United Way launches community investment process for Kennebec County

Ashley Healey, Augusta Teen Center assistant director, spends time with a group of teens. From left are Rex Elliott, Elizabeth McCausland, Liliana Gagnon, Healey and Stephen McKenney. Submitted photo

AUGUSTA — United Way of Kennebec Valley has launched its 2023 Community Investment Process. It encourages local Kennebec County nonprofits, public school districts, municipal entities, or Indian Tribal governments to consider applying for program funding.

Because of contributions from individual donors, businesses and foundations, the chapter is able to make grants to community partners that support its mission to unite all people and resources to improve lives in the community. All of its funding moving forward will be allocated to support Impact2032, the community-wide vision to improve the health, education and financial stability of every person in Kennebec County, according to a news release from the Augusta-based United Way chapter.

Impact2032 is committed to helping people engage in healthy behaviors and leverage prevention and wellness services; access quality early learning experiences; and have the employment, income and resources to achieve financial stability. Organizations must confirm official endorsement of Impact2032 and demonstrate how a program aligns with one of the three Impact2032 vision statements in order to apply.

“The Impact2032 vision is the result of a massive effort to gain community insight into the most pressing issues facing our region,” said Courtney Yeager, executive director of UWKV. “Our organization is committed to aligning our funding to address the needs that local people identified, while approaching the process with an equity mindset to ensure all people have the opportunity to realize their full potential.”

In 2021, the chapter expanded the region it serves to include all of Kennebec County — uniting the county under one United Way for the first time. Although it granted more than $95,000 specifically to nonprofits in its new Northern Kennebec region in 2022, this will be the first “open” community investment process that allows organizations serving northern Kennebec, including those that have not had a partnership with United Way in the past, to apply. The process continues to be open to organizations serving southern Kennebec as well.

Grants between $5,000 and $50,000 will be awarded for a two-year funding cycle, with funding provided between April 2023 and March 2025. Funding must support a specific program or project, not general operations, and requests cannot exceed 35 percent of the program/project budget. To be eligible for funding, an organization’s program/programs must provide health and human services to residents of Kennebec County.

This is also the first year that the Augusta-based chapter will require programs to apply through e-CImpact — a cloud-based grant management software. All organizations interested in applying for funding will be required to attend a mandatory virtual training on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Training also was held Oct. 25. If an organization is not currently receiving funding from the chapter and cannot make either of the mandatory trainings, reach out to the Augusta office at 207-626-3400 for further instruction.

The process will include two phases: a Letter of Intent and an Application for Funding. Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent no later than 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22. Programs selected to move onto the second phase will be notified by Wednesday, Nov. 30.

The application for funding opens Thursday, Dec. 1, and all requests must be received before 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31. For more information or to apply, visit uwkv.org/Our-Grants-Process.