3/6/2023
United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) announced Monday the opening of the Blueprint for Prosperity Programmatic Grants application period.
UWSELA invites eligible nonprofits in its seven-parish service area to submit applications for the 2023-2026 funding cycle. Grant awards are up to $75,000. The deadline for submitting an application is Monday, April 3, at 11:59 p.m. CST.
“Through our ongoing research and engagement, it is clear that poverty is the fundamental issue in the region,” said Michael Williamson, UWSELA President and CEO. “Still, we have to continue to evolve and refine our approach to tackling poverty across Southeast Louisiana as needs and challenges emerge. After talking with residents across our service area throughout 2022, we’re excited to relaunch our three-year programmatic grant process to drill down our investments and, for the first time in recent history, focus our grant-making efforts on the challenges that are most pressing to each parish we serve.”
UWSELA seeks grant requests across five priority areas aligned with its Blueprint’s prosperity outcomes that are designed to produce long-term change and help eradicate poverty. Proposals must focus on one or more of our four outcomes and five priority areas and align with our guiding principles. Note preference will be given to organizations addressing the priority areas in each parish.
BLUEPRINT OUTCOMES
| Stability Today | Prosperity Tomorrow | Personal Wellness | Vibrant Communities |
PRIORITY AREAS*
| Youth Development | Mental Health | Financial Empowerment | Access to Resources | Coordinating & Convening |
* See the priority areas by parish
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
| Connectivity | Equity | Lived Experience | Long-Term Commitment | Shared Responsibility | Systems Change |
UWSELA introduced its Blueprint for Prosperity – the organization’s plan to eradicate poverty – in 2014 to present a compelling path toward a stronger, prosperous and more equitable Southeast Louisiana. The Blueprint’s programmatic grants are rooted in addressing the complex interplay of symptoms and drivers of poverty in the region and support the vision of equitable communities where all individuals are healthy, educated and economically stable.
For example, nonprofits receiving UWSELA grants in the past cycle:
- Offered support and education to help children get a strong start in school, youth stay on track to graduate and young people earn living-wage careers.
- Provided services to help families resolve legal issues around housing and/or maintain affordable, safe housing.
- Increased the number of individuals acquiring the skills necessary to overcome barriers to employment.
- Improved the percentage of clients who improved, maintained or slowed the deterioration of mental, behavioral or chronic health conditions.
“We’re relaunching our three-year programmatic grant process, rooted in equity, community voice and data, with a hyperlocal focus and intent to create significant collective change across the region,” said Mary Ambrose, UWSELA Chief Equity and Impact Officer. “A United Way grant will help nonprofits maximize their impact; allowing existing resources to go further to meet the needs of residents and generate the holistic change needed to make a more equitable and prosperous Southeast Louisiana for us all.”
Eligible nonprofits include 501c(3) organizations operating within Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa or Washington parishes. For-profits and agencies organized primarily for religious, fraternal, governmental, political or the redirection of funds are not eligible for funding.
To apply, nonprofits must submit an online application by Monday, April 3, by 11:59 p.m. CST. The application, funding guidelines, timeline and instructions are available at UnitedWaySELA.org/Grants.
Please direct general questions about the framework or the process to Grants@UnitedWaySELA.org.
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About United Way of Southeast Louisiana
For nearly 100 years, United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) has been a leader and trusted partner in improving lives and making a lasting difference. We fight to eradicate poverty by preparing people for quality jobs, growing incomes, and affording better health and education opportunities throughout Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes. We have a bold vision of equitable communities where all individuals are healthy, educated, and financially stable – and we have a plan. United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s Blueprint for Prosperity guides all strategic investments in programs, initiatives, collaborations, volunteerism, and advocacy aimed at tackling poverty. For more information, please visit UnitedWaySELA.org. Find us on social: @UnitedWaySELA.