Cary, NC - Across North Carolina, ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households continue to make invaluable contributions to our communities while struggling to afford essentials such as housing, childcare, healthcare, and transportation. As the cost of living rises, the lived experiences of ALICE families reflect both the challenges and the resilience found across our state.
David, Sally, and I kicked off the new year at the National ALICE Summit. The summit provided a powerful space for leaders, innovators, funders, and community partners to learn from one another and to strengthen our collective commitment to improving stability for ALICE families nationwide. Below is a recap of the key learnings that can help inform and inspire our work here in North Carolina.
Key Learnings from the ALICE Summit
- The ALICE Movement Is Growing—And Gaining Momentum
- The Summit highlighted how the ALICE movement is expanding, with hundreds of leaders from nonprofit organizations, corporations, foundations, government, and United Ways coming together to strategize around solutions. There are currently 44 states that have joined the movement. We have a renewed commitment to bringing ALICE champions together in North Carolina to deepen our impact and ensure everyone is thriving. If you are interested in joining our ALICE Champions task force please contact Sally Gordon, sgordon@unitedwaync.org.
- Peer Collaboration Drives Innovation
- Throughout the Summit, United Ways across the country shared replicable strategies making a real difference in the lives of ALICE families. This included innovations in housing stability, childcare access, workforce development, and financial coaching. David, Sally, and I joined our friends from United Way of Greater Charlotte and United Way of Greater Greensboro in extensive peer learning sessions from across the country who are uplifting ALICE individuals and families through innovative partnerships, policies, and programs. Sharing ideas helped us see how similar challenges show up differently in each region—and how United Ways can scale solutions when we team up and stay rooted in what communities need.
- Data Continues to Be Our Strongest Catalyst for Change
- Dr. Stephanie Hoopes, National Director for United for ALICE, reinforced that ALICE data remains essential to accurately describing financial hardship and driving evidence-based policy change. Summit discussions centered on leveraging local data to advocate for state-level improvements in policy, workforce systems, childcare funding, and safety net programs. We are looking forward to engaging our local United Ways in conversations around a policy agenda informed by the ALICE report.
What This Means for North Carolina
North Carolina is home to hundreds of thousands of ALICE households. The Summit’s insights align directly with our statewide priorities at United Way of North Carolina:
- 211 and Closed-Loop Referrals: Our expanded capabilities are positioning North Carolina as a leader in coordinated access systems.
- Workforce Partnerships: Opportunities exist to deepen partnerships with employers and workforce boards to support career advancement for ALICE workers.
- Childcare and Early Learning Investments: There is growing statewide momentum to support childcare workforce stabilization, expand subsidy access, and advocate for sustainable funding.
- Data-Driven Advocacy: ALICE data continues to be a powerful tool for legislative engagement and community education.
Moving Forward Together
The ALICE Summit reaffirmed that this work—our work—is both urgent and transformative. Across the country, United Ways are demonstrating what is possible when communities unite around the shared belief that every family deserves the opportunity to thrive.
North Carolina is poised to continue leading. By leaning into collaboration, leveraging data, and amplifying the voices of ALICE families, we can build a more equitable, resilient, and prosperous state. United Way of North Carolina has a goal to present the ALICE data to every county in our state.
We know many of our local United Ways have already shared this information within their communities. If you would like for United Way to present ALICE in your community please contact Sally Gordon, Director of Mission Advancement, sgordon@unitedwaync.org.
I look forward to working with each of you as we continue advancing solutions for North Carolina’s ALICE households and strengthening our statewide movement.
Let’s keep the momentum going.
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