United Way for Greater Austin will award up to $400,000 to nonprofit organizations whose work supports community goals in Williamson County.
Donor Name: United Way for Greater Austin
State: Texas
County: Williamson County (TX)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/10/2023
Size of the Grant: $15,000 and $30,000
Details:
United Way for Greater Austin and United Way of Williamson County joined forces. The combined United Way is on a mission to fight poverty in their Greater Austin region, and they do that by bringing people, ideas, and resources together. They address complex community issues by investing in the building blocks of opportunity that every person – and every community – needs to thrive: education, health, and financial stability.
With this opportunity, they are focusing on eight strategies in three priority areas:
Priority I: Financial Stability
Goal
Individuals and families improve their socio-economic status.
Strategies
- Prepare opportunity youth (ages 16-24) and adults to obtain or advance in good jobs in high-growth sectors through workforce programs or higher education.
- Increase access to public benefits through intensive case management services.
Priority II: Health
The 2022 Community Health Assessment identified four health focus areas:
- Social and structural determinants of health
- Focus on improving basic needs (housing, transportation, broadband internet access, and living wages) for all and eliminating ethnic and racial segregation.
- Mental health and well-being
- Focus on building resilience by improving mental health for children and youth and mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Chronic disease and chronic disease risk factors
- Focus on increasing healthy food access and physical activity
- Access to healthcare
- Focus on increasing access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care and dental care for vulnerable populations (e.g., older adults, people of color, and people experiencing homelessness).
United Way is also aligning their investments with health-related goals in the Success By 6 Williamson County strategic plan Under this strategic plan, health features prominently in three of the four pillars:
- Healthy Beginnings
- All pregnant moms receive early and regular prenatal care. All children receive physical healthcare, developmental and mental health supports, and community resources they need to thrive throughout their childhood.
- Supported Families
- Families have access to and use the resources that provide them with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and social supports to positively nurture the health, safety, and development of their children, and develop greater financial stability.
- Safe and Stimulating Communities
- Public and private sectors in Williamson County work together to ensure that the community has the resources and infrastructure to deliver services to children and their families and to provide a safe and healthy environment in which to raise children.
Goal
Increase access to high quality primary, mental, behavioral, developmental, dental and general health services to encourage healthy living at each stage of life.
Strategies
- Provide free or low-cost primary, mental, or dental health care services for individuals with low income
- Increase access to free or low-cost primary, mental, or dental health care services through supportive transportation services for individuals with low income, mobility challenges, or disabilities.
- Provide free or low-cost healthy meal delivery services for older adults or individuals with disabilities.
- Increase access to culturally or linguistically matched health care services for BIPOC individuals.
Priority III: Education
For SX6, their investments support strategies that support all two of the pillars in particular:
- Supported Families. Families have access to and use the resources that provide them with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and social supports to positively nurture the health, safety, and development of their children, and develop greater financial stability.
- Quality Care and Education. Children and families are informed and able to access high-quality early learning environments that demonstrate positive developmental outcomes for all children (including children with unique developmental and cultural needs) through competent, responsive, and caring relationships. Caregivers are paid as professionals and can increase their own economic stability through career pathways.
For HWC, their investments support strategies that support efforts directed by two HWC Work Groups in particular:
- Resilient Wilco. All families living in Williamson County have the opportunity, the capacity and the support they need to raise healthy, resilient children for generations to come.
- School Health. Provides a forum for coordinated school health discussion and planning to occur countywide.
Goals
- Young children enter school ready to succeed.
- School-aged children are fully engaged in learning academic and social/emotional skills.
Strategies
- Increase access to high-quality early learning programs for children ages 0-5 living in households with low income.
- Increase access to high-quality before and after school programs for elementary-aged children living in households with low income.
- Increase access to evidence-based social/emotional learning opportunities for children ages 0-18.
Funding Information
They anticipate awarding approximately 20 grants between $15,000 and $30,000 each.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible for grant, applicants must:
- Be a registered nonprofit organization and have an official letter of determination of 501c3 status from the Internal Revenue Service.
- Have operated in Williamson County for at least one year (on or before January 1, 2022).
- Provide services to families with low income.
- Accept the terms of the United Way Grant Agreement
- Not be delinquent on any state or federal debt.
- Share United Way’s view of collaborative and inclusive service to the entire community, without excluding anyone on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other factor not relevant to a person’s eligibility for service or ability to contribute.
For more information, visit Community Investment Grants.
