UWSM Community Impact Grant Overview

The Community Impact Grants program is designed to invest in priority projects that further the UWSM mission and strategic community goals. Programs providing services may apply for funding based on real need, quality management practices, collaborative efforts, and evidence of measurable results.

Applicant agencies are required to provide measurable outcomes that result in changes in participant knowledge, attitude, behavior, skills, values, condition or status. Funded programs must also have effective tools and methods in place, addressing both the quantity and quality of services provided that enable program evaluation.

Proposals will be accepted from organizations with the capacity, competence and experience to accomplish project goals and objectives.

The UWSM Investment Planning Process includes:

• Identifying those populations and communities that are most at risk of poor educational, income and health outcomes.
• Recognition that UWSM must focus its resources for impact
• Solicitation of community, agency and donor input; and
• Development of a measurement framework that will deliver positive and measurable community change.

In the 2025-2027 grant cycle, United Way of South MS seeks to:

• Partner with organizations with strong leadership, staff, evaluation and financial capacity.
• Focus and leverage resources.
• Invest in evidence-based or evidence-informed best practices.

Funding Available

UWSM’s ability to invest in community programs is contingent upon the financial success of the annual campaign as well as our continued focus on quality agency performance. The actual amount of funding available will not be determined until the close of campaign on March 30, 2025. A suggested range for grants is $15,000-$40,000 per year of grant cycle.

Organization Eligibility and Documentation Requirements

Applicants for UWSM Community Impact Funds are required to meet basic principles and practices of nonprofit management. These criteria must be met before any application will be considered. These standards include:

1. The applicant must meet the IRS standards for nonprofit status 501(c), faith-based organization or governmental entity (Requires copy of IRS 501(c) determination letter, letter of government or faith-based institution).
2. The program must serve residents of Hancock, Harrison, Pearl River or Stone Counties
3. The organization must have held 501c status for 3 years in the UWSM service area.
4. Financial documentation requirements vary based on the organization’s budget:
   • Any agency that must have an audit completed will provide UWSM with a copy.
     • Agency Annual Revenue less than $250,000:
     • If agency is a 501 (c) – a copy of its Certificate of Charities Registration issued by the MS Secretary of State.
     • Copy of the most recent financial statement submitted to the agency’s Board of Directors.
     • Prior year unaudited financial statement signed by the Board President, Executive Director, and Chief Financial Officer or board meeting minutes approving financial statement.
     • Annual Revenue greater than $250,000 but less than $499,999:
     • If agency is a 501(c) – a copy of the agency’s Certificate of Charities Registration issued by the MS Secretary of State.
     • Copy of the most recent financial statement submitted to the agency’s Board of Directors.
     • Prior year financial statement reviewed by a CPA & signed by the Board President, Executive Director, and Chief Financial Officer or board meeting minutes approving financial statement.
     • Agency Annual Revenue greater than $500,000:
     • If agency is 501(c) – a copy of the agency’s Certificate of Charities Registration issued by the MS Secretary of State
     • Copy of the most recent financial statement submitted to the agency’s Board of Directors
     • CPA prepared independent audit
   • UWSM reserves the right to request an audit, financial statement or any other additional financial documentation deemed necessary of any applicant agency or local program regardless of agency revenue and expenses.
5. Provide a copy of your agency’s current operating budget.
6. List of Board of Directors with contact information and terms of service.
7. Applicants must be able to send and receive email.  UWSM makes its investment payments through EFT and will request appropriate banking information from agencies receiving funds.
8. The organization must be committed and able to make measurable improvements for clients in one of the strategies for which United Way of South Mississippi will invest funds. Measurable improvements must align with published outcomes and indicators.
9. The agency must be willing and able to enter into a provider “Memorandum of Understanding” with United Way of South Mississippi regarding participation in the United Way of South Mississippi’s campaign and the provision of services in compliance with United Way requirements including submission of beneficiary reports of client demographics, program reports detailing outcomes achieved, and financial reports showing support, revenue and expenses by funded program.
10. Agencies must utilize accounting software capable of providing a detailed UWSM grant specific general ledger of expenditures as part of the quarterly reporting process.

Community Impact Grant Program Timeline

Friday, January 17th

Request for Proposal (RFP) will be posted on the UWSM website www.unitedwaysm.org

Friday, February 14th

Letter of Intent, Legal and Financial documents/ Eligibility materials to be submitted online via application located on UWSM website no later than 5 pm CST

Friday, March 7th

Notice of eligibility determination is sent
Invitations to apply sent

Thursday, March 27th

Community Impact Grant applications due no later than 5 pm CST

Friday, June 20th

Presentation of UWSM approved investments for 2025-2027

STEP ONE: DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY

The first step in the application process is to submit documentation of the agency’s eligibility for a UWSM Community Impact grant. The organization’s legal and financial documents should be submitted electronically via the below link by 5 pm CST on February 14th, 2025.

https://epledge.unitedwaysm.org/Volunteer/AgencyRegistration.jsp

This link may also be found at www.unitedwaysm.org

STEP TWO: REVIEW AND NOTIFICATION

The financial documents will be reviewed by a committee of financial staff and volunteers.  Applicants will be notified of their eligibility by March 7, 2025. Those who are eligible will be invited to submit a full application.

Please note that an invitation to submit a proposal does not guarantee funding or full funding of the amount applied for.

STEP THREE: GRANT APPLICATION

Those organizations selected to submit a full proposal will be sent the application instructions and application. Proposals are due by 5 PM CST, March 27, 2025.  Applications received after this deadline will not be considered. Community Impact Teams will evaluate the grant application, visit the applicant program site and interview staff prior to making investment recommendations to the UWSM Board of Directors who will make the final funding decision in June 2025.

United Way of South Mississippi Focus Areas 2025-2027

UWSM’s focus areas are listed below. Only proposals that align with at least one of the UWSM Focus Area’s will be considered for funding.

Area 1 – Youth Opportunity

Help young people realize their potential from cradle to career.

Strategy

• Support evidence-based early care and learning programs that measure and enhance developmental and academic success.
• Support literacy development through quality school based and after school tutoring for at-risk children, measuring the children’s progress toward grade level reading.
• Establish summer/intercession learning programs that last a minimum of three weeks to prepare children to enter kindergarten and/or prevent summer learning loss in reading skills.
• Support education, training and job placement for your adults offering them access to the skills that they need to succeed in school and in the workplace.

Area 2 – Healthy Community

Educate community members on the importance of good health and raise awareness of basic health and human services.

Strategy

• Establish programs that increase access to healthcare and healthy living initiatives. Including affordable prescription medication.
• Support programs that raise awareness regarding health topics such as disease awareness and prevention, management and treatment of health conditions.
• Decrease the number of individuals and families living with food insecurity.
• Provide mental support to individuals and communities.
• Substance misuse recovery, support prevention, treatment and recovery intervention

Area 3 – Financial Security

To empower community members to gain stable financial ground by providing them with the necessary tools and resources towards a path of financial empowerment and freedom.

Strategy

• Support programs that provide access to career pathways through job training and employment readiness services.
• Support programs hosting financial literacy opportunities and teaching self-sufficiency through positive money management and credit counseling.
• Decrease the number of families living in homelessness by supporting agencies that provide affordable housing options.

Area 4 – Family Services and Support Goal

Using two generation collaboration, families will be move toward stability and have the support needed to improve learning success for their school aged children.

Strategy

The developmental and academic progress of the families’ children is measured and, through consultation among collaborative partners, impact on both generations served is tracked.

Program Evaluation Criteria

Programs will be evaluated using criteria outlined below. Volunteers will use these investment criteria to evaluate all proposals. The Investment Criteria listed below are grouped into four key categories:

Linkage to the Community Impact Agenda and United Way’s Priority Focus Areas and Strategies for Funding

• Program aligns with one or more of the Community Impact Agenda goals and strategies and United Way funding priorities.
• The organization and program can demonstrate the ability and experience to directly benefit the local community by serving the identified community needs.
• Community conditions are clearly stated and well documented.
• Program summary describes goals and key components of the program.
• Program is mission-driven and based on best practices of the industry that achieve results and meet the needs of the community.

Program Finances

• Fiscally Sound and Responsible: Demonstrates a history of being a fiscally sound organization, maximizing available resources; has a clear and understandable accounting system that meets current accounting industry standards.
• Accountable, Effective and Efficient:
  1. Demonstrates stable and effective management (effective system oversight and governance).
  2. Has accounting procedures, budgets and financial audits that meet acceptable criteria.
• Supported by the Community: Has a history of community, volunteer, and client support demonstrated by program revenue and volunteer involvement.

Collaboration, Innovation, and Best Practices

• Minimum: Program integrates its goals and services with community organizations and groups to address critical community needs.
• Best practice: Program engages in collaborative activities in which multiple organizations or groups identify a common mission and work to achieve that mission through shared resources and shared accountability.

Commitment to Measuring Outcomes and Providing Results

• Program aligns with UWSM strategies that represent positive change for program participants.
• Appropriate evaluation/data collection plans and procedures are in place.
• Program achieves demonstrable results that link to one or more specific impact strategies for action as prioritized by UWSM.

These guidelines will be used in the form of a scorecard to assist volunteers in their evaluation of funding requests and in the funding decision-making process.

About Community Impact Volunteers

The Community Impact Grant Process is reviewed and assessed by local volunteers who are trained by United Way staff and ultimately provide funding recommendations to the UWSM Board. Each community impact team will use the Program Investment Criteria as its guide for the evaluation process.

There are three kinds of volunteer teams: the Community Impact Council who will act as a liaison between the volunteers and the Board of Directors, the Finance team who determines the eligibility of each applicant organization, and the Community Investment Team who evaluates the grant applications, conducts site visits and makes funding recommendations to the UWSM’s Board of Directors.