BLOOMINGTON —The United Way of McLean County recently announced its new two-year funding cycle that will distribute more than $6.4 million to 61 human service programs over a two-year period, beginning July 1.

Traditionally, local agencies have applied for UWMC funds on a yearly basis. This new two-year funding cycle allows those agencies to focus on community work, instead of spending each year reapplying for funds.

“UWMC revised the process in order to expand scope of impact within the community,” said UWMC Senior Director of Resource Development Gina Mandros. “This new funding cycle allowed current partners —so agencies that have programs receiving funding — to apply for funds for any program they provide, not just traditional partners. Further, new programs outside of the current agencies were asked to apply if an outcome wasn’t completely addressed.”
The $6.4 million UWMC has invested in the two-year funding cycle was collected during its fall fundraising campaigns. During its 2011 fall fundraising campaign, UWMC raised more than $4.3 million, $220 more than the goal that was set for that campaign and $35,000 more than what was raised during its 2010 fall fundraising campaign.
“The dollars that are invested into the community are based on the amount raised per campaign,” said Mandros. “$6.4 million will go to the programs and initiatives over a two-year period and will encompass dollars raised from two campaigns.”
A group of around 80 volunteers, including local residents and experts, formed “Task Forces” that decided which human service programs would receive the money distributed during the two-year funding cycle.
“All funding decisions are done by volunteers,” said Mandros. “They are recruited to form groups called ‘Task Forces,’ which are categorized by UWMC’s focus areas — Education, Income, Health, Basic Needs, Community Based Support Services.”
To be eligible for the money distributed during the two-year funding cycle, organizers of human service programs had to submit a Letter of Intent to UWMC in June of 2011.
“This letter provided each Task Force with information about the program and how it could possibly align with an outcome,” said Mandros. “Each Task Force selected programs that could be eligible to receive funding to actually apply for funding. Not all programs that submitted a Letter of Intent were selected to apply for funding.
“The selected programs were then asked to submit their applications by January of 2012. Each Task Force member reviewed the applications that applied to their focus group area and rated the programs based on the program’s need and description of services, the program’s financial stability and capability to provide a certain amount of units/service, demographic of service and projected outcomes. Task Forces collectively concluded which programs were funded and the amounts funded to them. These conclusions were recommended to the UWMC Board of Directors of May 11, 2012 and voted on.”
Among the 61 programs selected to receive money during the two-year funding cycle, 18 of them will receive UWMC funds for the first time.
None of the programs that received money from UWMC in 2011 will be cut during the two-year funding cycle. However, several programs, including the YWCA’s Retired & Senior Volunteer Program that connects retirees with nonprofits that need volunteer help and home care services for older adults in need, will receive less money than they have in the past.
UWMC is reducing the amount of funds it donates to Community Based Support Services programs, such as the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, to increase the amount of funds it donates to programs in Education, Income and Health.
“All CBSS received a decrease in funds,” said Mandros.
UWMC will distribute around $280,000 to nine programs designed to help prepare students for high school. Six of those programs, including Raiders 101 at Bloomington High School, Educational Advocacy at Children’s Home & Aid Children’s Foundation, Freshman Flight School at Olympia High School, On My Way at Western Avenue Community Center, ROCS Freshman Mentoring Program at Normal Community High School and Freshman Transition/Mentoring Program at Heyworth Community School District 4, will receive UWMC funds for the first time.
“Research tells us that if students do not successfully complete their freshman year, chances of them graduating from high school on time decreases dramatically,” said Mandros. “Therefore, preparing students for a smooth transition to high school will increase their chances to complete freshman year.
“Three programs applied for funding in this outcome and the volunteers felt that more resources were need to tackle this issue in order to prepare students.
“A Request for Proposal (RFP) was then broadcast to the community asking for partners supporting students in their transition to high school to apply for funding. A total of nine programs will receive funding for targeting this outcome, six of which a new partners to UWMC — resulting from the RFP.”