United for Literacy Initiative - Service Funding Stream
Funding Amount
More than $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Annual
- Tracked since
- April 2026
Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Eligible organizations
- Alignment with UWRRV's goal: 75% of third-grade students reading at or above grade level by 2034
Other requirements
- Organizations receiving more than $5,000
- Committed to deeply integrating literacy into their services
- Willing to participate in site visits and collaborate on outcome tracking
- Submit RFP response demonstrating commitment to literacy integration
Overview
Geographic Scope: Winnebago County, Illinois
Focus Areas:
- Early childhood literacy (ages 0-5 and early elementary)
- Integration of five key literacy components: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension
- Interactive read-alouds, independent reading, and parents/caregivers as first teachers
- Support for underserved areas
Eligibility:
- Organizations receiving more than $5,000
- Committed to deeply integrating literacy into their services
- Willing to participate in site visits and collaborate on outcome tracking
- Alignment with UWRRV's goal: 75% of third-grade students reading at or above grade level by 2034
Award Recipients (2025-26):
- Boys & Girls Club of Rockford
- Brightpoint
- Easterseals
- Harlem School District
- Regional Office of Education
- Rockford Public Library
- Rockford Public Schools (RPS 205)
- YMCA of Rock River Valley
- YWCA of Northwestern Illinois
How to Apply
Application Process
UWRRV issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in February for the second cohort of the United for Literacy initiative.
Requirements:
- Submit RFP response demonstrating commitment to literacy integration
- Willingness to participate in site visits and outcome tracking
- Alignment with five key literacy components and UWRRV's 2034 goal
- Participation in collaborative data collection and reporting
Note: Specific application materials and deadlines not detailed in source material. Contact Jessica Iasparro for current RFP details.
What United Way of Rock River Valley actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2025
- Grants in 2025
- 26
- Total given
- $932K
- Median grant
- $30K
- Range
- $5,097–$120K
- By dollars: Illinois 96%. Top recipient cities: Rockford, IL; Belvidere, IL; Geneva, IL.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 28% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
YWCA of Rockford · Rockford, IL
Literacy & dceo
$120K
Boys and Girls Club of Rockford · Rockford, IL
Literacy & dceo
$71K
Zion Development Corporation · Rockford, IL
Dceo & snh
$58K
YMCA of Rock River Valley · Rockford, IL
Literacy
$50K
Barbara Olson Center of Hope · Rockford, IL
Dceo
$50K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Nonprofits
- Literacy
- Education
- K-12 schools
Categories
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