As part of its commitment to dismantle racism, UW Health adopted a partner-centered philosophy of giving that employs equity and anti-racism principles, including nonbureaucratic decision-making, transparent communication and shifting power to those with lived experience. It removes unnecessary barriers to funding and centers voices of color while allowing UW Health to remain highly engaged with the work, outcomes and challenges of community partners.
 
UW Health prioritizes partnering with organizations led by people of color that address the organization’s community health improvement and diversity, equity and inclusion priorities. They focus on building authentic relationships to gain firsthand knowledge of the work and needs in the community.
 
In FY22, UW Health partnered with 245 local non-profit organizations and contributed $6.5m in cash and in-kind contributions to the community. Seventy-two percent of their cash contributions went to organizations led by people of color. One partnership example is the YWCA of Madison, which is widely recognized as a community leader for its work to eliminate racism and empower women. The organization takes a holistic approach to helping people by addressing the root causes of poverty such as homelessness, unemployment/underemployment and racism. CEO Vanessa McDowell said of UW Health’s annual contribution, “I can’t tell you how much it meant to my staff and me that UW Health heard our challenges and trusted us to have the best solutions to combat these challenges.”
 
By supporting organizations led by people of color, UW Health is living its mission to dismantle racism and is effectively addressing health equity in its community.