Nearly 40% of local households do not have the monthly income needed to meet basic living expenses. “We see hardworking individuals and families across our region facing rising costs for housing, childcare, food, health care and other essentials,” United Way of Greater St. Louis president and CEO Michelle Tucker says. “Many are working yet remain just one unexpected expense away from financial hardship.” The nonprofit is dedicated to building stronger and more resilient communities. Each year, United Way provides assistance to more than one million people—meaning it touches the lives of one in every three people in the St. Louis community.
Working across a 16-county region, United Way provides more than 150 local nonprofits with vital funding and training resources. Its goal is to support the region in five impact areas: basic needs, health and well-being, jobs and financial mobility, youth success and crisis response. “For more than a century, United Way of Greater St. Louis has united people and organizations to strengthen our community’s safety net through funding, partnerships, training and capacity building,” Tucker notes. “As needs continue to grow, our role is more important than ever in helping people access support before a temporary challenge becomes a long-term crisis.”
Last year alone, United Way’s 211 Referral Line received more than 250,000 requests for assistance. While demand continues to grow, Tucker explains that the nonprofit maximizes its impact by working with community partners on innovative solutions. One of its key initiatives is the annual Community Campaign fundraiser. “Together, our impact is much greater than any one individual or organization could achieve alone,” Tucker says. “Every gift strengthens the network of nonprofit organizations that thousands of families rely on while also supporting services like 211, which connects people to help when they need it most. Investing in the Community Campaign is an investment in the future of our region.”
This year’s Community Campaign is led by co-chairs Ryan Davis, office managing partner of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s St. Louis office, and Chris Zimmerman, president and CEO of business operations for the St. Louis Blues. Both were inspired to get involved by seeing United Way’s impact first-hand. “From when I first arrived in St. Louis, I began to understand both the strength of the annual campaign and the exceptional impact United Way has across our community,” Zimmerman says. “The fact that the St. Louis campaign is one of the most successful in the U.S. is a reflection of the extraordinary heart across our region, as well as United Way’s relentless commitment to supporting our neighbors, often helping people meet their most basic needs.”
A lifelong St. Louisian, Davis sees the Community Campaign as an opportunity to fuel change in the region. “It is an incredible honor to partner with United Way, an organization that reaches so many people every year,” he notes. “Through our support of our local sports teams, civic institutions and more, St. Louisians consistently demonstrate great pride in our city, and we have always stepped up to help our neighbors. The Community Campaign provides a significant opportunity—at both the individual level and the business level—for us to come together and make a dramatic impact for our community.”
United Way of Greater St. Louis unites people, resources, and funding with one goal in mind: helping people live their best possible lives. Its annual Community Campaign has raised more than $3 billion throughout the nonprofit’s history. Pictured on the cover: 2026 Community Campaign chairs Ryan Davis and Chris Zimmerman with United Way president and CEO Michelle Tucker (center). Donate, volunteer or get involved today at helpingpeople.org.
Cover design by Julie Streiler
Cover photo by Tim Parker Photography
Pictured at the top: United Way of Greater St. Louis president and CEO Michelle Tucker
Photo: Tim Parker Photography