Cedar Valley United Way Invests Over $2 Million in Community

WATERLOO, IA –Cedar Valley United Way will invest over $2 million in local programs to address the community’s most critical issues in three impact areas—education, income and health. The dollars invested were given through the donations of individuals, businesses and foundations.

These grant recipients were chosen by three Community Impact Teams of volunteers knowledgeable of the areas funded. The volunteers reviewed the applications and evaluated objectives and outcomes for each program to determine which programs had the potential to make the biggest impact in the Cedar Valley. To be eligible, programs must target one of the three program areas. In addition, the Financial Stewardship Committee reviewed the programs’ parent agencies for the financial ability to provide the programs for the year.

One hundred programs applied for grants this year with requests totaling $3,278,402.

“Our Community Impact Teams judged each grant application on six criteria – alignment with impact area indicators, target population, strength of the program’s outcomes, measurability, probability of success and budget,” said Kane Fairman, chairman of the Cedar Valley United Way board of directors and business manager at UPS. “These Community Impact Teams took on a tremendous responsibility of distributing the funds of United Way contributors in a way that will make the greatest impact in the Cedar Valley.”

Of the money being distributed:

• $144,000 will be invested in programs targeting child abuse and domestic violence prevention and recovery.
• $88,000 will be invested in programs to provide pregnancy prevention and sexual health education.
• $209,000 will be invested in improving access to health services.
• $59,750 will be invested in helping gain access to safe and affordable housing.
• $65,000 will be invested in drug and alcohol abuse prevention and recovery.
• $125,934 will be invested in educating on and delivery of healthy choices.
• $62,000 will be invested in providing access to transportation and community resources.
• $20,000 will be invested to help people build personal savings.
• $445,500 will be invested in income supports and basic needs assistance.
• $20,000 will be invested in the 2-1-1 Help Line to give people the opportunity to connect with the resources they need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• $10,000 will be invested in the Community Partnership Fund to provide training opportunities to local non-profits to enhance their capacity and effectiveness.
• $308,404 will be distributed to non-profit organizations through donor designations to enable the agencies to further their own mission.

The $20,000 dedicated to helping people build personal savings will be awarded through a RFP process. Research shows that a personal savings of even $300 can be enough to support people through minor emergencies and keep families financially stable and independent.

“During the application review process, the Community Impact Teams discovered a lack of programs that provide people the tools and education to build savings,” said Sheila Baird, Cedar Valley United Way president. “By offering funding for such a program, United Way will help prevent people in the Cedar Valley from suffering financial crises.”

Detailed information on how non-profits programs can apply for the grant directed at building savings will be made available this summer.

Non-profit grant partners for 2011-12 include: Allen College, Allen Hospital-Allen Women’s Health, American Red Cross-Hawkeye Chapter, The Arc of Cedar Valley, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa, Boys and Girls Clubs of Black Hawk County, Buchanan County Volunteer Co-Op, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), Cedar Valley Friends of the Family, Cedar Valley Living, Christian Community Development, Communities in Schools, Exceptional Persons, Inc., Family and Children’s Council, Family YMCA of Black Hawk County, Friends of the Hartman Reserve, Grin and Grow, Hawkeye Community College, Hawkeye Valley Area Agency On Aging, I-HOPE, Iowa Legal Aid, Jesse Cosby Neighborhood Center, Lutheran Services of Iowa, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), Northeast Iowa Center for Independent Living, Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Operation Threshold, Pathways Behavioral Services, Peoples Community Health Clinic, RSVP-Covenant Medical, The Salvation Army, Seeds of Hope, Together for Youth-Allen Women’s Health, Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley, Waterloo Visiting Nursing Association, Women’s Philanthropy Connection and YWCA of Black Hawk County.

Cedar Valley United Way is committed to leveraging resources including financial contributions, community expertise, in-kind contributions and partnerships to fuel impact here in our community. For more information about Cedar Valley United Way and how you can give, visit www.cedarvalleyunitedway.org.

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For a complete list of programs funded, click here.