Annually the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties supports a grant program in Lackawanna County with funds collected from individuals, corporations and employee groups made up of Lackawanna County residents during the United Way campaign.

This is the first year United Way is implementing the “Lackawanna County Community Impact Grant.”  This is a small grant that is built and targeted for grass roots organizations with limited administrative capacity.  An effort to try and serve more diverse populations residing in Lackawanna County that may experience difficulties when applying for other funding streams. Organizations can apply for funding for one program with a limit of a $10,000 request.

To Qualify:

• An organization must have an organizational budget of less than $400,000.
• Organizations must be a 501(c)(3) organization or partner with a United Way approved 501(c)(3) organization.
• Organization has bylaws that state the purpose of the organization, make provisions for the size of the Board of Directors and provide rules for: selection and tenure of board members, the number of officers and committees, financial and legal procedures, and quorum requirements.
• Organization has proof of current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.
• Organization maintains compliance with all applicable legal licensing requirement and maintains appropriate insurance coverage.
• All program requests must fit within the one of the 3 priority areas of United Way which are Education, Health and Economic Mobility.

Application Guideline:

• Receiving funds in one fiscal year does not ensure that the grant will be renewed in the following year(s). It is imperative that the organization does not count on United Way funds as a recurring funding stream.
• In the benchmark section, be sure to state clear numbers of individuals impacted by the program. It is understood that this is a projection until the program is completed. The actual number of impacted individuals must be included in the report section at the end of the fiscal year.
• While the Committee may fund a capital item, the preferred usage of the United Way funds is for programs that impact individuals in the community.
• If there are any questions concerning this application process, please contact William Craven via email at wcraven@uwlc.net

This grant process is overseen by a group of volunteers that make funding decisions based on the applications that are submitted to the United Way. It is the responsibility of these dedicated volunteers on the Lackawanna County Funds Distribution Committee to ensure donations are spent in the most cost-efficient method in priority areas for the residents of Lackawanna County. All the decisions are made by local volunteers and then approved by the United Way Board of Directors. The Funds Distribution Committee members are the stewards of the community fund.

In order to receive login information, you must first contact Will Craven (wcraven@uwlc.net) to receive login credentials. Applications are now available to any organization that meets the above criteria.  Application submission deadline is September 21st.

For more information, visit, uwlc.net/lackawanna-county-grant-process