One of the most common questions we get is “how is funding determined” and it’s also the question I love answering the most! We award 3-year grants in 3 focus areas: Youth Development, Self-Sufficiency and Health / Senior Services. Each year focuses on one of these areas – this year we will accept Youth Development applications, next year will be Self-Sufficiency and the following year will be Health / Seniors, etc. We hold a mandatory training in the fall where we meet with all agencies who wish to apply for funding and walk through the grant application and process. We then release the grant to agencies and provide feedback along the way. In November, grants can be submitted early for review (if desired) and the finals are due mid-December. 

Once all the applications are submitted, panels of community members (like YOU) are invited to participate in the process. Each Community Impact / Fund Distribution volunteer is trained and placed on a team that both works for their schedule and has a need for their skills. Each panel has a Chair, a Financial Reviewer and additional members with a wide range of experience and education to ensure that each agency has people who can help and appropriately evaluate their proposal. Once trained, panel members are given access to the applications, previous program reports and any feedback prior panels have given. They will meet and talk through any concerns and questions they will have for the agency at their site visit. 

Panel visit days are the best days of the year! Each panel will meet at the United Way office before carpooling to their assigned agencies. Each organization has 30 minutes for a tour and presentation and 30 minutes to answer questions. Once all the site visits have been completed, the panel completes paperwork to give feedback on each agency as well as make funding recommendations. When the entire week is complete, the Fund Distribution Chair (a community member and member of the United Way board) will review recommendations against the United Way budget and present these recommendations to the full board for approval.

It’s a long and intense process, but ensures that your dollars are placed into programs with strong outcomes making a huge difference!! 

If you are interested in serving as a panel volunteer, contact Naomi at Naomi@uwayac.org