it helps fund. The focus is on agency programs and collaborative initiatives that help establish a more fiscally-literate community. By helping people prepare for better jobs, earning more money, saving more money, buying a home, working with financial institutions and understanding basic financial concepts, our community is stronger.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) 2012
Association of Fundraising Professionals - Oklahoma Chapter 2014
Chamber of Commerce 1985
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of organizations applying for grants
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Ethnic and racial groups, Health, Social and economic status
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The United Way of Norman provided funding for 39 programs related to education, health, financial stability and independence to 27 area nonprofit organizations.
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our organization is seeking to improve the lives of area residents by funding programs at area nonprofits that focus on education, health, and financial stability. In addition to funding grants to local nonprofit agencies, the United Way of Norman also manages collaborative initiatives to fully meet the needs of the community.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategies are to convene community leaders to assess human needs related to education, health, and financial stability. We invite area nonprofits to make proposals to meet the assessed needs. We raise funds to make the grants, and we manage collaborative initiatives to fill any gaps in the needs.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The United Way of Norman utilizes a staff of professionals, we call on community volunteers and we engage the community in our efforts. We typically raise approximately $1.8 million to $2 million each year to improve the community.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
With every funding cycle, the United Way of Norman and our volunteer impact councils completes a comprehensive review of the programs being funded and review outcome measurements. In the last funding cycyle, United Way of Norman and our 27 partner agencies provided assistance to more than 59,993 in our community and service area.
This is a testament to the generosity of the community and the dedication of volunteers who make the fundraising program possible.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We work to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community. This is to improve the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
United Way of Norman
Board of directorsas of 01/05/2023
Tom Cooper
Vision Bank
Term: 2023 - 2023
Nasim Farzanah
Dillard Group
Vicky Bumgarner
University of Oklahoma
Scott Beck
Chickasaw Nation
Mike Stice
University of Oklahoma
Tom Cooper
Vision Bank
Leslie Clowers
Community Volunteer
Chloe Shi Odom
Chickasaw Nation Industries
Christine Petty Cooper
Community Volunteer
Joey Wishnuck
Windstone Construction
Mandy Mumma
Armstrong Bank/ Impact Council Chair
Aaron Parker
Silver Star Construction
Dana Rieger
Rieger Realty
Darrel Pyle
City of Norman
Shaun McGinnis
Hitachi
Brian Ruttman
Moore Norman Technology Center
Vernon Hooks
Vernon Hooks Insurance Agency
Casey Vinyard
Sportstalk 1400/ The Ref
Scott Hofmann
Bancfirst
Nina Wadley
Community Volunteer
Brandon Hopper
First United Bank
Belinda Hyppolite
University of Oklahoma
Ronda McKown
Ideal Homes
Gloria Stice
Community Volunteer/ Impact Council Chair
Sean Fuller
RCB Bank/ Impact Council Chair
Tiffany Dixon
Norman Public Schools
Michael Schade
University of Oklahoma
Julie Venables
Community Volunteer
Ken Hopkins
Norman Regional Health Systems
Josh Edge
Armstrong Bank
Neil Bradley Watcher
Johnson Controls
Kimberlee Adams
OGE
Robyn Castleberry
Moore Norman Technology Center/ 2023 Campaign Chair
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
No data
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/05/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.