COMMUNITY INVESTMENT GRANTS
Working together to make an impact.OVERVIEW
United Way of Bay County has a vision: that every person in our community is thriving. We work to create long lasting change that inspires hope and creates opportunities for a better tomorrow by bringing people together that share the same goals and work together on solutions that no single organization can solve alone. Through a community assessment, the most urgent needs are identified in the focus areas of education, health and income stability- the building blocks for a good life.
The UWBC Community Investment Grant is the process which allows applicants to demonstrate how their project or program aligns with the identified priority areas and has the most potential to achieve the UWBC impact goals.
TIMELINE
February 14th, 2024
RFP Opens
March 1st, 2024 1-3 PM @ UW Building
Information/ Q&A session
March 27th, 2024
Proposals DUE
April 29th - 30th, 2024
Applicant presentations
June 2024
Awards announced
July 1st, 2024
Funding cycle begins
July 31st, 2025
12 month report DUE
ELIGIBILITY
The following requirements must be met in order for a program to receive funding through the Community Investment Grants Process:
- The organization must be a non-profit and have a 501(c)(3) status from the IRS
- The proposed program must serve Bay County residents
- UWBC values programs that are non-duplicative and emphasize collaboration
- The proposed program must prove that it provides a needed service to the community and targets participants within the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold or below
- The proposed program should show support from other donors and funding sources
- The proposed program must have measurable goals and agree to measure and report on defined outcomes set by UWBC
- The United Way does not support capital projects of any kind
- Funded partners must agree to the terms of partnership as stated in the MOU including strong support and publicity of its United Way affiliation
FUNDING
UWBC Community Investment Grants are for one year with the opportunity to extend the funding for a second year pending review of year-end reports including an in-person site visit by United Way staff and subject to availability of funding. Community Investment grant applications are reviewed, evaluated and scored by the Community Panel Investment Committee (CPIC), a group of community volunteers. Applicants will also provide a presentation to the committee, who will then submit recommendations for funding to the UWBC Executive Committee. Final approval will be voted on by the Board of Directors at the June 2024 meeting. Grant contracts for funding will begin on July 1, 2024.
Should funding be awarded, a letter with the grant amount and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) will be mailed to the organization for approval by the board chair/CEO. A signed copy of the MOU must be returned to UWBC before payments on the award amount will be released. Payments will be deposited via EFT transfer monthly for the 2024- 26 awards. Allocations of $5,000 or less are paid in one lump sum at the beginning of the grant year.
All organizations who are awarded funding will be required to submit annual reports, including success stories and pictures to show impact. Submissions must include a photo release (if applicable) to permit the UWBC's use.
A copy of the MOU can be found here to review full expectations of the UW partnership.