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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: January 2026 Expires: January 2028

United Way of Anderson County

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
7 14 16 18
(864) 226-3438
604 North Murray Avenue
Anderson, SC, 29625
https://unitedwayofanderson.org/
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Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

United Way of Anderson County does not meet the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

UWAC does not meet this Standard because:

  • Although the organization produced a written May 2025 effectiveness assessment report, the report did not include recommendations for future actions.

Standard 14 (Budget)
Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.

UWAC does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided 2025 budget information, it indicated that the budget:

  • Included total projected program service expenses, however, did not break these expenses down by major program category (community impact, AmeriCorps healthy futures, other programs).

Standard 16 (Annual Report)
Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

UWAC does not meet this Standard because the 2024 annual report did not include:

  • Total expenses for each program in the same categories that appear in the organization’s financial statements (community impact, AmeriCorps healthy futures, other programs).
  • Total end-of-year net assets.

Standard 18 (Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy)
Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.

UWAC does not meet this Standard because the privacy policy on its website, https://unitedwayofanderson.org/, does not indicate:

  • What security measures are in place to protect personal information that is collected.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information from the organization and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard(s) for Charity Accountability: 11, 15, 19

United Way of Anderson County meets the remaining 13 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to improve our community by providing leadership in identifying needs, securing and leveraging resources, and driving action."

Year, State Incorporated:
1967, SC

United Way of Anderson County (UWAC) reports that it is dedicated to improving lives and strengthening its community through health, education, financial stability, and basic needs. The organization’s health programs include Camp Mariposa, a free year-round addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth ages nine to 17 affected by substance use or substance use disorder in their families. The Mental Health First Aid training program provides a full day of interactive trainings for participants to better learn how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness. UWAC’s education programs focus on youth development, leadership opportunities, and skill development for success in school. The organization’s education programs include: Weekend SnackPack, which distributes kid-friendly, ready-to-eat food items in their bags every Friday of the school year; Camp iRock, an intensive summer reading program, where campers focus on reading, character building, and physical activity; and Born Learning Trails, a series of 10 interactive signs that offer active learning activities for young children and their families in playgrounds around Anderson County. UWAC’s financial stability programs offer volunteer income tax assistance and workshops. The organization’s basic needs programs provide funds for housing and homelessness initiatives, and the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS), which offers an interactive immersion experience to help participants better understand the realities of poverty in the United States. In 2024, UWAC reports it served over 56,000 people through its programs and funding distribution.

For the year ended June 30, 2024, United Way of Anderson County's program expenses were:

Community impact $795,761
Other programs $594,963
AmeriCorps healthy futures $357,423
Total Program Expenses $1,748,147

Chief Executive
Kevin Capell, President and Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*
$115,000

Chair of the Board
Jacquelyn Blakley, PhD

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Dean, Business and Public Services Division, Tri-County Technical College

Board Size
25

Paid Staff Size
9

*2025 compensation, as reported by the charity, includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Note: Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Carol Burdette, was the highest-paid employee in 2023 with total compensation of $156,896. Mr. Capell began his tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2025.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Grant proposals, Internet, Membership appeals, Workplace Giving

Fundraising costs were 13% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $1,853,869, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on United Way of Anderson County's IRS Form 990 for the year ended June 30, 2024.

Source of Funds
Contributions $1,306,640
Government grants $484,856
Special events, net $62,373
Investment income $11,038
Total Income $1,864,907

Programs: 84% Fundraising: 11% Administrative: 4%

Total Income $1,864,907
Total expenses: $2,075,526
  Program expenses $1,748,147
  Fundraising expenses $237,822
  Administrative expenses $89,557
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-210,619
Beginning Net Assets $2,468,346
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $2,280,653
Total Liabilities $116,791
Total Assets $2,397,444

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Serving Central South Carolina & Charleston