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A New Century of Impact Begins in North Texas

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas launches its next 100 years with a bold vision—building a region where every neighbor can thrive.
Top photo: At United Way’s Centennial year kickoff event in 2024, Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, united the organization’s visionary volunteer leadership, including Steven Williams, CEO of PepsiCo North America; Curt Farmer, president and CEO of Comerica Bank; Antonio Carrillo, president and CEO of Arcosa; and Jim Burke, president and CEO of Vistra, the organization’s new Annual Campaign chair.

Friends and supporters, 

As we step into a new year—and a new century of service—I am deeply grateful. As part of the Live United movement, youpositively impacted nearly 2 million of our neighbors last year: 698,000 students who laid the foundation for educational success; 571,000 local workers who gained the tools for financial stability; and 473,000 neighbors who accessed the resources to lead longer, healthier lives.  

Over the last 12 months, you also celebrated 100 years of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ impact, demonstrating your commitment to our community. And together, we drove meaningful progress across all of North Texas:  

  • A new workforce training hub at RedBird, launched in partnership with Arcosa and PepsiCo, is connecting Southern Dallas residents to in-demand skills and well-paying jobs. 
  • The Data Capacity Building Initiative is giving our nonprofit and community partners the tools to collect and apply data effectively so they can scale impact. 
  • More than 1,000 local advocates mobilized to advance early literacy, food security, affordable childcare and early childhood education—driving progress on key legislative priorities. 
  • In our latest Community Impact Partner cycle, supported by 75 volunteers, we funded 167 highly effective community organizations with $46.5 million over the next three years.  
  • We marked our 10th year of Social Innovation programming with a special Social Innovation Summit event celebrating our 155 program alumni—all grassroots organizations that align with our goals in education, income and health.  

Together, through these and other initiatives, we are drawing ever closer to achieving our Aspire United 2030 goals—our bold vision for improving education, income and health across the region: 

  • Education: Third-grade reading proficiency has improved 15% as we work toward increasing on-grade-level readers by 50%. 
  • Income: The number of young adults earning a living wage has increased by about 2%, putting us on track toward a 20% gain. 
  • Health: Affordable health insurance coverage stands at 83% as we push toward our goal of 96% of North Texans insured.

To learn more about your monumental impact in North Texas, please explore our 2024-2025 Impact Report.

Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, chats with students during the organization’s annual STEM Fest initiative, which aims to get kids excited about science, technology, engineering and math.

A Community—and Century—Worth Celebrating

Throughout last year, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas united our region to celebrate 100 years of impact and to launch our second century with purpose and momentum. Our Centennial was more than a milestone; it was a catalyst. Together, we accelerated progress as thousands of supporters invested, volunteered and advocated to fuel real, measurable change. 

In November, that energy reached its peak at the Centennial Celebration presented by PepsiCo, which brought together nearly 30,000 of our fellow North Texans for an unforgettable community moment. The day culminated in show-stopping performances by global icon, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and philanthropist Janet Jackson and country superstar Blake Shelton.  

The Live United movement thrives because of the passion of individual change-seekers, grassroots community organizations and some of the nation’s most committed corporate citizens—partners who consistently deliver measurable results and change lives every day. 

Behind our Centennial Celebration were the generous Century Circle sponsors whose partnership brought this historic event to life. Their belief in our mission—and in the future of North Texas—made this milestone possible. A huge thank-you to PepsiCo, Texas Instruments, Arcosa, AT&T, Bank of America, Comerica Bank, Hoblitzelle Foundation, Kimberly-Clark, Trinity Industries and Vistra. 

I’m also enormously grateful for Honorary Centennial Chair Barbara Pierce Bush, whose support helped us celebrate this milestone with the community she loves. The day also gave us the privilege of honoring Rich and Mary Templeton with the J. Erik Jonsson Award, United Way’s highest honor.  

In a moving tribute, Haviv Ilan, CEO of Texas Instruments, and former CFO Kevin March announced a $25 million donation in the Templetons’ honor, contributed by current and retired TI executives. It is a testament to a company that has continually challenged us to think bigger and reach further. 

Leading With Purpose

Our record-breaking campaign reflects extraordinary leadership—starting with Annual Campaign chair Steven Williams, CEO of PepsiCo North America, whose vision supercharged our Centennial moment. At the celebration, Steven passed the torch to Jim Burke, president and CEO of Vistra, whose passion and competitive spirit are exactly what we need as we expand access to income and economic opportunity. I’m equally grateful for board chairs Antonio Carrillo and Terri West, who guided us through this historic year with wisdom and purpose. 

To every leader, partner and supporter who has invested in this mission—you are the reason United Way has delivered 100 years of life-changing impact. Thank you. 

Our Centennial wasn’t just a celebration of where we’ve been—it was a launchpad for where we’re going. The energy, investment and commitment we felt that night proved what I already knew: North Texas is ready to do something remarkable together.

What Comes Next Will be Even Greater

This work has prepared us to launch our second century with purpose and momentum. And we’re starting the year strong.

North Texas is surging with growth. Businesses, innovators and top talent continue to choose Dallas—and that prosperity should reach every corner of our region. We’re not there yet. Today, life expectancy varies by 20 years depending on your ZIP code. Forty percent of our third graders aren’t reading on grade level. Nearly three-quarters of young adults in Dallas aren’t yet earning a living wage, and nearly one in five of our neighbors lacks health insurance. These aren’t just statistics—they represent our neighbors, and they represent our opportunity.

This gap between our aspirations and our reality is the space where United Way leads. What we do is a strategic investment in the future of North Texas and the people who call it home.

Our goal in this next century is clear: scale our proven, data-informed solutions to every corner of our region, transforming outcomes in a way few communities in America have achieved. But we cannot do it alone. We need every partnership, every voice, every investment.

As we kick off our next 100 years, this is our moment to dream bigger, give greater and work together as a united force. Together, we can ensure that every North Texan is greater than the barriers they face—and create a region that is greater than ever before.

I invite you to be part of the change and donate, advocate or volunteer with us this year as we begin our monumental second century.

For the past 99 years, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas has been a pillar of our community, creating access and opportunities for all North Texans to thrive.  

As the Live United movement prepares to celebrate United Way’s Centennial in 2025, we will continue to drive meaningful, measurable change that lasts for generations, positively impacting nearly 1.6 million North Texans each year.

With gratitude,

Jennifer Sampson
McDermott-Templeton President and CEO
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

Round photo: For 100 years, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas has united the community to improve access to education, income and health, changing nearly 2 million lives each year. As the organization kicks off its second century of impact, it is poised to scale its proven, data-informed solutions to every corner of our region.