United Way Announces $5.1 Million in Grants

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette announces distribution of $5.1 million in grants and strategic initiatives to address community needs in the four-county Portland/Vancouver metro area.  The grants specifically focus on education, income, and health and will provide support for individuals and families with immediate needs while establishing a foundation for long-term change.

Thirty-seven programs involving more than 150 collaborating partners will receive $4 million in awards following a six-month volunteer-driven competitive grant review process. The awards fall into two categories, three-year Community Investment grants and one-year Project Innovation grants. 

An additional $1.1 million will fund strategic initiatives including: Project Access NOW, Born Learning, 211, Hands On Greater Portland and agencies promoting financial stability through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Funding also goes to efforts in areas of nonprofit capacity-building, diversity and technical assistance.   

Community Investment grants provide three-year funding and awards range from $100,000 to $200,000 each year. Programs range from efforts to provide youth with skills and mentoring to succeed in school, to integration of mental health and addictions programs in primary care clinics, to initiatives designed to promote financial stability for individuals and families living in poverty by providing job training, housing assistance, and support services.

A number of projects focus on support for seniors and people with disabilities and helping people become financially stable. Benefits Advocacy Coalition’s “Toward Independence” project is working to improve coordination of services to individuals with disabilities.

To prevent homelessness among survivors of domestic violence, Clackamas Women’s Services is providing advocacy support and direct assistance to help people retain or acquire permanent housing. A project led by Irvington Covenant CDC promotes "green collar" jobs through training in construction, mechanical, technical and utility trades in emerging sustainable technologies. The “Constructing Green Futures” project will engage more women and minorities in the trades, who will work with low-income seniors who need help with necessary home repair projects.

Janus Youth’s “Village Gardens” project promotes nutrition, healthy lifestyles, entrepreneurship and financial stability among youth and families living in public housing. Community members grow fruits and vegetables, which they market and sell at local farmers’ markets to generate income for families who work in the gardens.

United Way is funding projects that seek to improve high school graduation rates among young people from diverse communities. NAYA Family Center’s “Native Student Literacy Project “ will provide culturally specific literacy and social skills to Native American middle- and high-school-age youth to increase literacy, reduce disciplinary referrals and increase high school completion. 

Black Parent Initiative’s “Parent University” will provide comprehensive parent-centered coaching and classes designed to promote family health, cultural identity and financial literacy. Adelante Mujeres’ “Adelante Chicas” project focuses on community leadership, empowerment and academic success for low-income Latina girls and their families in Washington County.

Twelve programs that focus on innovative approaches to systems change received grants of $20,000 to $40,000. This year’s Project Innovation grants include an employment training program for homeless men and a school-based dental health program for low-income children.

In this grant cycle, United Way received 275 proposals totaling over $36 million in requests for funding. This is up significantly from the last grant cycle in 2006, when United Way received 168 proposals requesting $15.8 million. The 275 proposals submitted to United Way represent a total of 447 organizations, as the result of collaboration and partnership agreements.

“We received so many strong proposals that it was extremely hard for our volunteers and staff to make final selections,” said Howard Klink, Vice President of Community Investment. “There is no question that the needs in our community far outweigh available funds.”

Leading the proposal review process are staff and volunteers who brought with them a wealth of experience and expertise in health and human services. Sixty Vision Council members represented a broad range of professionals, local leadership and diverse communities. Collectively, volunteers contributed more than 2,175 hours toward the review process.

“Grant awards were made based on proposal quality, alignment with funding priorities previously approved by the United Way Board of Directors, and distribution of funds across the four-county region,” said Howard. “The final recommendations are based on those criteria in addition to the need for regional distribution of funds and clarity of focus on racial, tribal ethnic communities and other underserved populations.”