The United Way for Southeastern Michigan is opening a highly competitive RFP process to fund eligible 501(c)3 nonprofits engaged in basic needs services that strengthen and expand access to their region’s safety net.
Donor Name: United Way for Southeastern Michigan
State: Michigan
County: Wayne County (MI), Oakland County (MI), and Macomb County (MI)
City: Selected Cities
Township: Redford Township, Van Buren Township, Royal Oak Township, Holly Township and Clinton Township
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/31/2023
Size of the Grant: $20,000 to $100,000
Details:
As part of this grant opportunity – named Safety Net Services last year –applicants will self-select into tiers of funding based on their interest and eligibility.
Funding Information
Organizations are invited to apply for funding in one of three tiers ranging from $20,000 to $100,000. Funding request and tier selection must consider all funding criteria listed below including item #7 on financial stability.
- Tier 1: Operational Grant – $20,000
- Tier 1 awards are designed to support organizations that are seeking funds to maintain current base operations OR the applicant is a NEW partner. Note: NEW partners are defined as not having been awarded a Basic Needs/Safety Net Services grant in the past 3 funding cycles beginning in 2020.
- Tier 2: Enhanced Operational Grant – $20,001 – $60,000
- Tier 2 awards are designed to support existing or recent partners that are seeking funds to maintain or enhance current operations and/or those who are expanding or implementing new services to meet growing demand or reach more people.
- Tier 3: Community Grant – $60,001 – $100,000
- Tier 3 awards are reserved for larger organizations that demonstrate scope and scale, those with a wider geographic reach, and/or those that function as a multi-domain partner. Organizations applying for this award type are strongly encouraged to have an annual operating budget of at least $3M, recorded in the most recently approved organizational budget.
Funding Criteria includes (but is not limited to):
- Organizations that demonstrate their services are provided within the following domains and that drive down household expenses and employ best practices to meet the needs of those they serve within these specific ALICE survival budget categories and activities:
- Food Services including: Emergency food as a food aggregator, pantry, or community kitchen, SNAP Application
- Assistance, or food vouchers and/or subsidies.
- Healthcare Services including: Behavioral health and/or substance abuse services, medical services, screening, and referral from healthcare services to social services, and/or providing screening and referral from social services to healthcare services. Providing affordable prescription drugs and/or healthcare navigation services.
- Housing Services including: Homeless support services including emergency shelter, transitional, and/or permanent supportive housing services; utility assistance; housing relocation services; housing stability services; and eviction and/or foreclosure prevention services (legal aid, rent/mortgage assistance, etc.).
- Prospective partners will also be able to select a multiple domain category to describe services provided in more than one domain.
- Organizations that serve people living in municipalities with higher-than-average concentrations of ALICE households:
- There are 40 municipalities within Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties where the number of households that fall below the ALICE threshold is greater than 40%. They are interested in funding organizations whose services are targeting these communities.
- Organizations that demonstrate an ability to leverage dollars through large federal and state programs and other sources of funding.
- Organizations that demonstrate an ability to draw both private and public investments to the region with capacity to leverage dollars within the safety net.
- Organizations that are working to connect their role in the safety net to other organizations through collaboration and leveraging of community assets, like 2-1-1.
- When people are connected to the organization’s services, they also receive referrals to services outside of the organization and the organization also receives referrals from other providers. Organizations are tracking these referrals and outcomes.
- Organizations that have data and evaluation capabilities.
- Organizations that assess their programs and collect and analyze data to make strategic decisions.
- Organizations that place an emphasis on equity in decision making and service delivery.
- Organizations that are working to increase access and decrease inequalities, biases, and gaps in the safety net delivery of services. Organizations prioritize using lived experience and community voice in decision-making and program development.
- Organizations that are in a stable financial position.
- An organization’s prior fiscal year revenue and/or operating budget may be considered in the award determination. Generally, the requested amount should not exceed 15% of the prior year’s revenue or current operating budget.
- Organizations that are 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.
- An organization must be in good standing with the State of Michigan and the Internal Revenue Service and will be required to upload a copy of their IRS designation letter, 990 form, W-9, and financial statements. Organizations may apply via a fiduciary if applicable.
For more information, visit UWSEM.
