United Way of Southwest Colorado is becoming independent.
The organization is adopting a new name, Team Up, and breaking away from United Way Worldwide, effective July 1.
UWSC President Lynn Urban said the decision to become independent has been several years in the making. Team Up will continue to provide grant funding to nonprofits as it has for years as United Way, and the split from United Way Worldwide will allow the organization to invest more dollars directly into the communities it serves, including Archuleta, Dolores, Montezuma, La Plata and San Juan counties.
UWSC Board President Amie Bryant said the organization’s annual dues to United Way Worldwide increased 229% – from $7,602 in 2013 to $25,000 in 2025. The organization’s income rose 59% over the same period.
“We realized we could do even more for our communities by investing 100% of those dollars here,” she said.
Urban said UWSC has spent close to a decade honing its ability to make positive change by addressing Southwest Colorado issues.
Neither staff, services nor office locations will change due to the separation from United Way Worldwide, she said.
In addition to providing grant funding to nonprofits working in housing, education, food, child care, health, mental health and violence prevention, it operates 2-1-1 Colorado and an AmeriCorps program.
It also supports a number of community collaborations aimed at helping the communities it serves. Urban said the most successful partnership in La Plata County is a scholarship program for families who cannot afford to send their children to summer camp.
The program helps children access after-school activities to improve or maintain their mental health.
“Cost is a barrier, transportation is a barrier and mental health concerns are a barrier,” Urban said.
The scholarship program was created to give children free access to summer camps at more than 15 organizations, including the Powerhouse science center, the San Juan Mountains Association and others. She said more than 700 young people have been connected to summer programs through the scholarship since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We've seen parents report an increase in their child's mental health after participating in a summer camp, and so we’re trying to build this into a permanent part of our community so that these youths always have this option,” she said.
This summer, Team Up will introduce a transportation program to get children to and from summer camps. It will operate free bus service.
In addition, it has been hosting youth mental health workshops for several years to educate parents and caregivers about how to improve their children’s mental health.
Families can learn more about scholarship opportunities at teamupsw.org/summer-scholarship.
Turning United Way of Southwest Colorado into an independent organization will save about $25,000 annually that can be redirected to nonprofits and community causes, Urban said.
“We are all about helping people thrive,” she said. “... We are doing this from a place of strength. We’ve realized that the work that we’re doing is going above and beyond what most United Ways do, and so we just think this is a better way we can serve our community.”
She said Team Up will continue to evolve how it collaborates with organizations, parents and community members, but although change is in the air, the same people are working on great things.
cburney@durangoherald.com
