The United Way Board of Directors, after careful and deep consideration of many factors, has decided not to put out an RFP (Request for Proposal) for a 2024-2026 Funding Cycle. Instead, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County will provide a funding extension to all currently funded programs (at their existing funding levels) through June 2025.
WHAT THIS MEANS
•No application is needed for currently funded programs, but agencies will still be required to submit their six month progress report January 26, 2024.
•Allocations Volunteers will review programs’ six month reports and conduct site visits from February – April to ensure donor dollars are being effectively and efficiently deployed. UW staff will provide a list of questions for volunteers to ask nonprofits at site visits, which will aid the Community Impact Manager in a community needs assessment around emerging needs and gaps in our community. Allocations volunteers will recommend funding extensions or provide a significant rationale/recommendation if they determine funding should not be extended or should be decreased.
•New RFP for funding 2025-2027 will be released in December 2024.
RATIONALE
•We have had an outside consultant do an equity audit of our RFP and funding process; we need to allow time for understanding and executing consultant’s recommendations in partnership with our nonprofit agencies.
•We believe a deeper community needs assessment is needed before a new funding cycle, which compiles and integrates data from all stakeholders. This includes (but is not limited to) community-level data post-pandemic, as well as incorporating the IDEA Coalition listening sessions and townhall meetings feedback from communities of color.
•We will continue to deeply engage our allocations volunteers in our community investments, as well as soliciting feedback from our trusted community partners including working through this process with them and providing enhanced support outside of financial resources.
•We want to listen, learn and integrate this information to inform our strategic work so that our next funding cycle is as reflective of community needs as it can be. 2025 will mark the 10-year milestone of when we shifted to an outcome-based funding strategy using the existing strategic aims and outcomes. We want to look at a decade of data and use it to inform our next funding cycle.
•We are deeply committed to being good stewards of community dollars, and believe this funding extension does that.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
•What if my agency wants to make changes to my existing funding from United Way (for example, change the program United Way funds)?
There will be a section on the 6-month report for you to request changes of this nature or to provide any other significant updates.
•Can my program request an increase in funding?
No.
•Is there a possibility my agency will see a decrease in funding?
Our default assumption is a funding extension will be recommended because we have been reviewing progress reports throughout the last year; if your program is delivering outcomes with fidelity to their original grant application, you can anticipate the same level of funding. If our allocations volunteers see any cause for concern and feel there should be a decrease in funding, this will be discussed and vetted by UW staff.
•What are the guidelines for site visits?
Site visits will be a “check-in” with panel volunteers. There will be no presentation required and (in advance of the visit), we will send you a list of questions that will likely be asked. Volunteers will have a binder with your six month report (July-December 2023) and Year One Report (July 2022-June 2023), along with your original program budget and scorecard from the last funding cycle.
•What about United Way of Northern Chautauqua County funding?
At this point, we have not received any updates on UWNCC’s plans for funding in the next year. Any inquiries should be directed to Interim Executive Director Jody Falkner: jody@unitedwayncc.org
•What if my agency has never applied for funding?
The UWSCC Board of Directors has set aside additional funding for agencies that may be seeking United Way funding for the first time. These agencies should contact UW staff for more information on this process.