United Way Fox Cities - Community Services

FOCUSED FUNDING

To fulfill our mission, United Way Fox Cities has adopted a new strategic direction called Community Impact. We are focusing our work to get at the underlying causes of critical health and human service issues in order to create lasting change and improve lives. This new direction calls for United Way to work with partner agencies and other organizations that share a common goal around a particular issue.

To better direct our investments in programs and projects, volunteer members of our four Impact Areas are studying community issues. They will soon begin the challenge of developing community level outcomes and strategies to achieve those intended outcomes. In the meantime, a transitional grants process has been approved which requires that applicants align the proposed program or project with the vision and priorities of one of the Impact Areas (click here to download).

Focused Funding Grants are designed to promote innovative approaches to community problem solving as well as support existing program expansion and address unplanned agency needs. Grants are also available for capacity building, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of agencies and programs.

Focused Funding provides United Way with needed flexibility and the opportunity to be proactive in addressing critical issues and their underlying causes.

GRANT CATEGORIES

§ Innovative Grants

These grants are designed to encourage and test new approaches to addressing new and changing community problems. Project outcomes must align with the vision and priorities of one of United Way Fox Cities' four Impact Areas. Projects demonstrating collaboration among community organizations will be given preference for funding.

§ General Program Grants

General Program Grants are designed to address unexpected agency needs, the expansion of existing programs and needs other than capital funding. Program outcomes must align with the vision and priorities of one of United Way Fox Cities' four Impact Areas.

§ Capacity Building Grants

Capacity Building Grants are for education, training and / or technical assistance, provided in a cost effective manner, to partner and other community agencies, as well as United Way's internal committees, for the specific purpose of increasing organizational effectiveness and ability to imporve community conditions and lives.

PLEASE NOTE: Agencies are limited to 3 focused funding grants for any one program or project.

CRITERIA FOR AGENCIES SEEKING FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The governing agency must be tax exempt and the proposed program address the health and human service needs of the people of Outagamie, northern Winnebago or northern Calumet counties.

The governing agency must have written bylaws and a community-based board of directors or equivalent.

The proposed program / project must align with the vision and priorities of one of United Way Fox Cities' four Impact Areas. Intended outcomes are to be documented.

The proposed program / project must address a critical community need. If a program is similar to a program currently funded by United Way, the applicant agency must provide evidence that its program is more efficient, more effective or serving a part of the community that does not have access to the existing program.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Grant applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review the following information. Please contact Mary Wisnet at United Way Fox Cities with any questions. She can be reached at 954-7210 (main line), 735-5461 (direct line) or at mary.wisnet@unitedwayfoxcities.org.

Letter of Intent

A brief Letter of Intent (click here to download) in the correct form must be submitted to United Way Fox Cities by 4:30 p.m. on the stated deadline date.

The Letter of Intent must be submitted electronically to gayle.hardt@unitedwayfoxcities.org or mary.wisnet@unitedwayfoxcities.org. The Letter of Intent is a Word template. Open the document and save to your coimputer to complete. Please limit the Letter of Intent to one page.

The Community Readiness Committee of United Way Fox Cities will review letters of intent and applications on a quarterly basis. The committee is composed of the volunteer leadership of the Community Impact Council and representatives from the four Impact Areas and the Outcomes Advisory Committee.

Following its review of the Letter of Intent, the Community Readiness Committee will determine if the proposed project aligns with the vision and priorities of one of United Way Fox Cities' four Impact Areas and warrants further consideration. United Way staff will contact the organization with any questions and / or to request that a full application be presented for further review. Applications will be accepted only if the Letter of Intent is approved.

Letter of Intent Deadlines

First Quarter - Monday, January 7, 2008

Second Quarter - Monday, April 14, 2008

Third Quarter - Monday, July 7, 2008

Fourth Quarter - Monday, October 13, 2008

Application

Please use the attached proposal outline and forms (click here to download) when completing the application. The forms are a Word template. Open the document and save to your computer to complete the forms.

Fourteen (14) copies (three hole punched) including the original of the completed application must be submitted to United Way Fox Cities, 1455 Midway Road, Menasha, WI 54952 by 4:30 p.m. on the stated deadline date. When submitting copies of the application, do not bind them in any fashion or place materials in folders or binders. The use of paper clips is acceptable. Please note that only one copy of some attachments is required.

The amount of funding requested in the Focused Funding application may not exceed the amount requested in the Letter of Intent.

Upon receipt United Way staff will review the application and may contact the applicant with questions about the proposed project and request. A time may be scheduled for applicants to meet in person or by a phone conference with the Community Readiness Committee to discuss the project. Those dates are contained in this document along with dates the grant recommendations will be presented to and acted on by the Community Impact Council and the Board of Directors. Applicants will receive written notification of the decision whether or not funding is awarded.

Applicants requesting grants in the amount of $20,000 or more are required to submit an outcomes logic model (click here to download) with the application. The logic model is a Word template. Open the document and save to your computer to complete the forms.

All grant recipients must sign and comply with United Way Fox Cities' Agency Agreement (click here to download).

All grant recipients are expected to submit a written evaluation at the completion of the project or one year after receiving funding, whichever occurs first.

Grant Approvals

Grants awarded to tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organizations and less than $20,000 are approved by the Community Impact Council.

Grants awarded to tax-exempt, non 501(c)(3) organizations or grants $20,000 or more must be approved by the United Way Fox Cities Board of Directors.

Grant Application Deadlines

First Quarter - Monday, February 11, 2008

Second Quarter - Monday, May 12, 2008

Third Quarter - Monday, August 4, 2008

Fourth Quarter - Monday, November 10, 2008

Community Readiness Committee Review Dates

First Quarter - Monday, March 3, 2008

Second Quarter - Monday, June 2, 2008

Third Quarter - Monday, August 25, 2008

Fourth Quarter - Monday, December 1, 2008

Community Impact Council Meetings

First Quarter - Monday, March 17, 2008

Second Quarter - Monday, June 16, 2008

Third Quarter - Monday, September 15, 2008

Fourth Quarter - Monday, December 15, 2008

UWFC Board of Directors Meetings

First Quarter - Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Second Quarter - Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Third Quarter - Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Fourth Quarter - Tuesday, January 27, 2009

United Way Fox Cities

1455 Midway Road, Menasha, WI 54952

(new address effective January 18, 2008)

920-954-7210

920-954-7209 (fax)