AGENCIES & VOLUNTEERS

UNITED WAY SOCIAL EQUITY COUNCIL GRANT PROCESS - CLOSED

United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut, will distribute $1.8 million in grant funding to support projects in Bridgeport and Stamford that uplift communities and strengthen families disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. $900,000 will be designated for each community. United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut (UWCWC) will serve as the third-party grant manager for the pilot Community Reinvestment Grant from Connecticut’s Social Equity Council, which aims to reinvest state cannabis revenues back into affected communities. Qualifying nonprofits can begin applying on July 5, 2023 https://bit.ly/e-cimpact.

Funds can be allocated for programs designed to uplift impacted communities and families focused on the two areas of (1) reentry and reintegration, and (2) youth education and recreation. This includes programs that support formerly incarcerated individuals and their families; civil legal aid; justice-involved youth; expungement/criminal record erasure; homelessness; family stability; enrichment programs for young people and their families that assist in preparing the future workforce; STEM/STEAM; financial literacy; promoting physical and mental health wellness; sports; mentoring; youth and parent leadership and empowerment; creative culture programs; community uplifting; and organizing and empowerment.

Source of the Funds:

Funding for all Social Equity Council programs and activities is sales tax revenue from Connecticut’s Adult-Use Cannabis Industry, which is not federally legal at this time. Applicants should check with their legal counsel, funders and/or governing body to determine eligibility to apply for and receive these funds. Verification of eligibility is the sole responsibility of interested applicants.

How to Apply:

1. Review the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
2. Watch the Zoom Information Sessions: 
   • Session 1: July 10th, 2023 from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm. LINK TO VIDEO
   • Session 2: July 13th, 2023 from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. LINK TO VIDEO
3. Create/Sign into your e-CImpact account. The UWCWC uses the e-CImpact Grant Management system for organizations to submit grant applications and reports. All applicants must register online and create an account in order to submit their application. Please refer to the e-CImpact Registration Manual for specific steps on how to register for e-CImpact. If an applicant already has an account in the system, they can continue to use that account for this application.

Review the application and required attachments. Submit the application and supporting documents through the e-CImpact platform. Application deadline: August 3, 2023 at 5:00p.m.

A paper application has been made available and can be downloaded here for those who cannot access the e-CImpact grant portal. Please be sure to review the Notice of Funding Availability for details on all required documents. Word (.doc) | PDF (.pdf)

Need additional information?

Please review the Social Equity Council Glossary of Terms and FAQs

Contact the United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut team at Victoria.scofield@uwwesternct.org or Meghan.Hadley@uwwesternct.org.

UNITED WAY COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANT PROCESS - CLOSED UNTIL SPRING 2024

In 2017, the United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut focused its grant funding on the needs of the ALICE population in our area around:

Early Education – Provide affordable, accessible, and quality child care and/or early education opportunities to families for whom the cost of child care is burdensome. Applicants must be serving children in the birth to five age range. The desired outcome is that all children enter kindergarten with the skills needed to succeed in school.

After-School – Provide affordable, accessible, and quality after-school programming for families with children ages 5 to 18 that provides added enrichment. The desired outcome is that children of working parents receive a foundation for successful, healthy lives.

Financial Stability – Provide one-on-one financial coaching and/or financial education workshops. The desired outcome is that everyone keeps more of what they earn and is able to save for a brighter future.

Our Community Impact grant process typically opens in the Spring with grant decisions being shared in June. All 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible for funding and services must be provided in at least one of the 15 towns that UWCWC covers.

The Community Impact Grant process for 23-24 is currently OPEN for applications until March 10th, 2023 at 5:00 pm. Please complete the application form on our e-CImpact software, but we have provided an editable version for those who want to draft their responses prior to submitting in the software.

CITY OF DANBURY GRANT PROCESS - CLOSED UNTIL SUMMER 2024

Since 2009,  United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut has partnered with the City of Danbury to administer Social Service Grants. Agencies that provide services in the following three areas will be eligible for funding and are invited to apply: 

• Housing/Shelter - Safe and affordable housing access and retention. Including shelter, rent/mortgage assistance, utility assistance, deposit assistance, etc.

• Mental Health - Including behavioral health, youth mental health programs, etc.

• Food Security - Including food pantries, mass feeding providers, etc.

The City of Danbury Grant Process is currently OPEN for applications until July 1st, 2023 at 5:00 pm. Please complete the application form on our e-CImpact software, but we have provided an editable version for those who want to draft their responses prior to submitting in the software. All 501(c)(3) organizations located in the Greater Danbury area and serve Danbury residents are eligible for funding.

For more information on the City of Danbury Grant Process, please review our City of Danbury Grants 23-24 Notice of Funds Availability.

Please contact Victoria Scofield at Victoria.scofield@uwwesternct.org or 203-883-6704 with any questions about the application process or if you are interested in serving on a review committee. City of Danbury Grant Review Roles and Responsibilities (PDF)

EMERGENCY FOOD & SHELTER PROGRAM (EFSP) GRANT PROCESS – OPEN

For Greater Danbury & City of Stamford Only

The EFSP was created in 1983 to supplement and expand the work of local social service agencies, both nonprofit and governmental, in an effort to help people with economic (not disaster-related) emergencies. EFSP funding is restricted Federal Funding awarded through the Department of Homeland Security and is open to all organizations helping hungry and homeless people.

For more information on the EFSP grant process eligibility, please read our EFSP Background & Eligibility Criteria Document.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information about these opportunities, or to serve on a grant review team, please contact: