United Way Toronto and York Region

Description of the organization

United Way’s mission is to meet urgent human needs and improve social conditions by mobilizing the community’s volunteer and financial resources in a common cause of caring. For more than 50 years, we have worked to strengthen lives by bringing together business, labour, individuals, government, and foundations in support of a network of social service agencies across Toronto and York Region. United Way touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every year through the provision of general operating support to a network of community service organizations from across the region.

Partnership with PhiLab

We are able to contribute research expertise in an advisory capacity to the proposed project as a whole and to specific projects within the program of research, as well as access to extensive networks of organizations and individuals concerned with confronting inequalities across a range of issue areas.

As a research producing organization we will also contribute relevant findings to the project, and, if the timing and other circumstances are right, may be in a position to participate directly in the research.

Outcomes we would wish to achieve through our involvement are threefold: 

• Robust research evidence that will impact social policy development and social service delivery towards improving social conditions and helping to meet urgent human needs.
• Facilitated community engagement with the research program across the program’s broad range of activities from inclusion in governance to informing findings and recommendations to positioning and messaging communications.
• Strengthened partnerships and relationships between UWTYR and other philanthropic organizations in Canada and beyond.