Thank you for believing in a stronger, more hopeful community.
United Way of the Coastal Empire is proud to offer continuous capacity-building support to nonprofits serving in our four-county service area. Our Lunch and Learns are lunch hour sessions that provide entry points and overviews of topics critical to the success of nonprofits.
We offer multiple training opportunities:
- Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), Leadership Symposium. This new program addresses the problem of disproportionately under-resourced BIPOC-led nonprofits by providing training, mentorship, and access to United Way tools and resources. The program is open to BIPOC Executive Directors in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty County.
- Gulfstream Learning series featuring nonprofit trainers from the Georgia Center for Nonprofits. See our events calendar for registration.
- Investor Readiness for Nonprofits. In partnership with Creative Coast, this executive leadership development program is designed to teach nonprofit leaders how to effectively engage investors, donors, and philanthropic organizations. Additionally, the six-week course teaches skills like discovering investors, communicating the ‘story’ of an organization, and targeting messages for different demographics.
- Young Leaders Board Readiness Program for young professionals.
If you have any questions about these programs and resources, please email [email protected]
The funds we raise are distributed to a network of highly-vetted local nonprofits – a process which engages dozens of community volunteers to help ensure funds are invested wisely and yield results that matter.
Once funded, United Way holds each of its nonprofit partners accountable to achieving specific outcomes. For further support, we offer regular workshops for organizational and program development, as well as training about our funding priorities and program evaluation process.
WHAT TYPES OF NONPROFIT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE FUNDED BY UNITED WAY?
Donor contributions to the United Way Community Fund are invested in specific, direct service programs that align to one of our six priority outcomes within the areas of education, income, and health.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS ARE NECESSARY TO APPLY FOR UNITED WAY FUNDING?
To be considered for a program grant from United Way, nonprofit organizations must have a physical presence in our four-county service area and meet our funding eligibility criteria.
HOW DOES A NONPROFIT APPLY FOR UNITED WAY FUNDING?
United Way of the Coastal Empire invites eligible nonprofits serving Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, and Liberty Counties to propose programs for funding consideration through its Community Fund. Interested organizations should review eligibility requirements and instructions.
HOW DOES UNITED WAY MAKE ITS GRANT FUNDING DECISIONS?
United Way Community Investments staff facilitates an outcome-based evaluation process that employs dozens of trained community volunteers to serve as grant evaluators, which is overseen by a standing committee of United Way’s Board of Directors. Decisions are based on the merit of organizational and program performance and the resources available for investment.
United Way 2023-2024 Funding Proposals
The 2023-2024 process is closed to currently funded partners. Please check back for more information about 2024-2025 Request for Investment updates.
Support your grant request, program development, and communications with reliable data and statistics about health and human service needs in our community:
Census.gov →
Federal census data
Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition →
Community dashboards and health, economic, education and quality of life indicators aligning with the Chatham County Blueprint strategic plan
County Health Rankings →
County-by-county health and related social indicators, data and rankings
Get Georgia Reading →
With a focus on factors that affect childhood literacy, data maps of academic, economic, health and social indicators by county, census tract, and school
Kids Count (Annie E. Casey Foundation) →
Social, health, and economic indicators of child well-being
Research:
Poverty in Chatham County and Savannah 2005-2017
In 2019, the Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition and United Way of the Coastal Empire commissioned an analysis of the census data to better understand barriers to economic opportunity for single, female heads of households with young children, a population that disproportionately experiences poverty in Savannah and Chatham County.
Association of Fundraising Professionals
– Coastal Georgia →
Professional development, educational and networking
Candid Learning →
Online training and resources on proposal writing, fundraising, non-profit governance, management, and starting a non-profit; free e-newsletter, and more
Candid Overdrive →
Online library of free e-books on all aspects of non-profit management
Georgia Center for Nonprofits →
Education, training, and resources on all aspects of non-profit management
Grants.gov →
Current federal grant opportunities and online support
Nonprofit Finance Fund →
Resources for understanding and managing nonprofit finances
Philanthropy News Digest (PND by Candid) →
Free, weekly RFP Bulletin delivers current grant opportunities to your inbox