United Way capacity grants help strengthen nonprofit sector
Most people know United Way of Central Indiana awards grants to local human services nonprofits to help them serve the community.
What some may not realize: United Way provides funding and programmatic support to strengthen the region’s nonprofit infrastructure as a whole.
United Way helps fund capital projects, facilities maintenance, technology needs and unexpected emergencies. It provides learning opportunities for nonprofit leaders, board members and staff through the Nonprofit Learning Center and monthly sector calls.
Another way United Way supports the sector: the Capacity Fund. The grants help nonprofits improve their organizational infrastructure – through internal development, training and evaluations, for example – so that they can be resilient over the long term and continue serving the community effectively.
In June, United Way awarded more than $110,000 from the Capacity Fund to five nonprofits. The organizations will use the funding in various ways, including to evaluate programming; coach board leaders; provide diversity, equity and inclusion training; and develop strategies for recruiting, developing and retaining volunteers.
Isaac Mervis, United Way’s organizational development director, said the grants don't just help the organizations that receive funding. By strengthening the nonprofits’ internal operations, the grants are improving the health and efficacy of the region’s nonprofit sector overall, he said.
Earlier this year, nonprofits accredited with United Way were invited to apply for grants of up to $50,000. Two dozen organizations applied, requesting over $1 million, which Mervis said shows the magnitude of the need for the funds.
A committee of seven people – United Way staff, board members and volunteers from the community – reviewed applications and selected the recipients:
Damien Center – $13,125
Englewood Community Development Corporation – $8,236
Fathers and Families Center – $27,482
Meals on Wheels of Hancock County – $11,410
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic – $50,000
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic provides free legal services and education to those who can’t afford it, giving Hoosiers across the state access to justice regardless of their income.
Developing and retaining volunteer lawyers and law students is critical to the nonprofit’s work. Capacity Grant funding will help the clinic implement a comprehensive, long-term strategy to enhance volunteer recruitment, develop marketing campaigns to attract volunteers, improve retention rates and maintain a collaborative culture to retain those volunteers.
For Fathers and Families Center, grant funds will help fund a rigorous evaluation to analyze the impact of the center’s programming.
The nonprofit helps primarily African American fathers in poverty become better parents, people, partners and providers. Programming includes classroom instruction, job readiness training, professional certification opportunities and employment placement services. The evaluation will assess outcomes related to recidivism, credentialing, employment, wages and job tenure.
Mervis said the Capacity Fund strengthens nonprofits by meeting their specific organization’s needs and goals.
“We don’t tell organizations how they should develop their capacity,” Mervis said. “We ask them, ‘If you had additional funds to strengthen your organization, how would you do it?’”