A New Name for 100% Local Impact
Durango, Colo. (June 2, 2025) — After decades of community collaboration and regional impact, United Way of Southwest Colorado is proud to announce a new chapter. Effective July 1, 2025, the organization will officially become Team Up, marking its departure from the United Way Worldwide (UWW) network and ushering in a new era of local independence and impact.
“We’ve always been grounded in local partnerships and responsive to community-identified needs,” said Lynn Urban, current President and CEO of United Way of Southwest Colorado and future President and CEO of Team Up. “This change reflects who we already are and gives us more flexibility to direct every dollar raised to solving problems right here in Southwest Colorado.”
In the past year alone, Team Up granted $919,000 directly to local nonprofits and helped channel an additional $368,000 through partnerships with La Plata County and San Juan BOCES. These investments reflect Team Up’s ongoing commitment to strengthening local services and supporting grassroots solutions to regional challenges.
Team Up will continue serving Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, and San Juan counties, with offices in Durango and Cortez. All current programs, including AmeriCorps, grantmaking, and resource coordination, will continue under the new name. The organization remains in a strong financial position and recently received a clean audit for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
What’s Staying the Same
- No changes to services or mission: Programs like AmeriCorps, 211, and nonprofit grants will continue
- Team Up will continue hosting popular community events
- Golf Tournament at Dalton Ranch — July 18
- Archuleta Golf Tournament — August 9
- San Juan Brewfest — August 22–23
- For a full list of events, visit teamupsw.org
What’s Changing
- New name, logo, and website: Launching July 1 at teamupsw.org
- Stronger local investment: All donations now stay entirely in the five-county region
- $25,000 saved annually: Ending dues to UWW means more resources for local initiatives
- New event added: Durango Pickleball Day Fundraiser — June 14
This is a local decision, long in the making: This transition has been considered for over three years.
“From 2013 to 2025, our annual dues to UWW rose from $7,602 to $25,000—a 229% increase,” noted Amie Bryant, Board President of United Way of Southwest Colorado. “Meanwhile, our income rose 59%, entirely from sources unrelated to fundraising efforts provided by the United Way network. We realized we could do even more for our communities by investing 100% of those dollars here.”
The organization is committed to transparency, collaboration, and responsiveness to local needs.
What’s Behind the Name “Team Up”
The new name reflects the organization’s long-standing commitment to teamwork and collaboration. “We’ve often referred to our work as a ‘team-up’ of local partners, and now that spirit is front and center,” said Urban.
Quick FAQs
- Is this related to national issues? No. The decision has been locally driven and in discussion for over three years.
- Are programs changing? No. All services, staff, and operations remain the same.
- Will donations stay local? Yes. 100% of contributions now remain in our region.
For a full list of frequently asked questions, visit teamupsw.org/rebrand.
About Team Up
Team Up unites and supports local organizations and individuals across Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, and San Juan counties to address community-identified needs and help people thrive in Southwest Colorado. Through competitive grants, cross-sector partnerships, and AmeriCorps service placements, Team Up strengthens essential services in early childhood development, youth mental health, food security, and more — all with a 100% local focus. Learn more at teamupsw.org.