United Way of Kennebec Valley (UWKV) has announced the results of its 2023 Community Investment Process, committing $1,057,459 to support 58 community programs that will improve access to health, education, and financial stability across Kennebec County over the next year. This amount represents a 1% increase in community funding over 2022 thanks to the success of UWKV’s recent fundraising campaign.
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This spring, 28 CIP volunteers, including UWKV donors and board members, reviewed program applications and budgets to select programs that were well poised to measure progress, deliver results, and evaluate success. Programs also had to demonstrate how they will work to achieve at least one of
Impact2032’s three, 10-year visions to improve the health, education, and financial stability of all people in Kennebec County. Of UWKV’s total investment, 49% of funding is committed to helping people engage in healthy behaviors and leverage prevention and wellness services; 29% will help youth access quality early learning experiences; and 22% will help individuals have the employment, income, and resources to achieve financial stability.
With this allocation, UWKV realizes a net gain of nine programs to its funding portfolio. UWKV will also partner with seven community organizations that are new to United Way to deliver these programs.
In 2021, UWKV expanded the region it serves to include all of Kennebec County—uniting the county under one United Way for the first time. 2023 was the first year in which organizations serving Northern Kennebec that had not previously had a partnership with United Way were eligible to apply. Of the 58 funded programs, 52% serve people from across Kennebec County, 38% focus largely on serving southern Kennebec, and 10% focus largely on serving northern Kennebec—spreading UWKV’s funds across the region more equitably.
“During a time of extreme economic uncertainty, we are grateful to be able to show up for our community organizations in the same way that local donors and businesses have shown up to support United Way,” said Courtney Yeager, president and chief executive officer of UWKV.
Eligible programs could apply for grants between $5,000 and $50,000, with a single organization able to apply for a maximum of $75,000 amongst several program applications. In total, UWKV received 66 grant requests by the Jan. 31 application deadline. Funding requests equated to an unprecedented 61% increase in the amount requested over last year’s allocated dollars.
UWKV is able to make grants to community organizations that support UWKV’s mission thanks to contributions from individual donors, businesses and foundations. While the majority of UWKV’s annual campaign has been allocated to these 58 programs, additional funds that UWKV has raised will support other community needs, including designations to other nonprofit organizations, as specified by individual donors.
If successful in their first year of program delivery, these programs will receive a second year of funding at the same level in 2024. The next opportunity for organizations that did not receive funding in this cycle to apply to the Community Investment Process will be in October 2023.
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