United Way of Southwest Minnesota

At United Way of Southwest Minnesota, we believe that hope isn't just a feeling—it's a spark.  A spark that ignites action, drives change, and creates brighter futures.

Some of United Way of Southwest Minnesota's Internal Initiatives & Programs Include:

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - is a unique initiative serving children from birth to age five across our service area. Each month, enrolled children receive a free, age-appropriate book in the mail, building early literacy and school-readiness skills.

Since launching locally in 2005, over 9,583 children have graduated from the program, and more than 556,415 books have been delivered to homes throughout our region. From January through October 2025 alone, 22,884 books were mailed. As of October, 2,253 children are receiving books every month—fostering a lifelong love of reading, one story at a time.

Here are the results of our 2025 Imagination Library Survey.

• • • • • • • • • • • 98% of respondents are satisfied with and appreciate the Imagination Library book program.
                    • 100% of respondents would recommend the Imagination Library book program to families with young children.
                    • 97% of respondents agree that receiving Imagination Library books helps prepare their children for kindergarten by getting them ready to read.
                    • 95% of respondents agree that receiving Imagination Library books helps them read more to their children.
                    • “My child gets very excited when a book comes in the mail with her name on it! We read the book multiple times and the joy my child shows when she gets to add another book to her shelf!”
                    • “As an early intervention teacher and a parent, I recommend this program to everyone. We utilize and love all the books and it is so great for the families I work with as well.”
                    • “Every month, my child is so excited to receive a book in the mail from 'Aunt Dolly'. We love getting to read new books we might never have discovered on our own, and have found many treasured favorites from the books we've received.”

Stuff the Bus - this successful initiative in 2025 was made possible by the collective efforts of our community.  We provided over 48,000 school supplies to approximately 4,000 students attending 23 area schools.  Engaging volunteers to collect, sort, pack, and distribute supplies to students throughout our service area to ensure that students can learn and develop to their full potential without the worry that they don't have the basic tools needed to reach their academic goals.

Student Emergency Fund Grants - Over $13,000 was distributed in 2025 to 22 local schools that applied.   Funds are to be used at the districts' discretion to support the needs of their students.  Participating schools reported that during the 2024-25 school year, funds were used for items such as: activity fees, support to a family that suffered a home fire, support to a student who lost their only parent, underwear, clothing, socks, and shoes, hygiene items, emergency food support, eyeglasses and vision exams, winter apparel, specialized school supplies, etc.

Wild About Kindergarten - These kits are designed to help children and their parents or guardians build essential school readiness skills throughout the spring and summer, preparing them for a successful start to kindergarten in the fall.

Each child attending Kindergarten Round-Up at participating schools in our service area receives a kit.

Every bag includes a variety of tools to support learning and development:

• • • • • • • A children’s book
            • Coloring and activity book
            • Whiteboard with dry-erase marker
            • Crayons, scissors, glue stick, and modeling clay
            • Toothbrush
            • Parent/guardian resources
            • And more!

Together, we can create lasting change across Southwest Minnesota.

As part of our 2025 campaign, United Way of Southwest Minnesota is raising $555,000 to support 20 vital programs and initiatives throughout our region.

• Last year, more than 62,000 people were served through United Way-funded programs—touching lives in every corner of our service area.
• 201 volunteers gave 381 hours of their time and talents to help strengthen our communities.

Every dollar raised and every hour volunteered helps build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient Southwest Minnesota. 

Your support powers real impact—right here at home.

Together, we can be ready for whatever comes next. United is the Way.

Our Mission: To unite people and resources to improve lives and strengthen communities in Southwest Minnesota.

We serve people in Minnesota counties: Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Yellow Medicine, and portions of Redwood, Cottonwood, Lac qui Parle, and Nobles.  

Questions?  Want more information?

Contact us: 

unitedway@unitedwayswmn.org 

or

507-929-2273

Source: www.unitedwayswmn.org