(Friday, Jan. 20, 2012) - United Way of Greater Topeka releases the first round of 2012 grant award recipients.

After years of planning and literally thousands of volunteer hours dedicated to creating community change, United Way has announced the programs awarded grant dollars through the first round of 2012 strategy investments.  (Download the 2012 Partner Report Here) Partners will lead a progressive effort to change community conditions and to report measurable outcomes to make headway on overarching 10-year community goals approved by the board of directors in January 2011.  Funding to address basic needs, including food, shelter, safety from domestic violence, health/prescription assistance and rent/utilities assistance, has also been awarded.

“We are excited to announce funding awards to begin progress toward community goals,” said Scott Griffith, board chair.  “Local programs are already assembling to begin this important work for the future of our community, and we look forward to reporting progress along the way.”

Partnership opportunities for the first round of 2012 award recipients were announced in September 2011 as part of a competitive grant process. Eligible non-profits in Shawnee and Jefferson County were invited to apply. 

Nine grant review panels, comprised of a more than 100 trained community volunteers, participated in the evaluation of proposals and made determinations on where United Way donor dollars would be invested.  Agencies received award notifications in December 2011 and agreements with partners were finalized mid-January 2012.

“We greatly appreciate the dedication and countless hours of volunteers who were charged with making these tough funding decisions,” said Miriam Krehbiel, United Way of Greater Topeka president.  “Volunteers are essential in carrying out United Way’s commitment to being good stewards of donor dollars.”

In addition to this first wave of investment awards, United Way is also announcing all current investment partners in the 2012 Funded Partners Report.  Included in the report are programs receiving grant awards, designation recipients, bridge funded programs and additional community investments.  Designations are indicated by the donor at the time of donation and then sent unrestricted to the agency in addition to any grant or other funding the organization may receive from United Way.

Four additional partner opportunities for “Round Two” have also been announced for 2012 funding.  These opportunities support strategy work within four of the five goals and are also being released through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process.  The RFPs will be available for download after February 1, 2012 at United Way of Greater Topeka’s web site.  Agencies interested in applying for grant funds can participate in an information session and submit a concept paper for volunteer review.

With the first round of funding, United Way of Greater Topeka’s board of directors has committed $6,279,748 in financial resources to be invested over the next 3 years in the goal areas and basic needs. As sources of revenue are diversified and more strategies and expansion opportunities identified, this amount could increase.

In 2009, United Way of Greater Topeka refined its focus in the areas of Education, Income and Health with specific goals approved by the board of directors on January 2011.  United Way remains committed to the five areas of Basic Needs - Shelter, Rent/Utility Assistance, Food, Health Access/Prescriptions and Safety from Domestic Violence.

Over the past two years, volunteers have dedicated thousands of hours serving on specific Impact Councils and other United Way committees to tackle community issues.  Through reviewing the latest research and reading reports, listening to presentations and engaging in lively discussions, volunteers made informed decisions and reached consensus about what goals United Way should pursue.  Volunteer councils and committees then developed strategies which will enable our community to create long-lasting change.

ABOUT UNITED WAY OF GREATER TOPEKA

United Way of Greater Topeka has a refined focus on goals which start with root causes and outcomes to ultimately create a more vital, stable and livable community. We are changing the picture of how Topeka, Shawnee County and Jefferson County will look in five years, 10 years and beyond.

To create long-term sustainable change, we are focusing our efforts to make a big impact with measureable results. Success will be determined by progress made with community goals in the areas of Education, Income and Health. In additions to working in goal areas, United Way remains committed to Basic Needs. United Way is leveraging its resources by: Giving, Advocating and Volunteering to improve everyone’s quality of life.

ABOUT THE 10-YEAR COMMUNITY GOALS

Education

• Increase by 50% the number of children ready to read by kindergarten.
• Reduce by 50% the achievement gap in 3rd grade reading and 6th grade math for our most vulnerable children.

Income

• Cut the number of financially unstable families in our community in half (financially unstable is defined as those spending 40% or more on housing).

Health

• Reduce by 10% the number of adults who are overweight or obese.
• Reduce by 20% the number of 6th through 12th graders who illegally use alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana

ABOUT BASIC NEEDS SUPPORT

In addition to focused work toward community goals, United Way remains committed to supporting the five areas of Basic Needs.

• Shelter
• Rent/Utility Assistance
• Food
• Health Access/Prescriptions
• Safety from Domestic Violence