Nonprofit HQ

United Way 2024-2025 Funding Proposals

Letter of Intent (LOI)
(Process begins November 1, 2023)

United Way of the Coastal Empire invites eligible Georgia nonprofits serving Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty counties to submit Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) for entry into its 2024/25 Community Fund grant process.  LOIs are required only for programs that do not currently receive United Way of the Coastal Empire financial support.

LOIs should specifically explain how the proposed program provides safety net services to the most vulnerable individuals in our community, or provides a pathway for upward mobility.

• Safety Net Programs provide for basic human needs related to food, shelter, health and safety, and/or disaster response.

• Upward Mobility Programs should prioritize community needs in the following areas:
  • Quality, Affordable Childcare: Programs providing access to childcare services for underserved communities and working families.  Examples include but are not limited to programs that provide safe and affordable childcare services during working hours, expand access to the number of quality-rated childcare facilities in the community, and/or that develop the social, emotional and intellectual skills of children.
  • Ready & Resilient Workforce: Programs helping individuals and youth gain the knowledge, skills and support to enter, remain and advance in the workplace.  Examples include but are not limited to skill certification and job placement programs for adults, after-school, mentorship and career exploration programs for youth, and/or programs designed to help differently-abled individuals thrive in the workplace.
  • Financially Empowered Families: Programs helping families to gain the knowledge, skills and support to improve their financial position and to overcome barriers to long-term financial security.  Examples include but are not limited to programs that improve financial literacy, support savings and intergenerational wealth creation, and/or create conditions that allow families to become economically self-reliant.
  • Safe & Stable Housing: Programs that expand access to safe and secure habitation within low-wealth communities.  Examples include programs that expand the availability of affordable housing units within the community, maintain the stock of existing homes through repair assistance programs for the elderly or disabled and/or homelessness prevention programs.

Interested organizations should review eligibility criteria and instructions below and submit a 2- to 3-page Letter of Inquiry by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. Selected organizations will be invited to submit a full application for funding via United Way’s annual, volunteer-driven review process in January 2024.

Instructions for Letter of Inquiry

The Letter of Inquiry should be addressed to Lauren Branson, Vice President of Community Investments, and include the following information:

• A brief overview of the applicant nonprofit organization and its mission statement;
• Clearly define your financial request and how the funds will specifically be used;
• The community need that the applicant program seeks to address with a clear and compelling narrative describing how the proposed program aligns with United Way priority funding areas;
• A description of how the proposed program addresses the identified community need:
  • Who is the target population to be served, and how will they be reached?
  • What are the specific services/activities provided by the program?
  • What is the length and depth of service that is provided to each participant?
  • What other community organizations does the program partner or collaborate with?
• Program results over the prior three years citing quantitative evidence of the number of individuals served and/or program outcomes achieved;
• Expected sources of program revenue, including:
  • Requested United Way funding amounts,
  • Amounts expected from other grants/foundations
  • Private and corporate donations

Proposals should reflect the organization’s anticipated service delivery within the 2024/25 United Way grant year (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025).

In addition to the Letter of Inquiry, please provide a PDF copy of your IRS 501c3 letter of determination, and the applicant organization’s most recently filed IRS Form 990.

All materials should be submitted by email to [email protected] by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. Incomplete or late LOIs will not be considered.