Deadline: 26-Feb-21
The United Way of Greater New Bedford is seeking applications for its Community Building Mini-Grants Program to promote civic involvement and bring about positive change at the grassroots all-volunteer level. The goal of the Mini Grants Program is to encourage volunteerism and creative thinking as a viable way to strengthen all aspects of community.
The program encourages community building by supporting citizens to come together, form and build relationships, and address a need or issue of concern. As part of the program, United Way encourage groups to engage various community members and collaborate with other groups, organizations, etc. in the process.
Focus Areas
United Way of Greater New Bedford seeks proposals for projects that:
- Are small in scale, specific, innovative and achievable within 1 year
- Demonstrate how they will build community by engaging citizens in the project to address a need or issue of concern.
- Align with any of the following areas:
- Health: To create an environment where residents, families, and communities can access the support they need to maintain or improve their health and well-being
- Education: To improve student outcomes and engage families in the education of their children so children have the opportunity for educational attainment and life success
- Financial Stability: To connect individuals to opportunities that provide a pathway for economic mobility, ultimately breaking the cycle of poverty
- Basic Needs: To provide direct assistance to those in urgent need of basic necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, toiletries, shelter, safety, etc.
Funding Information
- Projects may be funded up to $2,500.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility Requirements
- Project must benefit the Greater New Bedford community.
- Applicant group must be comprised of all volunteers. Their group has no employees, and the members in the group are participating on a voluntary basis on their own time. They are not participating as part of their professional roles.
- Applicant group must have an operational budget of $40,000 or less.
- Applicant group must have an all-inclusive membership, i.e., does not exclude people on the basis of gender, race, religious differences, etc.
- Project must not preach specific religious doctrine.
- Who Can Apply?
- New or existing all-volunteer groups located in Greater New Bedford (New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Wareham)
- Groups are defined as having at least 3 members unified by a common cause
- If applicant group has received Mini Grant funding from United Way of Greater New Bedford for the past three consecutive grant cycles
- Annual budget/income of group must not exceed $40,000
- Legal incorporation 501(c)(3) not required
- Who Cannot Apply?
- Fraternal organizations, political campaigns or religious activities
- Groups which discriminate
- Any previous recipient that did not adhere to the policy, criteria, terms, conditions and commitments of the United Way of Greater New Bedford Community Building Mini-Grants Program
For more information, visit https://unitedwayofgnb.org/mini-grants/