United Way of East Central Iowa (UWECI) will grant $2.85 million to non-profit partners over the course of the coming year to address the most pressing issues our communities face: affordable housing, childcare, safety net services and access to healthcare.
Kristin Roberts, President & CEO, said UWECI has made great strides in aligning its investment process with the key challenges our neighbors bravely endure each and every day.
“Over the last two years, we have dedicated our work to researching where folks need help the most and creating new ways for them to get ahead. Everyone of us knows someone who has struggled with either affordable housing, childcare, safety net services, or access to healthcare since the pandemic started,” Roberts said. “At United Way, we don’t look at programs and services individually. We look at how they work together to create a tapestry that all people can move through and become successful.”
These funding decisions are the result of United Way engaging in conversations and creative thinking to build a new investment process with a clear focus on these issues as its funding priorities, while also focusing on vulnerable populations and incorporating diverse cultures and identities.
“Our goal is to see marked improvement in economic mobility, childhood success, access to healthcare and safety net services within three years, particularly in vulnerable communities and communities of color,” added Karey Chase, UWECI’s Vice President of Community Impact.
In 2021, UWECI conducted a collaborative Community Impact Assessment to learn Eastern Iowa’s most prevalent needs. These priority areas built United Way’s community-driven strategy Unite to Inspire with four focus areas surrounding building economic mobility, fostering childhood success, improving access to healthcare, and supporting safety-net services.
UWECI’s Community Impact Fund and Women United Fund will support a collage of services that create a working network. This year’s $2.85 million in funds will be distributed to 29 agencies and 49 programs. UWECI has committed to funding these partners for a total of three years.
“We at United Way strive to be inclusive, efficient, and transparent,” Chase said. “It’s important to align community priorities with our community’s greatest needs to create equitable change through this current funding cycle.”