MAKE AN IMPACT

ADVOCACY & PUBLIC POLICY

Your voice makes a difference. When you lend your voice to United Way of Greater Cincinnati, you help ignite action toward positive change within our community.

In working together with donors, grantees, civic leaders and policymakers, we amplify community members’ lived experiences. These experiences address needs and influence improvements to policies and practices so all people in Greater Cincinnati can thrive — now and in the future.

Through advocacy, we achieve more together than any one of us can achieve alone.

OUR PUBLIC POLICY AGENDA

We focus on advocating for pathways from cradle to career, support for parents and caregivers, opportunities for stable homes, and access to critical resources. Each of these priority areas aligns with at least one of our pillars of economic well-being:

Pathways From Cradle to Career

Our Goal: Ensure everyone has the tools they need to succeed, from birth to entering the workforce.

We support increasing access to:

Affordable, mixed-delivery child care and preschool options that promote kindergarten readiness 🎓💰

Out-of-School Time programming and support that helps kids excel in school 🎓

High-quality, affordable postsecondary education and training 🎓💰

Support for Parents and Caregivers

Our Goal: Support families and individuals in every stage of life with the resources they need to care for each other and thrive.

We advocate for:

Incentives for parent and caregiver workforce participation, like access to paid family leave and child care 🎓💰

Evidence-based home visiting and caregiver support programs 🎓

Tax credits for working families, like expanding access to the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit 💰

Tapered benefits programs that prevent benefits cliffs and encourage financial self-sufficiency 💰🏠

Opportunities for Stable Homes

Our Goal: Foster an environment for home buyers and renters that allows them to live, work and learn in a stable and supportive community.

We champion:

Pathways to attaining and retaining homeownership 💰🏠

Development and availability of income-aligned housing
options 🎓💰🏠

Programs and policies that support unhoused families and individuals 🎓💰🏠

Eviction prevention efforts that incentivize cooperation between tenants, housing providers and governments 🎓💰🏠

Access to Critical Resources

Our Goal: Efficiently connect people to resources so that everyone has a full and fair opportunity to succeed.

We promote efforts to improve:

The sustainability and capacity of United Way 211, which includes improving efficiency across the non-profit sector and uplifting initiatives that help families secure sustainable income and financial stability 🎓💰🏠

Access to digital infrastructure, knowledge and training 🎓💰

Programs that provide access to nutritious food, such as SNAP and EFSP 🎓💰

Transportation options that align with an individual’s home, work, school, health and community needs 🎓💰🏠

The sustainability and vitality of the nonprofit community’s ability to advocate and incentivize private donations 💰

TAKE ACTION NOW

Addressing Hunger with SNAP Disruptions

Take action to support families and individuals facing hunger by asking your elected officials to uplift the importance of SNAP and dedicate necessary resources to meet the needs of our community.

TAKE ACTION

Digital Access Strengthens Education and the Workforce

Act now to support digital access efforts that build strong learners and encourage workforce participation.

TAKE ACTION

Investing in Our Youngest Generation

Support families in our region by asking your elected officials to support funding for early childhood education programs.

TAKE ACTION

Support Funding for Housing Programs

Ask your elected officials to support funding for housing programs, which are vital to thriving communities.

TAKE ACTION

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED LEGISLATORS

Click on your state of residence below to be taken to official state government resources for contacting your local elected legislators.

OUR IMPACT

Together with our strong network of advocates, we championed lasting policy change across three states in the last year.

0 +

messages sent from advocates to their legislators.

0 +

attendees at advocacy events.

member organizations in the UWGC-led Southwest Ohio Regional Digital Inclusion Alliance.

ADVOCACY UPDATES

Don’t break the promise to our children. Renew the Preschool Promise levy | Opinion

Bandwidth for Brighter Futures: Digital Access in Education & the Workforce

Nourish Together: Addressing Food Insecurity in Our Region

Strengthening Communities: United Way Worldwide’s 2025 Advocacy Forum and Capitol Hill Day

Federal Funding Cuts Would Significantly Affect Local Nonprofits, Survey Shows

Ask Congress to Expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC)

INTEREST FORM

Ready for your voice to be heard? Join United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s advocate network to help break down barriers to prosperity in our community.

To learn more about our public policy and advocacy work, email us at [email protected] or call us at 513-762-7220.

RESOURCES

Southwest Ohio Regional Digital Inclusion Alliance

View now

Southwest Ohio’s Digital Opportunity Plan

View now

Home for All NKY Report

View now

Home Matters to Ohio Report

View now

ADVOCACY & PUBLIC POLICY

OUR PUBLIC POLICY AGENDA

Pathways From Cradle to Career

Support for Parents and Caregivers

Opportunities for Stable Homes

Access to Critical Resources

TAKE ACTION NOW

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED LEGISLATORS

Ohio

Kentucky

Indiana

OUR IMPACT

ADVOCACY UPDATES

INTEREST FORM

RESOURCES

Southwest Ohio Regional Digital Inclusion Alliance

Southwest Ohio’s Digital Opportunity Plan

Home for All NKY Report

Home Matters to Ohio Report

Advocacy/Policy Interest Form

STAY IN THE LOOP