Our Four Priorities

Youth Opportunity: Ensure children build strong foundations for lifelong learning by achieving key milestones from early childhood through elementary school.

Community Resiliency: Strengthen the community’s ability to respond to and recover from crisis by providing immediate supportive services and connecting individuals to essential resources for longer-term stability.

Financial Security: Empower adults to achieve and maintain financial stability through financial education, employment, skill building, and access to safe and affordable housing.

Healthy Community: Ensure all individuals and families have access to affordable support and guidance to navigate mental and behavioral health needs.

Measurable Goals & Real Results

Each priority includes specific, measurable goals that will be tracked in reports to United Way to ensure accountability.

• Each year from 2026 through 2029, 70% of children served through United Way–funded Youth Opportunity programs will meet or show measurable progress toward early learning or grade-level academic milestones, including kindergarten readiness and reading and mathematics proficiency by third grade.

• Each year from 2026 through 2029, 60% of individuals served through United Way Community Resiliency programs will be connected to services beyond immediate crisis support.

• Each year from 2026 through 2029, 75% of clients engaged in United Way Health–funded programs will be connected to at least one needed mental or behavioral health service, and 50% of those will report improved confidence in maintaining their mental well-being.

• Each year from 2026 through 2029, 70% of individuals served through United Way Financial Security–funded programs will achieve at least one key measure toward financial security (e.g., obtaining stable housing, maintaining employment for six months, or improving financial management skills).

1. The following are eligible to apply for funding, but may require a fiscal agent:

• Nonprofit organizations
• Religious organizations
• Public entities 
• Neighborhood associations
• Informal groups
• New and emerging organizations

          The following are not eligible for funding:

• Programs for which previous grant compliance issues have not been addressed
• Applications requesting less than $5,000
• Applications for political purposes, religious purposes, or programs requiring religious participation
• Applications for fundraising expenses or debt reduction
• Applications for funds to directly benefit a specific individual or family
• Projects that were completed prior to the grant application
• Private organizations whose sole purpose is to provide lobbying, environmental, religious or fundraising activities
• Organizations with administrative and fundraising expenses exceeding 25%, without proper cause/explanation
• Organizations with internal control related issues as determined by the UWCIL Board of Directors, without proper cause/explanation
• Organizations that do not comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations, or that fail to meet required licensing and certification standards within their specific discipline.
• Organizations that allow payment of commissions, finders fees, percentages, bonuses, or similar practices for conducting general solicitations of the public in connection with their fundraising activities   
• Organizations that conduct publicity and promotional activities which are not based upon the actual programs and operations of the organization   
• Organizations with programs or activities which are contrary to the goals, aspirations, and policies of UWCIL, or which are incompatible with the mission of UWCIL, as determined by the UWCIL Board of Directors