The United Way of Southwest Minnesota is accepting applications for its Community Impact Grants (CIG) to improve the lives of local people in Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Yellow Medicine and portions of Cottonwood, Lac qui Parle, Nobles and Redwood counties in Minnesota.
Donor Name: United Way of Southwest Minnesota
State: Minnesota
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/03/2023
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
Community Impact Grants are the main way United Way of Southwest Minnesota invests donations back into their communities. United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. LIVE UNITED. In southwest Minnesota, they focus on health, education, financial stability, hunger and safety & well-being. Trained community volunteers work together to score submitted grant proposals, conduct interviews of applicants, review program goals and anticipated results and then make recommendations to the United Way of Southwest Minnesota Board of Directors for final approval.
Priority Areas
- Health – Increase healthy behaviors and wellness.
- Achieve a healthier start to life.
- Increase community conditions that support healthy behaviors.
- Promote healthy eating and physical activity.
- Provide and increase access to programs that improve physical, emotional and mental fitness.
- Education – Improve life-long learning and development.
- Assure children enter kindergarten developmentally on track in literacy skills, as well as in social, emotional and cognitive skills.
- Prepare elementary-age students to succeed in later grades and to graduate from high school.
- Assist learners in exploring areas of interest and preparing for post-secondary education and/or career.
- Financial Stability – Improve financial stability and independence.
- Increase financial literacy skills for youth and adults.
- Help individuals and families move toward financial stability.
- Increase access to education, employment and/or job training.
- Assure community members have resources to overcome disasters and emotional or financial crises.
- Hunger – Increase food access, nutritional awareness and outreach.
- Connect people to food support efforts/programs/opportunities.
- Increase access to food and/or nutritious meals for people in need.
- Increase nutritional awareness, food budgeting/stretching and/or basic cooking skills.
- Safety & Well-Being – Increase access to services focused on safety and well-being.
- Increase suicide prevention, support, outreach and/or awareness.
- Increase access to services that provide a safe environment free from sexual assault, domestic violence, abuse, bullying and/or crime.
- Provide engagement opportunities for community involvement, service, mentoring and/or youth development.
- Strengthen efforts to create equitable opportunities; increase awareness and engagement in outreach services/programs.
Project Period
Grant time frame of July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply for a UWSWMN Community Impact Grants, the organization offering the program must meet the following requirements:
- Operate as nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, a public school, a unit of government or have a fiscal sponsor who meets this requirement.
- Operate and provide a service or program within Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Yellow Medicine or the portions of Cottonwood, Lac qui Parle, Nobles and/or Redwood counties of Minnesota served by UWSWMN. Grant funding can only be used to support programs that serve individuals living within the UWSWMN service area.
- Operate under written Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws or other written documents or statutes that define the organization’s purposes, membership, management and operation.
- Operate on a non-discriminatory basis in employment, recruitment of volunteers and delivery of services.
- Diversity enriches our community and its neighborhoods and organizations.
- Discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, or any other basis protected by federal and/or state laws is prohibited.
- UWSWMN reserves the right to request a copy of your non-discrimination policy.
- Demonstrate effective financial responsibility and accountability as follows:
- For applicants with total budgets of $500,000 or more, submit copy of an independently conducted audit.
- For applicants with total budgets of less than $500,000, submit an Independent Review. Recommended documentation should include: a statement of activities (profit and loss statement) and statement of financial position (balance sheet as of the end of the organization’s fiscal year). An Independent Review is conducted by someone with financial expertise, not necessarily a CPA, but not associated with the organization and/or UWSWMN. The Independent Review should be signed by the financial representative conducting the review and also by the organization’s board chair, executive director or board treasurer. In some cases, appropriate signers may be board/foundation/committee officers.
- If this is considered a hardship for small organizations, please contact the UWSWMN office to discuss special accommodations.
- Demonstrate use of good governance practices.
Funding will generally not be awarded for:
- Marketing efforts
- Event or fundraising promotions
- Capital campaigns or expenditures (i.e. land, building, real estate, vehicles, equipment, building upkeep or repair) Funding for organizations that intend to distribute funds at their own discretion
- Debt reduction or program shortfall from earlier years
- Endowment funding
- Political campaigns or lobbying efforts
- Activities that support a specific religious purpose
- Professional development or training
- Programs that operate in a discriminatory manner
- Program work outside the UWSWMN service area
- Programs not demonstrating a strong local need
- Direct individual support
- Volunteer recruitment and recognition
- Staff positions at schools
For more information, visit Community Impact Grants.
