United Way’s Parent Advisory Council awards $250,000 in grant funding

INDIANAPOLIS – United Way of Central Indiana’s Parent Advisory Council has awarded $250,000 in grants to nine nonprofits.   

This is the third round of funding to be granted by the council, a United Way of Central Indiana initiative that seeks to bring community voices to the table.   

The council of 14 parents and caregivers selected the grant recipients from a pool of 35 applications – the most the council has ever received.  

In awarding grants from its Power to the Parent Fund, the council identified four areas of need in the community that it wanted to address: mental health and mentorship/youth support; housing support; financial literacy; and eliminating emergent barriers for families.  

“As Parent Advisory Council members, we are proud to be a voice for our communities’ greatest needs and the challenges we all face on a daily basis,” said Nicole Meeker, a council member. “One of the biggest problems we all face right now in this economy is the cost of living.”  

Meeker noted rising rates of homelessness across the state and nation, and the rising cost of rent, mortgage rates, utilities, food and child care. To combat these challenges, Meeker said, the council added housing support and eliminating emergent barriers as focus areas – to help community organizations “better serve those who need it most in a timely manner.” 

The council also selected mental health as a focus area, as daily expenses, access to quality, affordable child care, and finding and keeping stable housing can cause stress, anxiety and depression, she said.  

“We hope to bring a sense of relief and security to our community members by granting money to these community organizations that can and will help in times of crisis,” Meeker said.  

United Way launched the Parent Advisory Council in 2022 with the goals of strengthening parent leaders and incorporating their voices into decision-making.  

Those interested in joining the council can contact Priti Tailor, United Way’s manager of community engagement: priti.tailor@uwci.org.   

The Parent Advisory Council awarded the following grants during this funding cycle:      

Concord Neighborhood Center – $30,000 

Damien Center – $30,000 

Grassroot Projects – $27,959 

Indy Reads – $12,041 

Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center – $30,000 

Pathway Resource Center – $30,000 

Reach For Youth – $30,000 

Steven E. Shepherd Community Foundation – $30,000 

Tangram – $30,000