United Way SunCoast Community Investments

Overview

_NOTE: The current funding cycle continues through 2025 for awardees. This opportunity will open again for new applicants in 2025._

About United Way Suncoast

Our mission is to provide leadership that improves lives and creates lasting community change by mobilizing the caring people of our communities to give, advocate, and volunteer. United Way Suncoast provides pathways to education and financial stability that give everyone in our community the freedom to rise. United We Rise, United We Win.

About the funding

United Way Suncoast (UWS) is seeking applications from nonprofit organizations to receive funding for programs in our focus areas of early learning, financial stability, and youth success with an emphasis on our priority population, ALICE.

ALICE is an acronym that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The ALICE population represents hardworking yet struggling residents who have little or no savings and are often one emergency from falling into poverty.

Funding will be provided to qualifying programs for up to three years, contingent on program performance and continued availability of funds, and is expected to range from $30,000 to $150,000 annually (~average of $75,000).

Our investment streams are open to any eligible human services agency and are competitive. Please thoroughly read these guidelines before applying. By investing in community partners with their own individual and innovative approaches to supporting ALICE households, our goal is to create a collective impact on the success of children, youth, adults and families.

Investment Streams

There are six available funding streams across our five-county footprint. Each funding stream is linked to strategic initiatives of UWS. The available streams are:

* Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties
* Early Learning Investment Stream
* Financial Stability Investment Stream
* Youth Success Investment Stream
* Manatee County
* Early Learning Investment Stream
* Sarasota and DeSoto Counties
* Early Learning Investment Stream
* Financial Stability Investment Stream

Early Learning investments focus on programs whose interventions ultimately lead to children entering kindergarten ready to learn and reading on grade level by 3rd grade. Funded programs may or may not focus on developing specific literacy skills, but all will be designed to help children reach those stated goals of school readiness and to remove any barriers in their path.

Financial Stability investments focus on programs whose interventions ultimately help individuals to obtain and keep employment as well as to build and sustain their assets. Funded programs will differ in their approach and focus, but all will be designed to help individuals reach those stated goals and remove any barriers in their path. Programs seeking funding should be aligned with relevant existing Financial Stability initiatives supported by UWS, including:

* Workforce Development
* BankOn (For more information, click here)
* Financial Coaching

Youth Success investments focus on programs whose interventions ultimately lead middle/high school aged youth to on-time graduation and post-secondary success. Funded programs will differ in approach and focus, but all will be designed to help students achieve these goals and define a sustainable pathway into adulthood.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* The 2022 UWS Community Investment is open to nonprofit organizations serving the Suncoast region of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and Desoto Counties –
* Please note that if you have a program that, for example, operates in both Manatee and Hillsborough, you will have to submit two separate applications for funding consideration in each region. However, if your program serves two counties already grouped together by stream (eg, Sarasota and DeSoto), you will only submit one.
* To ensure the viability and sustainability of the proposed programs, the applicant organization must:
* Have 501c3 status, or have an established 501c3 organization serving as fiscal agent 
* Have at least one full time staff member
* Partner organizations may apply as a collaborative venture with one serving as the fiscal sponsor of the project.
* Have been in operation for at least three years
* Summary of Programmatic Requirements:
* At least 75% of program participants residing in the areas of focus for the county or two-county region for which you are applying
* A strong focus on the ALICE population in addition to households living below the federal poverty line
* Ability to share quarterly and annual participant outcome data using verified measurement tools
* Alignment with and participation in related regional initiatives
* Collect information about and learn to address disparities in program outcomes