United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

Community Impact Grants Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the community impact grants process?

This is the process by which the dollars given to United Way are invested in programs to solve pervasive issues in Education, Income and Health across the Dallas, Collin, Rockwall and Southern Denton counties. Learn more about Community Impact Grants.

What is the objective of the process?

The objective is to identify the programs that can best contribute to achieving the ten-year goals for Education, Income and Health.

What is the process?

The community impact grants process is the method by which corporate donors and community volunteers evaluate the program proposals to achieve the ten-year goals. Each applicant is initially reviewed against key financial standards. Afterwards, programs are evaluated for their alignment with the strategies and goals for Education, Income and Health; ability to show measurable results; and the resources it takes to obtain those results. This assessment uses a consistent and standardized tool and includes reviews of written proposals and site visits of applicants.

When does the process start and end?

The process begins in August with the release of the Request for Proposal (RFP) and concludes in May with the final funding approvals by the board.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has programs which align with the strategies under Education, Income and Health, can apply.

Who decides which programs get funded?

Donors and volunteers who live and work in our community are central to this process and the decisions, and collectively spend more than 14,000 hours selecting the programs that best align with our key focus areas of Education, Income and Health. View the 2012-2013 Community Impact Councils and Strategy Panels.

How is this process different from the past?

The biggest difference is that it is an open process. In the past, the application for funding was limited to a closed set of partner agencies. Starting in 2010, any 501(c)3 can apply so long as they focus in the areas of Education, Income and Health.

What programs were awarded 2012-2013 grants?

Please see the list of the 2012-2013 community investments.

Why wasn't my favorite agency funded?

Opening up the process made it an incredibly competitive environment, with nearly double the number of applicants compared to previous years. The Community Impact Councils and Strategy Panels evaluated the programs against Best Investment Criteria to identify those that aligned best with the goals and metrics for Education, Income and Health. Agencies that do not receive funding in 2012-2013 may apply for funding in the Fall of 2012 for 2013-2014.

Does a non-profit that was not selected for funding this year have the opportunity to receive funding in the future?

Absolutely. Feedback is provided by the Strategy Panels and United Way Staff to agencies based on the evaluation of their program(s), enabling them to be more competitive going forward. We encourage agencies to apply for funding from United Way in subsequent years.

Note for United Way Service Providers

If you received an awards letter from us, you may notice a difference between the amount listed on your awards letter and the official press releases. The official press releases note an amount that is likely a larger amount than listed on your awards letter. This amount is also accurate as it contains not just your United Way Allocations (Allocations from one or more of the following funding streams: Community Impact Grants, D:G, CitiFund), but also the annual designations that your agency will receive through United Way of Metropolitan Dallas for the funding year, July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

For more information, email CIG@unitedwaydallas.org

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