Dear Grant Applicant,

The COVID pandemic has changed many lives across the world and in our community. There are more people in need, and there have been many who have responded to feed the hungry, find shelter for those who lost their homes and so on.  But the needs continue to exceed resources to alleviate them.  The COVID Grants Committee has done much to address the quality of life locally and that organizations have had to become leaner, providing assistance in effective and sustainable ways.  Most of you know that the United Way has been in the process of making a major shift in order to focus on positive measurable impact in our community.

The 2021 Grant funding will reflect the mission of United Way and the lessons learned by the Board of Directors through preparation for joining Heart of Indiana.  The United Way is a community leader, which uses local data to determine areas of needed support in order to strengthen the whole community.  As resources have systematically continued to decrease, more effective and targeted use of funds is needed. So, the identified priority areas for an innovative and effective program support are:

• A.L.I.C.E population – An acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, used to define and understand the struggles of households that earn slightly above the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to afford basic household necessities. For far too many families, the cost of living outpaces what they earn.  

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – United Way is committed to supporting organizations that positively represent:
  • Diversity expressed through a myriad of forms, including but not limited to race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, age, (dis)ability status and political perspective.
  • Equity through upholding a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status.
  • Inclusion by pursuing deliberate efforts to ensure that your organization is a place where differences are welcomed, different perspectives are respectfully heard and where every individual feels a sense of belonging.

• Education – United Way continues to champion our community’s 75 in 5 Initiative, prioritizing kindergarten readiness as a cornerstone to long-term academic and socio-economic success. 

• Family Financial Stability – Enables access to safe housing, healthy food, and other necessities. Allowing residents to engage fully in their communities and to plan for their future. However, too many  individuals and families face persistent financial hardship impacting their health and well-being

When you examine the new Grant Application and Rubric, you will see these priority areas. The intention of United Way is to make a real, measurable difference in these areas in order to make our community of families able to contribute to the well-being of Howard/Tipton Counties.

You will also see that there are a limited number of grants being offered, with the idea that putting the money into innovative, creative and partnered programs will be moving these initiatives in the right direction more effectively. Just as United Way desires to work in partnership with granted agencies, we look for organizations to collaborate at every level in their work in granted programs.

Grant Ranges:

The chart below displays a tentative list of available grant ranges that will be awarded during the 2021-22 grant cycle.

Time Line:

• United Way will begin accepting grant applications in mid of February (open date TBA) and closing on March 19^th.
• The Community Investment Committee will begin their work with an initial vetting process, and scoring during the month of April.
• The Board of Directors will vote on the committee’s recommendations on May 10^th.
• Agency notification will follow around May 15^th.