Rosie Allen-Herring, the president and CEO of the United Way of National Capital Area (NCA), is passionate about helping families in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area not only survive but thrive.
With all the changes taking place in the political and economic sectors of the District and the federal government, Allen-Herring is more determined than ever to see that the nonprofit’s 2025 key fundraising effort, ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed), is a success so that it can help as many Washington area families as possible.
“We’re kicking off this season of impact with Do More for ALICE, our signature fundraising campaign [running to June 12],” said Allen-Herring. “This year, every gift during the campaign will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the impact and helping to fund critical programs that provide real, lasting solutions for ALICE households in our region.”
The United Way is conducting its campaign as Washington, D.C.-area jurisdictions and federal leaders are working on budgets that threaten to cut services for food access, health care and support for children and families.
The DC Fiscal Policy Institute— a progressive research think tank focusing on budget and tax issues in the District affecting low-and-moderate income residents— has taken Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget and the budget passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives as insensitive to the needs of financially ailing Washingtonians.
“Mayor Bowser proposed a fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget and financial plan that abandons residents with the fewest resources to fend for themselves in the coming storm,” the institute’s blog said on May 29. “Her budget takes cash assistance, health care coverage, paid leave benefits, and wages from the District’s workers and most vulnerable residents, while sinking scarce public dollars into spending that an abundance of research has shown won’t grow anything but the profits of corporations and billionaire sports team owners.”
The blog said the District’s forthcoming recession is being triggered by mass federal layoffs projected to reduce revenues by about $1 billion over the next several years.
“That fact is exacerbated by the serious threat of Congress slashing resources families need— like Medicaid, food assistance, and education funding— to help pay for tax cuts for the wealthy,” the blog said.
Allen-Herring Presses the Need for ALICE Support
On May 20, the United Way, NCA released “The State of ALICE in the National Capital Area: 2025 Update on Financial Hardship,” a biannual report that stated in 2023, 33% of households in the Washington area continued to live below the ALICE threshold, being unable to afford basic necessities such as housing, childcare, food transportation and health care despite steady jobs.
The report revealed two-thirds of households headed by single females fall below the ALICE threshold, as compared to 19% of families supported by two working parents. Plus, Black and Latino households are nearly twice as likely as white households to experience financial instability.
Allen-Herring said the 2025 ALICE report “underscores the persistent economic strain faced by households across our region.”
“While the proportion of families living below the ALICE threshold has not significantly changed since our last report two years ago— remaining at roughly one-third in the National Capital Area— this stability masks a deeper story,” said Allen-Herring. “These findings reaffirm the need for an even greater investment in solutions that create pathways to financial stability for all, particularly as we live through a time where safety nets and supports are under threat, coupled with federal workforce cuts and contractors who are losing their jobs.”
Donald Hamilton is a middle school teacher in Prince George’s County and participates in the Financial Empowerment Center at the Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland, which partners with the United Way, NCA. Hamilton is not an ALICE participant even though he could possibly fall within its income requirements.
Nevertheless, Hamilton said he understands the value of the ALICE program.
“I will be honest, things are expensive,” Hamilton, 31, told The Informer. “People need guidance and assistance. I do have friends who have lost their jobs due to federal cuts. People should be realistic about their financial situation and do what needs to be done.”
