Nearly $1 million over a two-year period to advance community goals in the areas of education, income and health will begin January 2016.

“Now that we have completed our evolution, funding from the Salina Area United Way is awarded through an open, competitive grant process. Under our new two-year grant cycle we are able to work in collaboration with many more organizations. We were very pleased with both the number of applications we received as well as with the number of collaborators participating,” said Amanda Michaelis, Salina Area United Way Executive Director.

In order to ensure that donor dollars are invested where they can have the greatest community impact, grants are awarded on how well programs fit within community and organization goals. In September the Salina Area United Way announced the revised mission: Strengthen Our Community. The community goals announced earlier in 2015 are:
Education: Raise the graduation rate
Income: Reduce the number of families who are financially unstable
Health: Increase the number of youth and adults who are healthy and avoiding risky behavior

The community impact of programs and initiatives will be made possible through at least 70 collaborators: K-12 Schools, post-secondary institutions, government entities, not-for-profits, private businesses, foundations, faith-based and civic organizations.

Grant awards are based on an analysis of how well programs match United Way’s Community Goals, the ability to meet community needs, organization budget, financial accountability, and plans for service and management. Over 65 community volunteers reviewed 22 applications. The total amount of requests was over $2,766,000. All funding decisions were reviewed and approved by the Salina Area United Way Board of Directors.

Grant Recipients:

• Homeless Health Initiative (Fiscal Agent: Ashby House)
• Go Big! Collaborative Cohort Expansion! (Fiscal Agent: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Salina)
• Saline County Readiness Project (Fiscal Agent: Child Advocacy & Parenting Services)
• Circles of the Heartland (Fiscal Agent: Consumer Credit Counseling Service, Inc.)
• Community Outreach and Engagement Program (Fiscal Agent: Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas (DVACK))
• Good Beginnings Early Education Collaborative (Fiscal Agent: Salina Child Care Association)
• Camp HYPE (Program Sponsor: St. Johns Missionary Baptist Church)

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Story by: Brenda Gutierrez / Salina Area United Way