How United Way California Capital Region Works Toward Ending Poverty Through Education... and So Much More.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Dawnté Early, CEO of United Way California Capital Region. United Way is one of our region’s longest-serving nonprofits, with more than a century of impact — but what struck me most in this conversation is how intentionally the organization has evolved to meet today’s realities.

We talk about what it really takes to “end poverty,” why education remains the strongest ladder out, and how United Way is stepping beyond traditional grantmaking to provide direct services that stabilize families, support children, and strengthen entire communities.

This conversation spans early childhood literacy, housing stability, guaranteed income for former foster youth, free tax preparation, collaboration, policy change, and the growing pressure facing nonprofits as safety-net funding tightens. It’s thoughtful, data-driven, and deeply human.

What We Cover in This Conversation

• How United Way has evolved from a trusted community funder into a hands-on, direct-service organization
• Why education is central to breaking generational cycles of poverty — starting at birth
• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and how monthly books are changing outcomes for families
• Kindergarten readiness, literacy tutoring, and closing opportunity gaps after COVID
• Guaranteed income for former foster youth — and why $500 a month can mean the difference between dropping out and graduating
• Free tax preparation and how tens of millions of dollars are being returned to local families that might have otherwise gone unnoticed
• The role of collaboration, collective impact, and shared infrastructure across nonprofits
• Why poverty is also a policy issue — and how United Way is working upstream
• The financial realities nonprofits face as government support pulls back
• Leadership, sustainability, and what it takes to grow impact without losing mission

Why This Matters

United Way’s work touches every stage of life — from early literacy to college completion to financial stability for working families. This episode offers a clear look at how layered, connected solutions can create real, measurable outcomes, and why collaboration is no longer optional in today’s nonprofit landscape.

If you care about education, housing, economic mobility, or the future of our nonprofit safety net, this is an important conversation.

Learn More

Find programs, volunteer opportunities, free tax prep locations, and upcoming events by visiting your local United Way website. Information on United Way Capital Region and their annual gala can be found in the links below.

Website link: https://www.yourlocalunitedway.org/

Tax preparation link: https://www.yourlocalunitedway.org/our-work/financial-security/free-tax-preparation/

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

Transcript

Dr. Dawnte Early: [00:00:00] Kids can't focus on school and education if they are worrying about where their next meal is going to be, where they're gonna sleep that night, are you gonna be in your parents' car? And so we did all, and our approach to the work that we do now is the kids are the center of our work. And so education's ladder out of poverty, but we go out from that.

We support children in making sure that they have housing and free tax prep. Making sure that your, your family is getting that influx of cash that you are entitled to.

Jeff Holden: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. Our purpose and passion are simple to highlight the incredible nonprofits that make our communities stronger. Each episode is a chance for these organizations to tell their story in their words, sharing not just what they do, but why it matters. To the people they serve, to their supporters, and to all of us who believe in the power of [00:01:00] community.

Through podcasting, we hope to amplify their voices, inspire connection, and give them one more tool to impact the hearts of donors, partners, and neighbors alike. This work is made possible through the generous support of our incredible partners, captrust, offering fiduciary advice for endowments and foundations.

Western Health Advantage, a local not-for-profit health plan that believes healthcare is more than coverage. It's about caring core executive leadership and comprehensive support services. They work in it so you can work on it. And Five Star Bank, a local trusted advisor to community nonprofits for over 25 years.

This episode, I'm joined by Dr. Dante early. CEO of United Way, California Capital Region. United Way is one of our region's true Legacy nonprofits founded in [00:02:00] 1923, and in this conversation you'll hear how they've evolved from being a trusted community hub, forgiving to stepping directly into the gap with programs that move families towards stability.

We talk about the latter out of poverty education. From Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Kindergarten Readiness Programs to Literacy Tutoring, and one of the most powerful initiatives I've heard, guaranteed income support for former foster youth in college, helping them stay on track to graduate.

You'll also learn about United Way's Free tax prep program, bringing tens of millions of dollars back into local pockets. Why collaboration and policy change may be the only way to truly slow the flow of poverty long term. This is a big picture conversation with real practical impact, and I know you'll walk away afterward feeling both informed and energized.

[00:03:00] Dr. Dante early. Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Thank you so much for having me. 

Jeff Holden: I am so happy to have you here because this has been like a year long process to get you in for, for no good reason either, really. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. I think you have a busy schedule, right? I run a nonprofit, so obviously, and a city, and so I'm also a little busy and, and so I'm so excited to be here.

Jeff Holden: I, I can't wait to talk about some of those things. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: United Way is one of our legacy nonprofits. Over a hundred years of service, I'm sure over that period of time much has changed from what it originated as to what it is today. Can you give us an idea of what that looks like? In the way that United Way provides service today in the greater Sacramento region?

Dr. Dawnte Early: Absolutely. So as you mentioned, United Way was founded in 1923. I see. And so I know it's, it is over 103 years old. I mean, we were founded as a community trust, right. Back in the day, back in our, our, our [00:04:00] grandfather Great-great-great grandfather's day you would give to United Way. And trust that they would give to what was needed in the community.

And that's evolved over time. That still is a core aspect of, of what your local United Way, what we do. But in addition to that, what we saw coming out of COVID, I was, there were a lot more needs within the community around supporting kids in their education around economic mobility and some of these other things in regards to the issues that United Way, our mission, which is to end poverty.

In the capital region. And so we saw that we needed to step even more into the gap and not only continue to be a collective impact and backbone organization, but also step right there with other nonprofits, hand in hand, arm in arm in order to provide the services that our community desperately needs.

Jeff Holden: And that's gonna be a big part of the conversation too, because it's the buzzword today is collaboration. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: You know, what does that look like? How are you integrating, how are you supporting each other? That's what you've been doing all along. [00:05:00] 

Dr. Dawnte Early: That is our mission, right? United is the way and what that really means, you know, you have the United Helping Hand.

It's that if we all do our part that together we can do so much more collaboratively. And so it is what United Way has always done. It's what we continue to do to find partnerships, to find opportunities, and to ask the question, how can we help? 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. California Capital Region. What does that entail? How big is the scope of service that you're responsible for?

Dr. Dawnte Early: So our United Way Capital Region serves five counties, Yolo Placer, Amador, El Dorado, and Sacramento. Um, that is our core region. Mm-hmm. We also, however, have expanded in regards to our service area. Last year, actually, I guess now two years ago. We expanded to housing services. We have a program called Keep Solano housed in Solano County, and that was based on all the housing work that we had started to do.

Solano County [00:06:00] saw that and said, Hey, would you be interested in applying for an RFP here and providing some of those services? And sure enough, we were, we also. Actually November of last year expanded our free tax prep work to Sutter Yuba Calusa. And so what we are seeing, and this is again the question that we say how can we help, is that some of the core services that we provide, direct services that our surrounding counties need some of that.

And so we have stepped up in order to again, arm in arm with our other United Ways, provide those services. 

Jeff Holden: And I'm sure in the essence of doing that properly. It's collaborative. There's other pieces that 

Dr. Dawnte Early: come into, it's all collaborative. Yes, absolutely. It really is. What do you do well? What do we do well?

And then how do we come together, scale that up? And really with, at the center of that, how do we help families and how do we end poverty in this region? 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. Ending poverty through education Yeah. Is a big part of what you do. And [00:07:00] I'm a firm believer as well that it is the quickest path to. Breaking that generational cycle of poverty, getting somebody aware and educated, and you start at a very early age.

Tell us a little bit about the education programs that you offer. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah, so education is the latter out of poverty. It's one of our major tenets and we. Have a whole suite of educational programs starting with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program. Mm-hmm. In which every kiddo, zero to five, no matter their family's income, gets a book every single month.

You can sign up, you get a book from Dolly herself, and it's age appropriate. They're high quality books, and California actually is the only state in the country that offers both, both English. Spanish books. And so we have been doing this program for 10 years in Yolo County this past year in 2025, we actually expanded that program to SAT County and we already have, we expanded and started in July and we already have, I think something like 6,000 [00:08:00] families signed up in Sacramento County alone.

Jeff Holden: And that's families. You could have multiple children in a 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: In a family. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: That's amazing. Assuming it's just two, that's 12,000 kids, you're impacting over the course of, you know, that program. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. And you really are, you are helping families start their home library. Right. You are encouraging a love and learning, um, for reading.

And then what I also love, because my, my degrees, um, in child development, human development. Yeah. You are also. Um, helping that parental bond, right? That's a moment for parents to be able to take with their kiddo and read that book to them every night 

Jeff Holden: as you graduate from. Five years old. Mm-hmm. You also have additional programs, and if I'm not mistaken, you just are completing a grant That was a three year grant.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Tell us about that, because that, that touched a lot of children. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Absolutely. So when we turned 100, we wanted to celebrate our 100 year anniversary. Kind of like Disneyland celebrates there. Anniversary. Yes. Of 

course. 

Jeff Holden: Why not? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Exactly. We don't want one year, we want three. And so we launched, um, [00:09:00] the year we turned 100, our three year initiative to help 10,000 kids excel in school by raising $3 million.

We went even further. We raised our 3 million, but we actually ended up helping over. 15,000 kids over the past three years in regards to our educational programs, and so that's Dolly Parton Imagination Library, but that's also our kinder camp in which we partner with the ymca. Mm-hmm. To help kiddos who have maybe not had access to high quality preschools, get ready for kindergarten.

That's our literacy tutoring. And that's also, we launched our guaranteed income program for former foster youth that are in college. 

Jeff Holden: Tell me a little bit about that, because I think that's really a novel concept and so necessary because we know such a small percentage of foster youth, they can get in, but they don't graduate.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. It's pretty significant. I think only 3% of former foster youth who actually make it to college and university actually graduate, which just seems mind boggling to me. Right. But it's so many things that I [00:10:00] think many of us take for granted that you have former foster youth that are facing, whether it.

Be, you know, the, the life things that happen, right. Meeting your basic needs. Right. I have a 24-year-old, so I, I know very, very acutely all, all the things that just come up when you're, yeah. When you're young and you just need a little bit of help from mom and dad. And so our women United, our philanthropic group said once again, how can we help?

And we saw that there was a gap in our programming. We would go up through high school, but then that transitional age youth, we saw that we wanted to be able to do more. And the first year that Dr. Luke Wood came to Sac State. Mm-hmm. We know that he's a former foster youth, and one of his initiatives was, I want Sac State to be the place for former foster youth to graduate and come.

And we said, Hey, we love that mission. We believe in that too. And so we ended up actually partnering with the Guardian Scholars Program. Mm-hmm. At Sac State that first year and providing $500 a month, no strings attached to youth in their program. And we actually surprised them at our [00:11:00] gala. 

Jeff Holden: Oh, wow. They had no idea 

Dr. Dawnte Early: that was coming.

They had no idea how cool. Um, these youth, these college students who, again, who were former foster youth from our five county region, they thought they were participating in a research study on guaranteed income. Oh, what a great way to do that. And so we, we took them shopping, right? We were like, okay, yeah, you got dressed to all the nines.

And, and then Dr. Luke Woods foster mom actually came out with us and surprised them and presented. A check for $60,000 for these youth. And so That's 

Jeff Holden: amazing. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: It was pretty remarkable. And then last year, 'cause it's, this is a 12 month program, and so then last year these youth thought, oh, okay, I'm coming to the gala.

We are now sunsetting the program, right? Ending the program and then going to the new cohort and we said, well, we can't end yet. You guys haven't graduated yet. All of our students were still in college, but they hadn't quite graduated until they're graduating this year. We we're gonna roll it back and give you another year.

And so we wanted to, oh my goodness, make sure that we walked that graduation stage with them. And again, that they knew once you are a part of United Way family, you're a part of the family, and we [00:12:00] take care of our own. 

Jeff Holden: That's incredible. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And if there's ever been a perfect example of the use of guaranteed income, because not only do you see it in its orientation and the initial impact it has, but you see it in its fruition.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: They graduate, 

Dr. Dawnte Early: absolutely. They, not only they graduate, but again, we, you are changing lives through this $500 a month. It seems small, but we know for our students, it's been able to help them get through rental struggles, right? Mm-hmm. We've had a lot of housing insecurity in. Because they had these dollars, they were able to secure a place.

Car troubles. Right. It's like, how do you get to school? 

Jeff Holden: Well, if a battery goes out and you can't afford to get the battery, you're out. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Exactly. Exactly. And several of our students have told us, if it wasn't for these $500, they wouldn't have been able to finish school. Yeah. They just wouldn't have happened because they wouldn't have, they wouldn't have needed to get a second or a third job.

Right. All of our students work. All of them work, but these dollars help them to be able to, to do that much more so that they can take care of themselves and participate fully in the college [00:13:00] experience. It's a beautiful thing that we are able to do, and we're doing it in partnership with our donors.

This is made possible because of everyday people like you and me. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: People who contribute. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah, 

Jeff Holden: and that's the beauty of the story too, because people don't necessarily. See everything all the time. But you do. That's a, that's a tangible result. Yeah. And everybody wants impact. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Okay, well, where did my money go?

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: Well, here it's. Name the student. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Right there. That student started would not have made it and has now graduated. Yeah. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: If it wasn't for you. That's correct. Absolutely. It's part of what we love doing. And so for our three year initiative that we talked about, that was one of the things. Every single year when you come back to our gala, we tell you what we accomplished with your dollars, right?

Yes. These donor dollars were able to do this, this, this, and this, and that was really, really important to us, you know, as a data scientist, for us to be able to report back to you, here's where your dollars have gone and here's the data that supports. The impact you are having. Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And that's everybody's question today.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: You know, we know there's a lot of [00:14:00] organizations that have that story. Mm-hmm. The impact is what's most important. How did you help your mission fulfilled? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: Especially from a donor perspective, it's, as things change and, and funding is gonna be, pun become so much more. Important. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: The result of that mission or purpose or cause is what's everything at this point?

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. Yeah. You wanna see I, I think generationally in the area of philanthropy and giving that the culture has shifted and we've certainly seen it with United Ways across the country. And I will say I'm a millennial. As millennial, I think generationally I want to. Be a part of my giving. I not only give and trust that you're gonna give to the right place, but I give and I want to also participate in that giving.

And I think that is very common with our generation. And so that is one of the things that we try to do through our mission moments, right? And through our volunteerism, there are lots of opportunities for you to give not only of your time, but your treasure and to be a part of the [00:15:00] giving. 

Jeff Holden: To your point, we just had a, uh, an interview with a gentleman who's an author of a book called Neuro Giving.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: And it's the science of donor decision making. And the biggest thing you can do as an organization is engage. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Engage the donor. You don't want somebody who just supports you, that means they're just giving you the money. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Transactional. Exactly. Mm-hmm. If they participate in your. Mission and they actually are doing something with the organization.

It becomes a part of them. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: And then you have a legacy giver, 

Dr. Dawnte Early: right? Right. 

Jeff Holden: That's a 

Dr. Dawnte Early: sustainable, and you have a partner united in this work. Correct? Right. And that's really, really important to us. We don't want our giving to just be simply transactional. Right. If you want, we want you to be a part of it with us.

And it feels, I often say we, we just had our toy distribution. In December, and it's just this wonderful experience. And I often say I feel like I'm getting more outta giving than probably the folks that we're giving to you. It just feels wonderful to be able to help someone 

Jeff Holden: else. Yeah. Yeah. And that's, that's kind of the premise of [00:16:00] his book too.

Mm-hmm. Is what happens in the brain, the, the neuroscience of it all. Yeah. The neural pathways, how they change and activate Oxy poin is produced, right? Mm-hmm. And dobutamine, all these wonderful things that come from participating and giving. Yeah. The other thing that was really surprising to me is one of the things that they realized is the person that you're giving with mm-hmm.

People in the room with you experience the same thing, even if they're not doing the giving. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: I love that. 

Jeff Holden: Isn't that something? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: That somehow the, the brains sink. Yeah. There's a biochemistry that actually engages everybody and it lasts for hours. After you've separated. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Oh. That's why our mission moments feel so good.

Jeff Holden: Isn't that true? Yes. Isn't that true? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes. Absolutely. You leave, you're like energized. You've been working all day. Right. But you're just like, I feel good. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. Yes. Let's talk a little bit about the collaboration part. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Because it's so big and it's such an important part today, especially as funding changes and people are looking at ways to do things together.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Who are some of the collaborative. Collaborative partners that you work with? [00:17:00] 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah, so one of the first folks that we often call, in fact we're doing a project right now, is the Sierra Health Foundation. Yes. I mean this amazing between the center and um, the Health Foundation, just amazing organization that really has, I think, been a beacon and an example.

Of what it means to like bring organizations together and to provide support and help in the mission. Right now we launched an initiative called Match for Meals in which we saw with the SNAP benefits, um, ending that we needed to do more. And so dollar for dollar match is happening right now to be able to support your local food bank.

Up to $300,000, which we're really, really excited about. Wow. Yeah. That's a lot of money. And we're doing that in partnership with the Sierra Health Foundation, but we also have local organizations as I name like the YMCA that we work closely with and other school districts that we work very, very closely with.

And so we have the Roberts Development Center that we work very closely with. We. We raised over $70,000 and brought in nearly 4,000 toys for our toy [00:18:00] distribution, which was pretty amazing. Right. That is amazing. Yes. And, but here's the thing. We made sure that we were also giving to other local nonprofits, and so we gave to families and kiddos in our community, and then we called up nonprofits and said, Hey.

Would you like to, to get some of these toys as well? And so I think we supported additional five nonprofits and then being able to give to their clients too. That's amazing. So that's the kind of collaboration in addition to our free tax prep work that we do. 

Jeff Holden: So yeah, tell me just a little bit about that.

Mm-hmm. So people understand. Who it's for, how it works, and how do you get to everybody? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. Free tax prep. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: So this is a pretty cool program. In the past five years, we've brought in over $43 million in tax refunds to our region. Over $43 million, which is pretty amazing. I'm in particularly in love with this program because it's actually the first program that I participated in with United Way over 20 years ago.

And so as a graduate student who had a young child, [00:19:00] I had gone somewhere and paid for my taxes to get done. And I remember being so proud of myself 'cause it was the first year I'd filed taxes and I called up my mom and said, I filed taxes. It only costs this much money. And my mom was like, you don't make.

Any money, how could you possibly have paid someone to do your taxes? And I was like, well, isn't that what we're supposed to do? And she said, no, there's this program called, at that time it was Vita, but it's free tax prep that United Way was running. And she said, next year, let's make sure you get in this program.

And so the following year I did. I remember going to, as a volunteer, yes. Going to the senior center, bringing all my paperwork. I have trust issues. I was like, really? I'm, you're just gonna give you this and you're just gonna do them. They did the taxes. I got this huge refund back and it all came to me.

There was no costs. Right? That is the free tax prep program. If you make under $67,000, whether you're a family of one or a family of 10, you qualify. And these are IRS certified. Volunteers who do your taxes and make [00:20:00] sure every dollar that you're supposed to get that you're entitled to your refund comes back to your pocket.

And that is really, really important, particularly for folks who are living in poverty like I was, where those dollars are needed in order to help you make your rent. It was in order for me to be able to help support my son and to pay for childcare and all these other things that we need to meet our basic needs so that we can not.

Again, have a handout where we're, you know, asking to be pulled out of poverty, but a hand up. Hand up, right. So that we can pull ourselves out. Poverty. 

Jeff Holden: And for our foster youth as well, who are all working, 

Dr. Dawnte Early: absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: They can get their taxes taken care of. Absolutely. But they don't have to worry about it.

Dr. Dawnte Early: And these are folks you can trust. These are, you know, again, IRA certified volunteers. And so my mom actually is one of the volunteers. She is retired. A few years ago she said, Hey, I would like to volunteer for something. She likes numbers. And I was just like, well, what about this? And she really likes being able to help people and find ways to make sure they get money back in their pocket.

Jeff Holden: Boy, the apple didn't fall far from the tree, did it? 

I know. Data research [00:21:00] analyst. I mean, how neat. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: We'll continue our conversation with Dr. Dante early from United Way, right after we hear from the local businesses making this program possible. 

James Beckwith: I'm James Beckwith, president and CEO of Five Star Bank.

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Hello, this is Scott Thomas with CAPTRUST in our Sacramento office. I specialize in working with local nonprofits and associations annually. We survey private and public nonprofit organizations across the country to better understand challenges [00:23:00] they see in today's environment.

In our more recent survey, we hear concerns about proper board governance, mission aligned investment, and how to implement alternative investments. If you would like a copy of the survey or do discuss your organization, look me up, scottThomas@captrust.com. 

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Let's talk a little bit about funding for the organization 'cause it's changed since. Dr. Dante early has been there. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: It has, it has.

Jeff Holden: Tell us a little bit from what it was when you got there to where we are today. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. So in the past, I cannot, I can't even believe I've, I've been here this long, it's been four years, 

Jeff Holden: so, which, which is not that long. Dante. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Remember, I'm a millennial. Four years is a long time for us, but in the past four years, we've actually, our revenue has grown by a hundred and I think something like 14%.

Congratulations. Thank you. Last year we were part of the SAC Business Journal's. Fastest, fastest, fastest growing, growing, growing company. Fastest growing. Yes. I think we were number 18 out of 50, and the only nonprofit on that list. Our revenue has grown because our, our, our model, how we approach our community impact work has also [00:25:00] changed.

Much of the work we now do is direct services, and so a lot of those. Dollars have grown through grant dollars. Mm-hmm. But also through donor dollars as well. And this is something that we talked about, right? Which is you want to see the impact. You want to know where it's going. When I first started, we participated in a survey across our region.

That SAC State puts on to ask, and we ask the question, what are the services that you feel are needed in in your county? And we heard from folks, especially coming out of COVID, it was education. Oh, I'm you. Yeah, absolutely. Especially coming out of COVID and you had two years in which kiddos didn't have the opportunity to physically go to school.

And we saw particularly for communities of color and community, communities that were living in poverty, that gap in time affected their kids, our kids. More significantly. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: And so we leaned into that. We leaned into saying, okay, so this seems to be the area of impact that needs us the most right now.

[00:26:00] And so we stepped into that. But then what we also did was we stepped into housing again, coming out of COVID, we saw the highest rates of kids actually ever being homeless and women being homeless as well. And so we knew that kids can't focus. On school and education, if they are worrying about where their next meal is going to be, if they're worrying about where they're going to the roof, their head, exactly where they're gonna sleep that night.

Mm-hmm. Are you gonna be on a couch? Are you gonna be in someone's garage? Are you gonna be in your parents' car? And so we did all, and our approach to the work that we do now is the kids are the center of our work. And so education's ladder out of poverty, but we go out from that. Right. And so we support the kid in guaranteed income and their family.

We support children in making sure that they have housing, so we do housing work now. Mm-hmm. We support families and, and children in free tax prep, making sure that your, your family is getting that influx of cash that you are entitled to. And then we also provide community schools. And so what we, what I often say is the schools have to be just as [00:27:00] strong as the households that the kids are coming from.

And so we are. In partnership with school districts providing those supports too. And so our revenue has changed because our work and impact have changed as well. And I think organizations and companies have seen that and have, have stepped up right along with us and that our donors have seen that as well.

Hence our three year initiative and how we were able to raise over $3 million and help over 15,000 kids. And that was just in our educational programs alone. Mm-hmm. That doesn't, that we've helped. No, that's not your fault. Yes. That's not the full number actually of kids we've served in those three years.

Jeff Holden: What's the, what is the budget currently, roughly? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Our revenue, I think this year is something like 16 million. Mm-hmm. Dollars, uh, this year and, 

Jeff Holden: and climbing, which is incredible. Yeah, it's incredible. And so you see it in terms of growth from not only the corporate side. The individual donor side. Mm-hmm. But also now you have a fee for service model too.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: Which is sustainable. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: And so important for so many organizations to start looking at ways to do [00:28:00] things differently. 'cause you're not gonna be able to rely on those federal grants that are gonna trickle down to state, trickle down to county. And it's gonna be a challenging time for most people.

Dr. Dawnte Early: It is. One of the first things I did in my first year was I went on a, uh, learning tour. I. United Way is a wonderful network in which we have very committed, passionate, very experienced leaders. And so I started calling up. I'd never led a nonprofit before and definitely not had partnerships with United Way previous.

I was a, I was a state employee. 

James Beckwith: Yes. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: And so the first thing I did my first year was started calling United Ways, calling CEOs and saying like, well, what are you doing? Good for you? What are you doing? What are you doing? And then I'm very, very fortunate. I'm from the Sacramento region to have a network of leaders here that I was also able to call.

But in that first year, I learned a lot. Mm-hmm. And based on what I saw and what I learned, we then began to diversify our revenue and again, respond to community need. [00:29:00] It wasn't diversifying just to diversify. Right. It was. What does the community need and that being our compass and then working backwards from there, that, that, that North star, 

Jeff Holden: which is the applicable way to do it.

Absolutely. So understanding the need first to know what you're servicing. That's why we exist, right? Right. Yeah. If you don't, what are you doing? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: Exactly. I'm sure, I'm sure having somebody like a Chet who at, at Sierra Health to, to talk to who's a 

Dr. Dawnte Early: mentor. Absolutely. Yes. 

Jeff Holden: He, he did a wonderful episode in here when we had him in him.

Another one of the people I was so, he's 

Dr. Dawnte Early: brilliant, 

Jeff Holden: so pleased to get in. He absolutely is. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: So you've got your budget. If you look out into, let's say it's a crystal ball. Somebody says, Dante, I've got this blank check. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: We like the work that you're doing. If you give me a good enough reason. I'll give it to you.

What would it be? What would you say? Here's what we really need to do. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: So, so there's a couple things I, this is, oh, man, a good question, but also challenging. Yes. So [00:30:00] I'm going to, I'm going to answer it a couple of ways. One of the things that we started when I first got to United Way was also doing policy work.

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: And we haven't touched on that, but I wanna make sure I, I share that because I, I'm 

Jeff Holden: glad you do. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. Because here's the thing. If our, if our goal, if our mission is to end poverty, right. Which is a very audacious goal. Yes. We can do that and we can support at the ground level where we're at in, in helping folks and, and meeting their basic needs and providing those programs.

But similar to the public health model, right? Mm-hmm. In which you see, you know, babies coming down the river and you're like, you're pulling them out and you're saving right down at the, at the end of the river, but you're like, eventually you ask the question. Where are they coming from? 

Jeff Holden: When does this stop?

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes. And so it like 

Jeff Holden: seal ball, picking those Exactly. Can off the conveyor belt at some point. For those of you who are old enough to who know who I'm talking about, I am. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: And, and so here we are right at the end of, [00:31:00] of this, of this river and we are providing the services and we are, we're helping now, and that's needed.

But what we also say at United Way is that poverty is a policy choice. We did not get here accidentally. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: We have institutions that are making decisions that are impacting us downstream, and so we also need to go upstream to address that too. And so for the very first time we, we authored legislation, right.

And partnership with legislators. We, we advocate at our capital and at the federal level as well. And so I wanna make sure I address that, because if I had a crystal ball of what, what would be the things that you would change? One, I think. Policy takes a very long time to change. And so that can be, when you talk about from a donor perspective, from a grant perspective, that can be difficult to get behind because you don't see results immediately.

Right. Right. You don't, you don't see the babies coming out of the water immediately. Right. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. You don't see that flow slow. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: Which, what it needs to do, because today we know the flow is actually increasing. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes, [00:32:00] exactly. And so if I, if I had sort of a blank check, it would be. Ultimately to go upstream and to the do the advocacy work that we need to do in order to slow that flow and stop that flow and make.

Permanent changes. Mm-hmm. And so that I, I would advocate for that. Outside of that. 

Jeff Holden: No, keep going. Please. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Right. Outside of that, again, downstream, I think what would be amazing United Way has this program called SparkPoint, and it was started in United Way Bay area. I started, started in the Bay in which. It provides incentives and a year long financial coaching for individuals and families, and it starts with what's your goal financially?

Is it to save for an apartment or a house? Mm-hmm. Is it to save, to improve your credit, right? Whatever that goal may be. You work with your financial coach and every month and every time you're going. We're putting a little bit of dollars aside as you're coaching, and then you get to the end of that, that [00:33:00] program usually about 12 months and you graduate and you have enough dollars to be able to meet that goal that you started with.

And you have the financial coaching and backing that you've participated in over that year, um, to be able to help you get there. 

Jeff Holden: Mm-hmm. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: I would love to have a SparkPoint center in every one of the counties that we serve. Particularly, I honestly think it would be really cool to have them at schools in which you're able to work with families and so they're coming, right?

Mm-hmm. Working with their kiddos. Mm-hmm. They both financial education, financial 

Jeff Holden: literacy at such an early age. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes. Exactly. And so you're able to almost have a twofer, right? Where you're working with parents, working with kids, they're working together, right? Mm-hmm. On their financial literacy, and they're working towards a goal together.

And I think that would be amazing. 

Jeff Holden: That would be amazing. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: I love that. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Now, back to reality. What, what is the biggest need that you see today? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah, I have been, I've been saying this for probably the past [00:34:00] couple of months. I have. For nonprofits. I think I have some, some real concerns about the safety net programs and organizations that provide those safety net services.

Mm-hmm. And social services, what that's gonna look like over the next three years in our region. I have some real concerns that nonprofits are not gonna be able to weather the storm that we already saw last year. Just the beginning. Mm-hmm. And that is going to continue to get worse. You talked about, you know, funding drying up.

Mm-hmm. I think that nonprofits already operate on a razor thin margin as far as being able to meet the bottom line. Enables them, right, revenue wise to be able to serve the community. And these are vulnerable community members, neighbors, friends that need these services. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: We see that government is stepping back in regards to some of those services that they will be providing [00:35:00] for folks in need the most.

While they're also stepping back from the nonprofits that provide also some of those services. And so you have two things happening at once, and I think a major need is going to be funding. I think a major challenge is going to be continuing to support and stand up and prop up these organizations that need to be there for the community.

That also again, need those services. Mm-hmm. And so I imagine over the next few years it's going to be incumbent that larger nonprofits like a United Way, like a Sierra Health, are able to, salvation Armies, salvation Army, absolutely. Are able to step into that gap. Mm-hmm. Even more than potentially we have in the past in order to be there.

For these other nonprofits so that they can do the work that needs to happen in face of all these challenges and deficits that are going to be hitting our community. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, and I, and [00:36:00] I agree with you and I do think we're gonna see some of that. Obviously philanthropy cannot make up mm-hmm. The gap. It's not 

Dr. Dawnte Early: possible.

Jeff Holden: It's impossible. It's too much money. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: But I think we're starting to see today and certainly three years down the line, look very, very different in the collaborative. Nature of how people are working together and consolidating services and back ends, and just things that make sense because. They're forced to 

Dr. Dawnte Early: out of challenge comes innovation.

Jeff Holden: Absolutely. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: And if I could imagine any silver lining and opportunity and opportunity, yes. And if I could imagine any silver lining, it will be the opportunity. To be able to figure out how do we come together, how do we collaborate more, how do we consolidate and use our resources even more efficiently?

Sometimes the answer isn't that you do more with less though. Right, right, right, right. Sometimes you can only do less with less. Correct. And so how, how do we, we try as much as possible to, to stitch together. [00:37:00] 

Jeff Holden: Great conversation. Yeah. Which obviously, you know, could be a whole topic for hours with a panel and, and on, on.

Yes. I tried to stay on topic. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: I know I jumped, but 

Jeff Holden: No, no, absolutely fine. So. You are extremely involved in very many things. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: I am 

Jeff Holden: so Protime mayor of West Sacramento, and 

Dr. Dawnte Early: as of last year, but now 

Jeff Holden: that's, that's now when, but but now, yes. Previous, yes. Just this is January of 2026 that we're recording this.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: That will keep you busy. You've got an organization that's a multimillion dollar organization. You have been recognized by the Sacramento Observer as one of the persons of the year. Yes. Congratulations. Thank you. And then one of the fastest growing businesses from Sacramento Business Journal. How do you.

Chill. Where's relax? What does it look like for Dr. Dante? Harley? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah, I mean, to be fair, I genuinely enjoy what I do genuinely, right? I wake up every morning [00:38:00] excited to be able to help someone, which is why I'm able to be a city council member as well as a CEO of a nonprofit because they what they both have in common.

Is being able to support 

Jeff Holden: mm-hmm. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: My community Right. And how they need this past year in, in 2025, I, I did have some health issues and so really it forced me to pause as much as I love Right. Doing what I do. And 

Jeff Holden: I appreciate you sharing that. Yeah. 'cause so many people who are in positions like yours, you carry a lot of weight.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: You know, it, it just, it, it is what it is. You can't get away from it. Right. You see it every day on the street. So I appreciate you sharing that. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah, and I, I, I also feel that not only as someone in my position, but I also feel like women right, will oftentimes do this. We are givers. We, you know, take care of the family.

We take care of our kids, we take care of our community, and oftentimes we will take care of [00:39:00] others at the expense of ourselves. And I see this with my colleagues all the time and other, and other women leaders, and I. As much as I see it, I was doing it to myself. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: And so this past year in 2025, I, I had to pause and had to get back to, you know, the things that also keep me healthy.

And so every single day, five to six days a week, I work out, I lift weights. Good for you. Um, which is. Really, really important. No matter what my schedule looks like, it is, it is. I calendar it. Yep. So that everyone knows this is my time, whether it's at lunch, whether it's at 5:00 AM or whether it's at seven at night.

Right. I'm getting that in. And so today it was 5:00 AM because my daughter has track practice later on today. Right. But it, it got in. And then I, and then I've also started to just actually pay attention to, we talked about it, my water intake. Mm-hmm. What foods I'm eating, all of the things. And as of this recording, I'm 36 pounds down.

And so 

Jeff Holden: congratulations. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: But that is because I actually started to prioritize my [00:40:00] health in ways I haven't done in, in a few years. 

Jeff Holden: And that's important for everybody to understand. It's, it's the oxygen mask in the airplane. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Mm-hmm. Yeah. If 

Jeff Holden: you aren't there, you can't help. Your child. Absolutely. You have to start with yourself.

Yeah. And it's so important. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. I will often tell my staff, because we, we do like holiday rest days and things like that, that you can't pour from an empty cup. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: And so if you are not figuring out how to replenish your energy and, and just the things that fulfill you outside of work. Right. 'cause work does fulfill me, then that, that'll be challenging for you to help someone else.

Jeff Holden: Yep. Good for you. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: I cannot wait to talk to you a year from now to see what that's all gonna look like. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: I'm so excited. 

Jeff Holden: Yes. Any last words for the audience? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah, so if you make $67,000 or less, you can go to your local United way.org. Find a location. We are, I think, taking signups right now. It's tax season.

If you would like [00:41:00] to give a volunteer, you can also go to your local united way.org as well. And then our, 

Jeff Holden: is that, is that the 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yep. 

Jeff Holden: Best place to go. United way.org. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yep. Your local. United Way. Okay. Your local United Way org. 

I'll 

Dr. Dawnte Early: put that in the show notes. Yes, absolutely. And then our gala is coming up at the end of March, and so if you wanna see what, what we've been up to and what our next three year initiative will be and participate in that, we would love to have you there too.

Jeff Holden: And is that gala every March? Is that typically when it happens? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: It typically happens either March or April. Okay. Um, our actual birthday is the end of April, so I wanna say it's like April 30th, but this year it'll be March 28th. 

Jeff Holden: So this year is 2026 as we're recording it. So 

Dr. Dawnte Early: yes, 

Jeff Holden: you can make a note on your calendars 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Absolutely.

And 

Jeff Holden: get that taken care of. And we can actually put a link in the show notes for that as well. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: That would be great. Yes. And hopefully you'll join us too. 

Jeff Holden: I 

Dr. Dawnte Early: would look forward to it. It's a fun event. You leave very, very, like I said, your cup will be filled. 

Jeff Holden: Good. I don't know that I've been to any of the United Way [00:42:00] events over the course of the 40 plus years I've been in Sacramento.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Okay, so then you have to come, 

Jeff Holden: so, right? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yes, absolutely. 

Jeff Holden: Well, Dante, serving our community's future leaders through education and working to alleviate poverty is really a long-term goal that United Way has been focused on for a while. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah, 

Jeff Holden: and as we mentioned and talked about, we have to slow the flow.

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: We have to get better at what's coming into the system so that we can help those coming out of the system. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: What you do with United Way, how you collaborate, how you integrate into the community, including the schools. I mean, that's walking the walk. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: You know, if you're talking about education, you have to be in the school system.

Yeah. Supporting those foster youth through college and supporting those who are doing tax returns who don't have the ability to pay. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Just amazing work. So what you do for, for us in the community and what your team accomplishes, how many are there, by the way? 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Oh, that's a good question. Because the organization has grown, right?

Yes. 

Jeff Holden: I forgot to ask that. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: So we [00:43:00] have almost 60 staff. Members, team members right now. I think we're probably about to hit a little over 60 soon. And when I started at the organization, I wanna say we had roughly 30. 

Jeff Holden: Love that. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. So we've, we've doubled, but all our team that has grown has been our program team.

Right. It's all about impact. 

Jeff Holden: Wonderful. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: So for that 60 plus yourself, thank you for what you do, for what United Way does for the community. 

Dr. Dawnte Early: Yeah. Thank you. 

Jeff Holden: Thank you for listening to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. We hope today's episode inspired you and gave you a deeper look into the work of our local nonprofits.

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