BRATTLEBORO — United Way of Windham County has awarded over $130,000 in grants to local programs in its first round of grant-making under the new “Community Impact” initiative. 22 programs represented by 16 Windham County organizations were awarded six months of funding to carry out work towards community goals in the area of Education, Income, and Health.
Of the 16 funded organizations, three are receiving grant funding from United Way for the first time.
“We were very pleased with the quality of programs that applied for our first round of Community Impact funding,” said Glenn Herrin, United Way board vice president. “It was a rigorous application process and those that were awarded funding proved they had solid governance, effective leadership, and ability to measure the impact of their work. United Way's Community Investment committee felt these programs were clearly worth our investment,” continued Herrin.
As the first grant-making round under its new Community Impact model, United Way of Windham County sought programs that clearly addressed the underlying causes of community problems in the three impact areas of Education, Income, and Health, and that have shown their effectiveness or potential for success.
Funded organizations are critical partners in the community impact process and bring their own expertise and experience to bear on community solutions.
“This strategic grant-making ties in with a broader United Way effort to become more proactive in our support of the nonprofit community, while raising the expectation for organizational accountability and effectiveness,” said Sue Graff, United Way's Director of Community Investments. “By helping this first group of organizations measure the outcomes of their programs, we are hoping to get a clearer picture of what is really working, which programs are effectively meeting community needs.”
According to United Way, more donors are demanding this increased accountability related to program outcomes each year.
Through Community Impact, we hope organizations will communicate their effectiveness to both their local supporters and March 15, to fund proposals for a full year, from July 2012 – June 2013. The online grant application will open at the beginning of February. Two Grant Seeker Forums to answer questions and provide technical assistance will be offered on Feb. 8 in Brattleboro and on Feb. 16 in Bellows Falls.
For a complete list of United Way of Windham County's target outcomes in the areas of Education, Income, and Health, a list of grant awards, or more information on the upcoming Grant Seeker Forums, visit www.unitedwaywindham.org.