Family Opportunity Fund

Addressing the needs of the entire family to break the cycle of poverty

Let’s Break the Cycle

Breaking the cycle of poverty in families is difficult—but it can be done, with your help. The Family Opportunity Fund supports programs to improve the education, financial stability and overall health of the whole family, providing pathways for their success and long-term stability. With your gift, you are giving families the tools they need to secure their own futures.

Make a Gift

65% of jobs in Indiana pay less than $20/hour, and two-thirds of those pay under $15/hour.

25% of Indiana households are working and earning more than the federal poverty level but not enough to make ends meet, putting them one emergency away from disaster.

In 2016, 979,538 Hoosier households were unable to afford the basics of housing, food, healthcare, childcare and transportation despite working hard.

Family Opportunity Fund Details

  • Why Your Gift
    Matters
  • Areas of
    Focus

Why Your Gift
Matters

The Problem

Poverty is a stubborn problem - it can trap a family for generations. Thousands of low-income families are finding that the adults and children are facing many hardships together, at the same time, under one roof. Nearly 40% of Central Indiana families are living in or near poverty.

The Need

Working families are often forced to make choices that compromise their health and safety to make ends meet, putting both the families and the wider community at risk of long-term societal and economic repercussions.

What we're doing

The Family Opportunity Fund aims to interrupt the cycle of poverty by serving the entire family’s needs in education, financial stability and mental, physical and emotional health. Your gift provides the essential resources for families to break the cycle of poverty, turning past generations of struggle into future generations of success.

Areas of
Focus

When adults in low-income households face hardships, so do the children living under the same roof. In order to tackle poverty at its core, we must address the needs of every person in a struggling family. That’s why the Family Opportunity Fund aims to focus on multiple generations within a family unit through the following areas:


Educational success
Workforce development and economic assets
Social Capital
Health and well-being

The Journey Continues

After months of research, analysis and conversations with community partners, donors and volunteers, we are pleased to unveil three new Impact Funds at United Way: the Basic Needs Fund, the Family Opportunity Fund, and the Social Innovation Fund.

These three funds are designed to improve outcomes at a community level, link the interests and passions of our donors to opportunities to improve the lives of tens of thousands of families in Central Indiana who are struggling to make ends meet.

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