United Way of North Central Ohio has notified 35 local nonprofit organizations and coalitions that their community impact programs will receive funding from the UWNCO Community Campaign in the current fiscal year. These grants were awarded following application review and scoring by UWNCO’s volunteer Community Impact Cabinet and a final allocation decision by the UWNCO board of directors.
Each of the programs receiving grant funds this cycle has demonstrated how their work is impacting one or more of United Way’s three Bold Goals for community improvement: Successful Children, Healthy Families, and Self-Sufficient Residents. Learn more about Bold Goals for north central Ohio at unitedwaynco.org.
As part of their commitment to RBA (Results-Based Accountability) and collective impact as the framework for their work in the community, United Way of North Central Ohio placed new emphasis on collaboration during this application and funding cycle. Community collaborations of two or more organizations or entities working together to impact a Bold Goal for the region were given special consideration during the application review process, and four of the newly funded impact programs are collaborative efforts.
“Our emphasis on collaborations grows out of our use of RBA and collective impact. We want to be certain we are getting the greatest possible return on investment, of both our donors’ dollars and of effort,” said Amber Wertman, executive director of United Way of North Central Ohio. “Bringing agencies together to share data and to come at big issues with a coordinated long-term plan will have a much greater impact on our community.”
Collaborations funded through United Way of North Central Ohio agree to meet five accepted conditions of collective impact, including appointing a backbone organization to convene and coordinate the work of the collaboration; establishing consistent and open communication; and mutual understanding of the problem being addressed and the change needed, as well as a shared system of collecting data and measuring results from their efforts. United Way of North Central Ohio provides continual facilitation and support services throughout the collaborative funding cycle.
Visit unitedwaynco.org to see a list of all the program and collaborations funded by donations to United Way of North Central Ohio’s Community Campaign. Galion-based programs include the annual youth theater production at Galion Community Theatre; food pantry and emergency utility assistance and Cooperative Christian Services of Galion, while others have a focus across Crawford County.
Source: United Way of North Central Ohio press release; Photo: United Way of North Central Ohio’s Executive Director Amber Wertman (right) and Marion Housing Coalition representative Evelyn Warr-Omness (left) review United Way’s Partner Agreement for the new funding cycle.
