Our Work: Financial Stability

We’re empowering adults with the resources and education needed to ensure fiscal security.

WHY IT MATTERS

Low-income individuals and families experience a great deal of financial hardship that impacts all aspects of their lives and prevent them from thriving. Without a steady income or sufficient savings, they are easily caught off guard by unexpected expenses, develop lingering credit concerns, fall prey to lenders and even face homelessness.

0%

of families lived below the poverty line in Sedgwick County in 2021.

0%

of households in Wichita were unbanked in 2021, exceeding the national average of 6.5%.

0%

of renter households in Kansas were extremely low income in 2021.

OUR WORK

Our goal is to empower people to become financially stable.

Financial stability is the ability to efficiently allocate funds, even during challenging times, by utilizing education and accessible resources.

We’re fighting to help people to gain strong financial literacy skills to make money smart decisions, to develop workforce skills that enable them to get – and keep – a better job, and to get on the path to home ownership.

Click below to learn more about each of our programs, initiatives and collaborations focused on income:

Woman working on a laptop to help a client file their taxes for free.

A woman studies to take the GED. By gaining an education, she'll be able to access a better paying job so she's financially stable.

A family sits on the steps to the porch of their new home.

Picture of a man opening his wallet to cash. Bank On ICT helps individuals without a bank account get established with one to build financial stability.

OUR IMPACT IN 2021

$0

million invested in the community through United Way-funded programs to empower people on the road to financial stability.

0

times United Way-funded programs helped people gain financial stabilty.

A woman works with a client to help them file their taxes for free as part of our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

BECOME A TAX PREP VOLUNTEER

Our free income tax prep service helps individuals with low-to-moderate income file their taxes for free. The program helps participants avoid costly fees to have their taxes figured while also identifying tax credits, helping them keep more of their hard earned money.

Want to learn a new skill or do more volunteer work? Every year we recruit 200+ volunteers to assist with our free tax prep program. If filing someone’s taxes seems daunting to you, don’t fret! No experience is needed. We provide free training (classroom style or online) to become certified with the IRS. This volunteer opportunity is great for young professionals looking to build their resumes, retirees wanting a temporary volunteer gig and anyone with a passion to help others.

Become a Volunteer

LIVE UNITED BLOG: FINANCIAL STABILITY

Read our latest blog posts about our financial stability based initiatives and their impact.

Get to Know…Sarah Crick Milligan, VITA Program Manager

Qualify for student loan forgiveness?

Welcome to the team: Sarah Crick Milligan, VITA Program Manager

INVEST IN FINANCIALLY STABLE FUTURES

When you donate to United Way, your gift empowers individuals and families to become financially stable. It’s good for them and it’s good for our community. Give today.

DONATE NOW

QUESTIONS?

For more information, contact Michelle Presnell, United Way Community Impact Manager for Financial Stability, at mpresnell@unitedwayplains.org or (316) 267‑1321 ext 4232.

OUR FOCUS

Our focus is on health, education, financial stability and basic needs—the building blocks for a good quality of life and a strong community. Click below to learn more about what we’re doing, the programs we invest in and our lasting impact in each area.

Financial Stability