Does your York County organization get United Way funding? Some things have changed.
United Way of York County wants to help 3,000 families become financially stable by 2030. So the organization is directing its focus to financial literacy and successfully training people for jobs.
That means they’ve narrowed their focus and are changing the way they decide who gets funded.
United Way leaders have said the organization is moving away from supporting an array of issues, and instead will focus on financial stability. The Rock Hill-based nonprofit has identified how they will help families become self-sufficient, and how they will decide funding for organizations.
United Way of York County defines a financially stable family as one with “enough resources to meet its needs without public support,” according to the organization’s website.
According to United Way, 20% of families in York County with at least one person working live below the federal poverty level, defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as $21,720 for a family of three. United way statistics also show 21% of York County families earn less than $25,000 a year.
The living wage for a family of three, one working parent and two children, would be more than $50,000 a year, according to United Way of York County.
“We’re really looking at families who would be deemed the working poor; people who are working but still struggling to create that level of stability for their family,” said James Jeter, vice president of operations for United Way of York County.
United Way of York County leaders have worked the past two years to transition to an issue-focused strategy. United Way leaders met with community stakeholders and gathered feedback before choosing to focus on financial stability.
“This is not a United Way plan, this is definitely a community plan,” Jeter said.
After a series of meetings with community leaders held August through October 2019, United Way narrowed that focus to financial literacy and job preparation, also called workforce development, Jeter said.
United Way of York County released an updated request for proposals on Feb. 3. That request invites nonprofits and others groups working to help families be self-sufficient to apply for grants.
Organizations must collect data and report on specific areas of employment and financial literacy to be eligible for funding, said Summersby Okey, collective impact director for United Way of York County.
Examples include organizations providing job hunting skills or soft skills, such as how to communicate in the workplace, teamwork and worth ethic, those training for people looking for a job paying a livable wage and those helping people better manage their finances.
“We’re asking that they fit into our framework in terms of helping us reach that bold goal of 3,000 families,” Okey said.
Financial literacy focuses on providing people with the knowledge and skills to be self-sufficient with their finances, Okey said. This includes coaching people on the importance of a credit score, helping them learn what their net worth is and how to address a negative net worth, and teaching people how to properly build their assets and set their children up for the future.
Financial literacy data can include the number of people who receive financial coaching or the number of people who take advantage of the earned income tax credit, according to United Way of York County.
For employment, United Way may support organizations that offer training on interview skills, and what to know in the workplace, or those teaching people how to read and write, Okey said. Other examples include nonprofits focused on helping people understand the types of jobs available to them and the requirements of a specific field.
Data related to employment includes the number of people in job training programs or internships, how many people are enrolled in certificate, G.E.D. (general educational development) or vocational degree programs and how many people increased their disposable income, according to United Way of York County.
United Way also may fund nonprofits offering support services directly tied to helping families be financially independent, Jeter said. For example, agencies that offer childcare or assistance with transportation that allow a family to overcome barriers to be self-sufficient, he said.
“A lot of times, those get lost in this process but they are critical because that’s the only way people can achieve success, with those supportive services,” Jeter said.
Want to apply for funding?
Applicants must submit a letter of interest by Feb. 17 and attend one of three information sessions before March 6, according to United Way of York County. Proposals are due March 27 for grants beginning July 1, 2020.
Award recipients will be announced in May.
The grant cycle is for one year, ending June 30, 2021, with an option to renew on a year-to-year basis. Applicants must meet criteria outlined in the request for proposals.
For the 2020 grant cycle, United Way will continue to fund some traditional organizations, Jeter said. United Way of York County will completely focus on financial stability starting July 1, 2021.
The changes mean some York County organizations may not be funded under the new guidelines, Jeter said. However, United Way may now be able to work with faith-based organizations and different nonprofits.
“It opens us up to groups we’ve never been able to fund before,” Jeter said.
A goal under the new focus is for United Way and other organizations to share data on financially stability, Jeter said. He said that was an issue discussed during a meeting with nonprofit leaders.
It was a chance to see “where we stood as a community in collecting data and being able to share that data,” Jeter said. “We found we were somewhat behind and there is a lot of opportunity for growth there. That’s what drives support from other areas, other resources.”
Data also is how United Way will determine if they are on the right track to helping 3,000 families be financially self-sufficient, Jeter said.
