FOR NON-PROFITS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General Questions

My organization is not a 501c3, can we still apply?

• Yes, you may apply for funding through a Fiscal Sponsor that is a 501c3.
• School districts which are not a 501c3, may apply with a partner organization that is a 501c3.

Is there a requirement for organization size or budget to apply?

• There are no requirements related to organization or budget size, all interested organizations are encouraged to apply.

If my organization has had a United Way grant in the past, are we allowed to apply again?

• Yes. If you are unsure where your current program fits within our new investment priorities, please reach out to your UW contact.

Is there other United Way funding to apply for if I don’t get this United Way funding

• Yes. While our Community Impact Grants is our largest funding opportunity, we do offer other smaller and more targeted grants throughout the year. Details can be found on our Non-profits page.

Do we need to use all the characters available in each answer field?

• No, our character limits are set to ensure that you have sufficient space to answer the question. If you can answer the question in fewer characters, please do so.

I have received a grant, how to I access the grant portal to submit my report?

• The grant portal can be accessed here.

• If you need help accessing your account, please contact sara.noel@unitedwayswpa.org

Welcome Back Summer

My organization is located and provides services outside of Allegheny County, should we apply for a grant through this RFP or is there a separate grant we should wait for?

• Please apply! This RFP is for all 5 counties served by the United Way of Southwestern PA; Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Fayette, and Westmoreland.

What if my organization works in multiple counties?

• You can select all the counties where you serve.

Do you fund new programs? Or only existing programs?

• This RFP is open to all eligible nonprofit organizations with summer programs running from June-August 2024. Proposals for new organizations, new programs, and existing partner agencies will all be evaluated using the same metrics and means for consideration.

What type of summer programs does this grant support?

• We are currently seeking proposals for programs that provide safe, affordable, educational, programming for youth ages PreK-12th grade. Some of the topics that programs have focused on in the past are below:

Can I submit more than one application?

• One application is preferred, if you would like to inquire about submitting more than one application please contact community.impact@unitedwayswpa.org to schedule an appointment with a staff member.

Will all applicants be required to submit a budget?

• Yes, it must include funding from any other sources for the program and detail what the United Way funds will be used to support.

What is the maximum grant amount we can request?

• The grant ceiling is $50,000 for programs in Allegheny County and $15,000 in Armstrong, Butler, Fayette, and Westmoreland Counties.

Can my organization apply for general operating funds or does the funding have to be for a specific summer program?

• Please apply for a specific summer program operating between June and August 2024. You may include all related costs in your request, including funding for program administration and staff.

Will there be any training courses or workshops to provide applicants with more details?

• Yes. We are offering one training workshop to learn more about our process and want each potential applicant to be able to submit strong and competitive applications. Attendance will not impact the evaluation of your proposal or funding decisions.

• PACE Workshop: We are partnering with the Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE) again this year to offer a dedicated capacity and technical support workshop to all interested applicants. PACE staff will dive deeper into the application, best practices for grant writing and for responding to this specific RFP, including how to clearly describe your proposed program, and carefully budgeting program costs. This workshop is open to anyone, but is best suited for organizations who may be new to grant and proposal writing and/or are to United Way:

• Friday, February 16th from 10:00am-11:30am

• This session will be recorded and made available following the event.

• Please contact us at community.impact@unitedwayswpa.org for details and how to register or to receive the recording after the workshop.

COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS

My organization is located and provides services outside of Allegheny County, should we apply for a grant?

• Please apply! This RFP is for all 5 counties served by the United Way of Southwestern PA; Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Fayette, and Westmoreland.

What if my organization works in multiple counties?

• You can select all the counties where you serve.

• Please note that you will be asked to provide the anticipated number of people served in each of your selected counties and will be expected to report on the number of people served in each county.

Do you fund new programs? Or only existing programs?

• This RFP is open to all eligible human services organizations. Proposals for new organizations, new programs, and existing partner agencies will all be evaluated using the same metrics and means for consideration.

Can my organization apply under multiple investment priorities or strategies?

• We recognize that there may be overlap in our Investment Priorities and that the work of your organization and programs may fit under more than one area. In the Initial Application phase, you may select more than one Investment Priority.

• In the Full Proposal stage, you will have the opportunity to select the specific strategies you will be addressing.

What happens if my program doesn’t fit under one of the investment priorities?

• We are currently seeking proposals for programs that fit within these 3 investment priorities and 12 solution-based strategies. If you are unsure how, or if, you fit, please reach out to our Community Impact Team.

Can I submit more than one application

• If you have more than one distinct program that fits within our investment priorities, you may submit more than one application at the Initial Application stage.

Will all applicants in the Initial Application stage be invited to submit a Full Proposal?

• No. Our review committee will evaluate all Initial Applications and recommend a select number to be invited to the Full Proposal stage. If invited, you will have approximately 4 weeks to complete the Full Proposal, due at the end of March.

What is the maximum grant amount we can request?

• United Way serves a wide range of organizations and types of pf programs. As such, award sizes also span a wide range and are dependent on several factors including county, the number of people served, organization size and budget, etc.

• For more specific guidance, please reach out to community.impact@unitedwayswpa.org.

• No one will be disqualified in the Initial Application stage based on the amount of the request, if an applicant is invited to submit a full proposal, our team will help recommend an appropriate request amount.

How many years will the provided funding cover?

• Grants will be awarded for 3 years, contingent on the success of fundraising for the Impact Fund and may be adjusted based on the completion of annual reporting and performance requirements, and the availability of funds.

• In your application, please note that the request amount, project budget, and anticipated number of people served should be based on one year (your first year). Year one encompasses July 1, 2023- June 30, 2024

Can my organization apply for general operating funds or does the funding have to be for a specific program?

• Please apply for a specific program, however you may include all related costs in your request including funding for program administration and staff.

If I have questions about the application, can I talk to someone at United Way one on one?

• Yes. Our Community Impact team will be available for one on one office hours throughout this process. Please contact community.impact@unitedwayswpa.org for more information.

Will there be any training courses or workshops to provide applicants with more details?

• Yes. We are offering several opportunities to learn more about our investment priorities and process and want each and every potential applicant to be able to submit strong and competitive applications. All sessions are optional, and attendance will not impact the evaluation of your proposal or funding decisions.

• General Information and Q&A: these sessions will provide a general overview of the RFP process including timelines and a review of the application questions. These sessions are open to anyone, but are best suited for organizations that feel comfortable writing proposals and are familiar with United Way’s Investment Priority areas, but would like to learn more about this year’s questions and timelines.

• Allegheny County: Wednesday, November 2nd, 12-1:30pm (virtual)

• Armstrong, Butler, Fayette, and Westmoreland Counties: Friday, November 4 (virtual)

• PACE Technical & capacity Building Workshops: We are partnering with the Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE) to offer dedicated capacity and technical support workshops to all interested applicants where they will dive deeper into the application and learn best practices for grant writing and for responding to this specific RFP including clearly describing your proposed program, plan for evaluation and data collection, and carefully budgeting program costs. These workshops are open to anyone, but are best suited for organizations who may be new to grant and proposal writing and/or are to United Way:

• Thursday, November 3rd, 8:30am – 12:30pm (virtual)

a. This session will be recorded and made available following the event.

• Thursday, November 10th, 12:40pm – 4:30pm (in-person)

• United Way of Southwestern PA offices

• Please contact us at community.impact@unitedwayswpa.org for details including how to register.

Contributor Choice

What is Contributor Choice?

• Contributor Choice codes allow donors to designate support to thousands of specific agencies and programs through United Way. For more information on signing up for contributor choice code, click here.

What is the difference between a contributor choice agency and a partner agency

• A partner agency is an organization that currently receives grant funding from UWSWPA. These agencies are evaluated by UWSWPA through a competitive RFP process and regularly report on their work to UWSWPA.

• A contributor choice agency is eligible for donor allocated gifts through the UW campaign and must be pre-approved through a screening process.

Do I need a Contributor Choice code to apply for a grant?

• No, a Contributor Choice code is not required to apply for United Way grants

Will preference be given for grants to organizations who already have a Contributor Choice code?

• No, all eligible applicants will be evaluated under the same criteria, regardless of past funding or contributor choice status.

Falk Fund

Who is eligible to apply for this grant?

The applying agency must be a human services nonprofit with IRS 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status in Allegheny County. (NOTE: arts, cultural, religious, recreational, political programs, government agencies and institutions providing formal education are not eligible.)
The agency must be a United Way partner agency (funded through a 2023 RFP) or a recent recipient of unrestricted funds from The Pittsburgh Foundation.

What types of projects can apply for funding?

United Way welcomes requests in the following areas.

Building renovation & repair
Vehicle purchases
Equipment purchases
Technology improvement
Safety & Security purchases or installation
Furniture & Appliance purchases

What is the timeline for the application process?

The application opens on Friday, September 15th, and closes on Thursday, October 19th. Final decisions for funding will be announced on Friday, November 3rd.

Where do I apply?

The link to the application can be found on the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania website. It can be accessed on our online grant portal.

How much funding can I request for my project?

Organizations can request up to $15,000 for their proposed projects.

United Way is looking for 211 Resource Navigators!

United Way is looking for 211 Resource Navigators!

FOR NON-PROFITS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General Questions

Welcome Back Summer

COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS

Contributor Choice

Falk Fund