The local United Way serving Topeka is **United Way of Kaw Valley** (formerly United Way of Greater Topeka; EIN 48-0561978). It merged with United Way of Douglas County in 2022 and now covers Shawnee, Douglas, Jackson, and Jefferson counties.
### Most recent figures (FY ending June 30, 2025)
From the organization’s own IRS Form 990 and its public statements:
- **Total expenses:** about $5.04 million
- **Program expenses:** about $4.16 million (~82.5% of total expenses), including $3.61 million in grants to partner agencies
- **Fundraising expenses:** $321,397 (~6.4%)
- **Management and general (administrative) expenses:** about $560,000 (~11.1%)
- Combined **administrative + fundraising (overhead):** **~17.5–18.1%**
The organization itself reports that administrative and fundraising costs were **18.1% in FY 2025**. It notes that Charity Navigator considers charities spending under 25% on those categories efficient, and that BBB/IRS guidelines allow up to 35%.
Charity Navigator’s latest published program-expense ratio for the organization (based on recent 990s) is **84.25%**, implying overhead in the mid-teens.
### Context and history
- In 2010 the organization reported roughly 10.7% of revenues going to administrative costs.
- Around 2014 it raised the administrative fee it withholds from donor-designated gifts (from 9% in 2009 to nearly 15%, plus an additional allowance for uncollectible pledges). Designated gifts subsequently dropped.
- A small administrative fee is still applied to designated gifts passed through to agencies.
Financials, audits, and 990s are posted on the organization’s site: [uwkawvalley.org/finances-reports](https://www.uwkawvalley.org/finances-reports).
“Administrative costs” typically include management, accounting, rent, communications, and similar overhead; United Way also counts some community-coordination, volunteer, and capacity-building work in support costs rather than as pure program grants. Percentages can shift year to year with campaign size, merger effects, and how expenses are allocated.
