United Way of Kenosha County
Live United
United Way of Kenosha County
EIN: 39-0806285
as of November 2025
as of November 14, 2025
Mission
United Way of Kenosha County is committed to connecting diverse voices and maximizing resources to collectively strengthen and uplift Kenosha County.
Ruling year
1971
Chief Executive Officer
Carolynn Friesch
Main address
5500 6th Ave Ste 210
Kenosha, WI 53140-3710 USA
EIN
39-0806285
Philanthropy
Population served
Children and youth
Economically disadvantaged people
Adults
Families
NTEE code
Fund Raising Organizations That Cross Categories includes Community Funds/Trusts and Federated Giving Programs) e.g. United Way (T70)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Techquity
Techquity’s vision is simple: To ensure the digital equity and inclusion of every resident in Kenosha County. Techquity pursues digital equity and inclusion for all via three strategies: Broadband, Devices, and Skills. Through community partnership, Techquity connects stakeholders from all sectors, including business, government, education, and social services, to promote digital equity and inclusion.
Readers Are Leaders Tutoring Program
Readers Are Leaders, a United Way of Kenosha County initiative in partnership with Kenosha Unified School District, community stakeholders and members, provides Kindergarten through 3rd grade students with volunteer tutors to help improve early grade reading achievement. Research shows that 3rd grade reading proficiency is a powerful predictor of later academic achievement. From Kindergarten to 3rd grade, children learn to read. From 4th grade on, they read to learn. A student who is not at least moderately successful by 3rd grade is unlikely to graduate from high school.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
The VITA program offers free income tax preparation and filing assistance to low-to moderate income families who may not have access to file their tax return. For families walking a financial tightrope, unable to save for a home, or retirement, United Way volunteers are here to help taxpayers claim qualifying tax credits.
Youth As Resources
Youth As Resources is a United Way education program that provides grants to fund youth-designed, youth-led community service and service learning projects.
Imagination Library
Changing children's lives, one book at a time. When kids can't read, they can't succeed. Children who struggle with reading and comprehension are more likely to have deficits in other subjects such as math, science and spoken language. They are also at a heightened risk for chronic absence and failing to graduate high school. Studies show young children reading at home with their parents help prepare them for kindergarten success, which then helps them become successful in academic achievement. Imagination Library provides free books mailed to their homes to all participating children from birth to 5 years old.
2-1-1
IMPACT 2-1-1 is a 24-hour central access point for people in need. During times of personal crisis or community disaster, its free, confidential helpline and online resource directory make it easy for residents to get connected to local information, agencies and assistance. IMPACT 2-1-1 also has translation service with over 200 languages available. Simply dial 2-1-1 from any phone, or text your ZIP code to 898-211. To learn more or view resources online, visit impactinc.org
Born Learning Trail
What happens in a child’s early years (birth to age 6) matters—for school readiness and for success in life. Everyday moments can easily be turned into quality early learning opportunities for young children and the Born Learning Trails can help. Born Learning Trails offer activity stations with interactive learning games that parents and caregivers can play with young children when out on a stroll or visiting a local playground. The educational strategy behind the trails helps to boost children’s language and literacy skills while having fun.
Where we work
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Kenosha (Wisconsin, United States)
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Kenosha County (Wisconsin, United States)
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total Number of Students Enrolled in Readers Are Leaders
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Readers Are Leaders Tutoring Program
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Number of Returns Filed through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Number of Taxpayers Assisted through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Total Amount of Grants Provided by Youth As Resources
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Youth As Resources
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Number of Referrals Made by 211
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
2-1-1
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Number of Children Enrolled in Imagination Library
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
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?
United Way of Kenosha County envisions a community where all individuals and families in Kenosha County achieve their human potential through education, financial capability and health lives.
A community where every young person has a quality education that leads to high school graduation, resulting in college and career success;
Every family has an income that pays the bills today and allows them to save for the future;
Every child and adult is able to live a healthy, thriving life.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
United Way of Kenosha County invests in three impact areas; education, financial stability and health, building blocks that contribute to a good quality of life.
We all win when a child succeeds in school. United Way of Kenosha County invests in programs that support children in academic and community engagement, early learning and care services, character and leadership development and early grade reading proficiency.
We all win when families and individuals are financially stable. United Way of Kenosha County invests in programs that connect people with critical resources for emergency shelter and/or basic needs. Programs that enhance literacy and job skills and promote self-sufficiency through asset-building programs such a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance).
We all win when people are healthy. United Way of Kenosha County invests in programs that provide access to mental health and crisis resources, early child development and who promote healthy lifestyles and safe homes and communities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
United Way of Kenosha County's volunteer-led Community Investment Grant Process is designed to award funds to programs demonstrating community need, articulating program efficacy and measureable results. Recommendations for grant awards are formulated by diverse volunteers, representing a broad cross-section of disciplines, donors and corporate partners. Volunteers devote more than 300 hours to an extensive accountability review of the programs and organizations seeking funding. Evaluation is based on application materials and in-person presentations to a volunteer panel.
United Way of Kenosha leads the Readers Are Leaders tutoring program that works to improve early grade reading proficiency.
Building financial assets for low - to moderate income individuals and families walking a financial tightrope in our community, United Way of Kenosha County leads the Kenosha County VITA program bringing back to families more than $18 million in tax refunds during the past ten years.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
United Way of Kenosha County is proud of the partnerships we have built over the last 95+ years and the investments we've made to our community. We want to be a true partner, not only by providing financial support but also by strengthening collaborative efforts meeting the health and human services needs in our community.
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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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, 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
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, 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 look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2024 info
6.08
Months of cash in 2024 info
10.4
Fringe rate in 2024 info
15%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
United Way of Kenosha County
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
This snapshot of United Way of Kenosha County’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | -$15,405 | $121,154 | $59,477 | -$25,669 | -$31,522 |
| As % of expenses | -1.3% | 13.2% | 5.2% | -1.3% | -2.9% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$16,139 | $120,420 | $59,354 | -$28,737 | -$36,531 |
| As % of expenses | -1.4% | 13.2% | 5.2% | -1.4% | -3.4% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,264,291 | $1,298,035 | $1,262,344 | $789,190 | $1,071,911 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 14.6% | 2.7% | -2.7% | -37.5% | 35.8% |
| Program services revenue | 3.2% | 1.2% | 0.0% | 24.6% | 39.4% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 1.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 2.1% |
| Government grants | 2.4% | 10.1% | 4.3% | 7.6% | 5.9% |
| All other grants and contributions | 92.9% | 88.1% | 91.9% | 65.0% | 51.5% |
| Other revenue | 0.5% | 0.4% | 3.6% | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $1,175,983 | $914,738 | $1,149,658 | $1,994,080 | $1,076,186 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 10.0% | -22.2% | 25.7% | 73.4% | -46.0% |
| Personnel | 51.6% | 50.5% | 52.7% | 30.9% | 62.4% |
| Professional fees | 2.6% | 8.7% | 8.1% | 4.1% | 6.7% |
| Occupancy | 2.7% | 3.5% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 3.3% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 35.9% | 29.9% | 19.5% | 56.3% | 17.4% |
| All other expenses | 7.3% | 7.4% | 16.9% | 6.9% | 10.2% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,176,717 | $915,472 | $1,149,781 | $1,997,148 | $1,081,195 |
| One month of savings | $97,999 | $76,228 | $95,805 | $166,173 | $89,682 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $87,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $6,867 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $1,274,716 | $1,078,700 | $1,252,453 | $2,163,321 | $1,170,877 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 18.3 | 27.7 | 22.1 | 5.3 | 10.4 |
| Months of cash and investments | 18.3 | 27.7 | 22.1 | 5.3 | 10.4 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 3.5 | 6.1 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 5.1 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $1,797,382 | $2,110,396 | $2,120,493 | $880,274 | $934,396 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $218,671 | $164,848 | $299,685 | $283,022 | $220,392 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $28,124 | $28,124 | $34,991 | $36,240 | $36,240 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 97.0% | 99.6% | 80.4% | 81.3% | 85.8% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 9.1% | 2.9% | 4.4% | 14.4% | 12.9% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $345,169 | $465,589 | $524,943 | $496,206 | $459,675 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $1,497,874 | $1,760,017 | $1,813,226 | $634,005 | $653,487 |
| Total net assets | $1,843,043 | $2,225,606 | $2,338,169 | $1,130,211 | $1,113,162 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Chief Executive Officer
Carolynn Friesch
Greetings. I am the Chief Executive Officer at United Way of Kenosha County, a role I have been honored to serve for the past four years. With more than a decade of experience in leadership and relationship development, I am passionate about creating positive change and improving lives.
At United Way, we are driven by a shared vision of creating a stronger, more resilient community. As CEO, I lead the strategic direction and execution of our mission to address critical social issues, such as education, financial empowerment, and health. I leverage my skills and credentials in intercultural development and major gifts fundraising to cultivate and secure partnerships and resources that enable us to implement impactful solutions. I also foster a culture of collaboration and innovation among our team and stakeholders, empowering them to achieve our collective goals.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
United Way of Kenosha County
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
United Way of Kenosha County
Board of directorsas of 7/27/2025
Board of directors data
Beth Garoutte
City of Hope Chicago
Collin Murphy
Uline
Dezarrea Johnson-Kindle
NextHome Signature Group
Dominique Pritchett
Beloved Wellness Center
Michele Hancock
Carthage College
Eric Peterson DIRECTOR
O'Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing S.C.
Horace Staples DIRECTOR
Retired, Kenosha County
Jacqueline Morris PRESIDENT
Gateway Technical College
Jamice Glass DIRECTOR (FROM 3/2024)
Jennifer Maggio
Aurora Health Care
Kaila Bingen
University of Wisconsin Parkside
Karin Graves
Carthage College
Lavetta Arrington DIRECTOR (FROM 3/2024)
Fresenius Medical Care
Mark Holmes
LMI Packaging
Michael Bond
Snap-on
Mitch Ferraro DIRECTOR
Family Legacy Real Estate, LLC
Rob Hogan
Johnson Financial Group
Tanya Ruder
Kenosha Unified School District
William Roberts
Retired, Abbott
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 -
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
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
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