Who is United Way NWT?
United Way NWT is a Northern non-profit registered with the Societies Act of the NWT that works to support Northwest Territory non-profits and charities. We strongly believe in supporting our community and in helping to create a sustainable, supportive North for our fellow Northerners.
We are a member of the United Way Canada – however, we are our own autonomous organization with our own Board of Directors. All funds raised in the North stay in the North.
Our Mission
Helping Northerners support Northerners — building a strong and healthy community together.
Mandate
We promote the organized capacity of people in the Northwest Territories to care for one another. By raising and redistributing funds through our
Community Investment Fund and Emergency Funding Program, we support critical projects and local nonprofits addressing the most pressing needs of Northern communities.
United Way NWT History and Current Programming
United Way Northwest Territories (UW NWT) started in 2001 as United Way Yellowknife. It was reinvigorated in 2012 and renamed itself to UW NWT to reflect its goal of supporting northerners throughout the NWT. UW NWT is currently the only United Way chapter north of the 60th parallel in Canada.
UW NWT’s community priorities align with United Way Centraide’s national focus areas:
UW NWT’s core program is the Community Investment Fund (CIF), an application-based grant program for organizations serving NWT residents. The CIF has grown from approximately $50,000 in 2001 to approximately $265,000 in 2024. UW NWT has increased the maximum single-year grant size to $10,000 and developed three-year grants of $15,000 each year.
Since 2018, UW NWT has also become increasingly active in emergency response fundraising and distribution. Beginning with flood response in 2018 and 2019, UW NWT supported COVID-19 response in 2020 and then raised and distributed an unprecedented level of funding during the 2023 wildfire season. In 2024 and 2025, UW NWT continued to support emergency-related fundraising and distribution in communities including Whatì and Fort Providence. These experiences have strengthened UW NWT’s relationships across the Territory and nationally, and demonstrated strong public trust, while also creating new demands on Board and staff.
