ANN ARBOR – United Way of Washtenaw County (UWWC) made grant investments totaling $200,000 to 14 local organizations and groups disrupting the impacts of poverty, racism and trauma through its Opportunity Fund.
Funded organizations include Avalon Housing, Community Resource Center, Food Gatherers, Foundations Preschool of Washtenaw County, Fresh Start Clubhouse, Growing Forward Together, Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley, Housing Bureau for Seniors, Legacy Land Conservancy, Michigan Prison Doula Initiative, Neutral Zone, Peace Neighborhood Center, Stand with Trans, and The Family Learning Institute.
Click here to access a detailed overview of this year’s grantees.
“Each year thousands of people in our community give to United Way through their workplaces, and this is just one more example of caring people coming together to create positive impact,” said Pam Smith, President & CEO of United Way. “I sincerely appreciate the donors and workplaces who help raise these funds to invest into the community.”
Decisions about who received UWWC grants were made collectively by a community review team after participating in implicit bias training. Grant reviewer committee volunteers represented the local human services sector, businesses, and community groups. UWWC’s annual campaign provides 100% of the funding available for the Opportunity Fund.
This year, the grant review committee received an exceptionally high volume of grant requests totaling over $700,000, which significantly exceeded available resources.
“The longstanding purpose of the Opportunity Fund is to resource new efforts to address our community’s most intractable issues and to support emerging organizations in our community. This year’s grantees reflect that commitment– over 50% of grantees have annual budgets under $500,000– and also include some of our long-standing local nonprofits,” notes Bridget Herrmann, Vice President of Impact & Advocacy for UWWC.
About United Way of Washtenaw County
As part of our 100-plus year history, United Way of Washtenaw County brings people, organizations and resources together to create a thriving community for everyone. Our focus areas of Health, Education and Financial Stability provide the building blocks for a strong community and create opportunities for individuals and families. Our virtual Volunteer Center is an easy, online way for people to connect with nonprofits in the community and our 2-1-1 helpline connects more than 8,000 people annually to critically needed services. To learn more, donate, or volunteer visit uwgive.org.
