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WATERLOO REGION – United Way Waterloo Region (UWWR) is proud to announce a $550,000 investment in 11 local organizations as part of its 2025 First Quarter (Q1) focus on Affordable Housing and Homelessness. This investment will support emergency shelters, housing stabilization, and health-focused outreach.
This quarter marks the launch of UWWR’s new community impact funding model, which focuses each quarterly round of investments on one or two key issue areas. The Q1 focus, Affordable Housing and Homelessness, reflects one of the most pressing challenges facing our community, with rising costs and economic pressures continuing to drive housing instability. In response, UWWR disbursed its full-year funding up front, offering greater stability and predictability for recipient organizations.
“At United Way, supporting frontline work isn’t just part of what we do, it’s our driving purpose,” said Joan Fisk, CEO of United Way Waterloo Region. “This revised community investment strategy reflects a bold shift toward deeper collaboration, greater stability for our partners, and a more focused approach to tackling the most pressing issues in our region. By aligning our investments with quarterly priorities, we’re not only strengthening community impact, we are also making it easier for donors to see the difference they’re making and be part of lasting change.”
United Way Waterloo Region’s pivot to annual funding for focused cause areas every quarter is already showing positive results. This new approach means potential partners only need to apply once, significantly reducing administrative work while allowing for deeper collaboration and alignment.
While the focus of this Q1 funding was Affordable Housing and Homelessness, United Way Waterloo Region also provided strategic funding to three long-standing community partners, supporting collaborative efforts in youth engagement, newcomer support, and volunteerism.
United Way Waterloo Region is currently accepting applications for their Second Quarter (Q2) funding period, which focuses on Children and Youth, as well as Hate, Gender-Based, and Family Violence. Third Quarter (Q3) funding will focus on Community & Social Supports; Literacy, Employment Skills & Assistive Devices, and Fourth Quarter (Q4) funding will focus on Mental Health & Addictions and Food Insecurity.
As United Way Waterloo Region moves through 2025, this renewed funding model continues to reflect a commitment to strategic, community-driven investment. With each funding round, we deepen our partnerships, amplify our collective efforts, and reinforce the belief that united is the way forward.
2025 Funded Partners in Affordable Housing & Homelessness:
• House of Friendship
• Social Development Centre of Waterloo Region
• A Better Tent City Waterloo Region
• Cambridge Shelter Corporation
• YW Kitchener Waterloo
• Argus Residence for Young People
• Marillac Place
2025 Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives
• Children & Youth Planning Table
• United for Youth Initiative
• Volunteer Waterloo Region
• Immigration Partnership Waterloo Region
About United Way Waterloo Region
United Way Waterloo Region is dedicated to helping people live better lives in every one of the seven communities we serve, and we focus on understanding issues and solutions unique to our community. Thanks to generous donors and partners, we are privileged to collaborate with people, non-profits, and businesses to empower multiple innovative, impactful, and measurable solutions. We are fundraisers and local community builders that support a network of agencies whose programs and services are locally focused, informed, connected, and deeply invested in helping people reach their full potential. To ensure critical agencies, programs and services get the funding they need, and to ensure donors have a clear line of site to the work we do, we have focused on cause-based giving which allows for donations to be directed in a way that aligns with selected priorities and goals. To learn more, connect with us at
www.uwaywrc.ca.
Digital Assets:
Please visit www.uwaywrc.ca/about-us/communications/ to download our digital assets and further information, including photos, CEO bio and photo, and other United Way materials.
For more information or for media interviews, please contact:
Jillian Lawrie
Senior Manager, Communications & Advocacy
United Way Waterloo Region
519-888-6100 ext. 218
jlawrie@uwaywrc.ca