We find solutions to our community's most urgent problems.
Through our Community Impact Grants, local nonprofit organizations can partner with United Way to reach our goals.
Community Impact Grants are awarded as part of a competitive application or Request for Proposals process. A comprehensive review is conducted by volunteers, Community Solutions Teams, staff, and the Board of Directors. As part of the grant award, each program agrees to work collaboratively to achieve a specific Community Change goal.
Programs selected for a grant award have showcased that their work aligns with one of United Way's Community Change goal, utilize evidence-based models, measure their results with data, and are willing to collaborate with other programs in the Goal area. This is how United Way ensures our grants are achieving results and making progress towards our goals.
Funds for the grants come from donations to United Way's Community Impact Fund. Each year, thousands of community members choose to give to this Fund in order to be part of the solution to our community's biggest problems. Thank you!
Grant Partnerships
Learn more about this area of our work.
211 - Get Connected, Get Help
The most comprehensive source of information about local resources and services. Real people answer the phone and connect callers to expert, caring help 24/7/365. Also offered via text.
A program of PATH Crisis
Champaign County Food Access Hub
Provides a match to the WIC/Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks and NeighborFood Bucks to those who do not qualify for nutrition assistance benefits programs through the government or are underserved by those programs.
A program of The Land Connection
Champaign County Food Fund
A reserve of local dollars that can be used to place nutritious emergency food into the hands of people in need. Through the Champaign County Food Fund, participating member agencies receive a discount toward shared maintenance fees or the purchase price of product ordered from the Foodbank.
A program of Eastern Illinois Foodbank
Child Advocacy Program
Trained volunteers work collaboratively with all individuals and agencies involved in a child's case to ensure that the child's best interest is being met during the time they are in the court system.
A program of Champaign County CASA
Community Living
Provides residential supports to individuals with developmental disabilities who would otherwise be unable to maintain their independence in the community.
A program of Developmental Services Center
Emergency Financial Assistance for People Living with HIV/AIDS
Provides emergency financial assistance used for housing/utility assistance, nutrition assistance, transportation medical expenses, etc. to people living with HIV/AIDS in Champaign County and the surrounding areas.
A program of Greater Community AIDS Project
Emergency Shelter for Families
Provides homeless families with children a short-term private space to be sheltered together as an intact family and follow-up case management.
A program of Champaign County Regional Planning Commission
Enhanced Dentistry Services for Low-income, Uninsured Residents
Provides high-quality, affordable enhanced dentistry services, including dentures and root canals, to residents of our community.
A program of Promise Healthcare
Legal Help with Champaign County Public Benefits
Free legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable individuals in Champaign County who are seeking benefits or who have lost or are at risk of losing their benefits.
A program of Land of Lincoln Legal Aid
Resource Center
Connects residents of northern Champaign County with basic needs services and other social, physical and mental health services provided by C-U based agencies/programs.
A program Community Service Center of Northern Champaign County
Shelter Program
Shelter Program at C-U at Home is a mid-barrier shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness.
A program of C-U at Home
Staffing Support for Community Essentials
Supports local immigrants with wraparound family strengthening services and programs, with a focus on securing housing and accessing language and mental health resources.
A program of YMCA of the University of Illinois
Support for Immigrant Families
Provides immigrant clients with access to public benefits resources, including assistance with applications, counseling, and case management.
A program of The Refugee Center
Survivor Services Case Management
Assists clients who are already receiving other services at RACES to meet their increasingly complex needs (housing, food insecurity, long-term medical needs, employment, etc.).
A program of RACES - Rape Advocacy, Counseling, and Education Services
WIN Resiliency Resource Center
Provides essential items for 'Triage Care' for participants who exit incarceration, and other community members with critical needs through their Safe Home Network.
A program of WIN Recovery
Learn more about this area of our work.
Comprehensive Mentoring
Provides one-to-one mentoring services to our most vulnerable youth to assist them in achieving their fullest potential. Professional Case Managers provide ongoing support to the mentor, child and family. Parents also receive ongoing support and referral resources to assist them with supportive services during the match relationship.
A program of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois
Counseling Program
Provides professional, affordable individual, couples, and family counseling services to area residents suffering from mental, emotional, and relationship difficulties impacting their functioning in work, school, family or community life. Services are provided by Masters level therapists - and supervised by a licensed clinical social worker - who are committed to our strengths-based philosophy, making clients central to services, working with an interdisciplinary team, and verifying effective service delivery. Therapists use trauma-informed practice to collaboratively engage clients to tailor realistic alternatives and achievable solutions to their unique situations.
A program of Center for Youth and Family Solutions
Counseling Services
Contracts with licensed clinicians who provide trauma-focused, evidence-based counseling to victims of abuse.
A program of Champaign County Children's Advocacy Center
Healthy Beginnings
Provides nurse home visits to high-risk, expectant mothers and their families. Home visits are offered through pregnancy until the child associated with that pregnancy turns 2 years of age. Utilizing the Nurse Family Partnership model, Healthy Beginnings focuses on providing comprehensive support to parents, promoting health child development, and addressing factors that contribute to child vulnerability.
A program of Carle
Hope for the Future
Designs, implements, evaluates, and sustains a tiered, evidence-based system of programs and services that are trauma-informed, coordinated, culturally responsive, and people-centered. By supporting Black children and parents across three tiers (Parent Well-Being programming, Hope for Boys, Intensive Clinical Services), children and families are engaged and empowered through this program model that expands existing programs and focuses on outcomes of violence prevention, positive racial identity, trauma healing, and holistic services.
A program of DREAAM
HopeSprings Counseling Services
Offers counseling expertise to youth and families in our community who are experiencing a difficult life situation. 90-95% of the clients are Medicaid eligible/insured. Specialty therapies (EMDR, Theraplay, play therapy, Trauma Focused-CBT) are offered. HopeSprings maintains a strong emphasis on trauma-informed care with all clients, with a specialty with children.
A program of Cunningham Children's Home
Safe Children and Strong Families Programs
The Safe Children program provides emergency respite for children “at risk of harm” due to a family crisis. Through the provision of care, we facilitate parenting breaks when home situations are fragile, promote stress reduction, positive parenting, and minimize the risk of employment loss due to childcare emergencies. The Strong Families program provides family stabilization through individual and group support and education services, including home visiting, support groups, play groups, and parenting classes. Referrals to other services and resources are also provided.
Programs of Crisis Nursery
Therapy - Community Outreach & Group Services
Provides age-appropriate sexual violence education prevention programming to children in their school that is evidence-based and trauma-informed. The program also connects children with confidential staff who provide crisis intervention services and to facilitate connections with trusted adults and long-term support. The Community Outreach & Group Services therapist provides therapy services for clients at times and locations that are safe and accessible to them. The therapist also offers short-term stabilization therapy sessions to children who are on the agency's waiting list.
A program of Rape Advocacy, Counseling & Education Services (RACES)
Trauma and Mental Health Support Program
Provides access to needed clinical intervention for youth involved in DMBGC programming in partnership with Cunningham Children's Home HopeSprings and Families Stronger Together programs. This includes a Peer Mediation Program that provides the foundational knowledge and tools needed for youth to begin to engage with their peers as disruptors of negative behaviors and violence.
A program of Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club
Well Family Care Program
Provides wellness support to families and children from birth to 18 years of age. The Well Family Care project is envisioned to meet the needs of mothers and help them in meeting the needs of their children. The program also provides therapeutic support to families, crisis intervention when a youth is in crisis, and support programs that promote family connectedness and build resilience in parents and youth. Mental health services and social-emotional learning is provided to children and their families. TWE is committed to building long-lasting relationships with youth and families through evidence-based support.
A program of The WELL Experience
Youth and Family Programming
Provides support groups as well as individual one-off events and programs tailored to the interests and needs of clients and held throughout the year to serve certain segments of their youth and family population.
A program of The UP Center
Learn more about this area of our work.
Academic Support Program
Structured and consistent one-to-one and small group learning activities to help youth overcome the various obstacles they may be facing in the classroom, especially in reading.
A program of Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club
Community Study Center
Youth will receive year-round one-on-one homework and tutorial sessions in reading and math, along with small group grade-level assistance that will support their classroom academics. Also includes an 8-week summer program.
A program of Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center
DREAAM Achievers
Data-driven, family center program to increase literacy and math skills and to evaluate a community-based model for early grade success.
A program of DREAAM
Family Development
Supports and services to families of young children, birth to age five, who are experiencing or are at-risk for delays in development, or have identified special needs.
A program of Developmental Services Center
Healthy Beginnings
Utilizes early childhood educators to assist in meeting a significant community need for preschool and early elementary aged children.
A program of Carle Health
Intensive Literacy Homework Assistance Program
Improves literacy and academic achievement for elementary students with academic and/or social/emotional challenges, primarily from Urbana Schools. Incudes direct instruction for students in literacy and math from licensed instructors.
A program of Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center
NIA's Learning Center
Provides after school and summer programs for students kindergarten through 3rd grade at Broadmeadow Elementary School.
A program of NIA Incorporated NFP
Paving Pathways to Bright Futures
Provides developmental learning activities and ASQ/ASQ-SE screenings for children 0-6.
A program of Crisis Nursery
READY!
Provides developmental materials, home visitors, and supports for children and their families beginning at birth and all along the way until a child is ready to enter Kindergarten.
A program of CU Early and Champaign County Head Start
Summer Learning Support Program
Structured high-yield learning opportunities to prevent summer learning loss for youth grades K-3.
A program of Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club
Well Kids Learning Hub
Afterschool and summer learning program for youth, committed to increasing successful outcomes for Black families and dismantling racial disparities, helping enhance the academic growth, social-emotional needs, and mental wellness of People of Color living in the Urbana-Champaign community
A program of The Well Experience
Learn more about this area of our work.
Food Fund
A reserve of local dollars that can be used to place nutritious emergency food into the hands of people in need. Through the Champaign County Food Fund, participating member agencies receive a discount toward shared maintenance fees or the purchase price of product ordered from the Foodbank.
A program of Eastern Illinois Foodbank
Meals on Wheels
Home-delivered hot noon meals and optional cold supper bags. The hot noon meal provides at least 1/3 of the nutritional needs of older adults & can accommodate dietary needs such as low sodium, low cholesterol or diabetic diets. Primarily serves Champaign and Urbana.
A program of Family Service
Harvest to Home
People living with HIV/AIDS access monthly supplemental groceries to improve their nutrition. The office of the Greater Community AIDS Project also has an on-site emergency pantry to help those who are unable to make it to a regularly scheduled Foodbank appointment.
A program Greater Community AIDS Project
PeaceMeal Senior Nutrition Program
Eases the impact of malnutrition and food insecurity among the aged population and provides a more stable nutritional foundation for the health and independence of clients, with a special focus on serving rural areas.
A program of OSF Healthcare Heart of Mary Medical Center
Food Pantry
Provides supplemental food to low-income residents of Rantoul and northern Champaign County.
A program of Community Service Center of Northern Champaign County
Backpack Program
Ensures kids in Champaign County have access to food on weekends and holidays. Provides shelf-stable food bags that contain foods that require little preparation to eat and are attractive and nutritious for kids.
A program of Feeding our Kids
In addition to our grants, United Way of Champaign County utilizes your Community Impact Fund donations to manage the following programs:
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Every month, enrolled children receive a carefully selected, age-appropriate book mailed directly to their homes, absolutely free of charge.
The program is open to all children under the age of 5 who live in Champaign County, Illinois.
Ride United: Last Mile Delivery
United Way’s Ride United: Last Mile Delivery initiative, in partnership with DoorDash, delivers essential items such as food and other essential items to the doorsteps of area families in need.
We partner with local food pantries and nonprofits to deliver necessities at no cost to neighbors who are not able to access items on their own - including new mothers, people with disabilities, and homebound seniors.
Read. Talk. Play. Every Day!
Community-wide outreach initiative to provide preschool-aged children (0-5) and their families with opportunities and resources for reading, talking, and playing, every day so they can enter kindergarten ready for success. Includes our Born Learning Trails and the highly popular Kindergarten Calendar, which we have published for nearly 20 years!
United Way's Bottom Line Diaper Bank
Provides diapers free of charge to local programs serving parents and caregivers facing financial difficulties, offering a helping hand during challenging moments.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Attend Information Session for Grant – You will learn the specific Goals and metrics that United Way is looking for in the application.
- Submit Application – The application needs to provide both narrative and data evidence of how the program will help achieve United Way’s community Goal(s).
- Application Review – United Way volunteers will review and score each application. We utilize a panel of subject-matter experts and caring community members. The panel is looking for strong alignment with United Way’s goals. We also look for evidence-based approaches, strategic partnership, commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and demonstrated effectiveness.
- Community Impact Committee Recommendation –The committee reviews each application and the notes from the Review, and determines which programs are to be recommended for a Grant. Not all programs will be awarded a grant.
- Board of Directors Approval – The Community Impact Committee presents recommendations for grant awards to the Board of Directors for review and approval.
If selected, organizations are provided with a contract. Grants are typically for a one or two year term.
United Way of Champaign County's funding guidelines are specific. We do not provide funds to individuals, political institutions, school fundraisers, capital campaigns, capital items, endowments, marketing opportunities, event fundraisers, or sports events.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must serve clients in Champaign County, Illinois.
- Must have bylaws that state the purpose of the organization, make provisions for the size of the Board of Directors, and provide rules for selection, tenure, number of officers and committees, financial and legal procedures, conflicts of interests, and quorum requirements. A Board that is actively engaged in an advisory, governance, and/or fiscal capacity.
- Your organization has policies and procedures on non-discrimination in employment and provision of service.
- Your organization has the mechanisms and capacity for regularly reporting measurable, qualitative, and quantitative outcomes.
- Your organization is a human service agency OR tax-exempt under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code OR has another tax-exempt organization act as a fiscal sponsor.
- Your organization is able to provide United Way of Champaign County with a completed financial audit or letter of financial review and an IRS Form 990.
- A funded agency with total revenue of $300,000 or greater will be required to have an audit performed by an independent audit firm.
- An agency with total revenue of less than $300,000 will be required to have a financial review performed by an independent audit firm. Agencies with total revenue of less than $300,000 may also choose to provide an audit.
- Your organization must be willing to support and cooperate with United Way of Champaign County in the areas of fundraising, planning, data collection, data reporting, training, and communication.
* United Way actively practices nondiscrimination. (See our United for Equity statement here). Organizations that have a faith-based mission may receive a grant, as long as a person's lack of participation in the faith-based mission does not disqualify a person from being served. For example: a grant funded program providing meals cannot require a person to participate in a pre-meal prayer in order to recieve food. United Way grants may not fund any religious activities.
In order to submit a grant application, you must provide the following information:
- Nonprofit agency budget
- Proposed Grant Program budget
- Board of Directors list and meeting dates
- Financial documentation (Audit or Financial Review, and IRS Form 990)
- Verification of 501 (c) (3) non-profit status for your Agency or Fiscal Agent
Please note, United Way grants are awarded to support the work of a specific program within a nonprofit organization. We do not fund agency general operating expenses. If you would like to become more familiar with the difference between a nonprofit agency and it's programs, we recommend connecting with our friends at the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence.
United Way grants support the best approaches and strategies to achieve the goal and solve our community's toughest problems.
Our review panel is looking for strong alignment with United Way’s goals. We also look for evidence-based approaches, strategic partnerships, commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, program sustainability, and effectiveness.
United Way's current Community Impact Goals are.
Specific metrics for each Goal area can be found on the pages linked above.
It’s possible the organization you’re looking for may have chosen not to apply for a United Way grant this year. Our grants are awarded in one or two-year cycles, and sometimes organizations choose not to apply. Perhaps they found different funding sources or are shifting their programs to different areas of impact that are not aligned with United Way’s goals.
Decisions about which programs to award grants are never easy. Our Community Impact Committee carefully evaluates each application to determine if and how a particular program fits into our goals, what the long-term outcomes are, and what level, if any, of funding we can provide. Programs can only be effective if they have the resources to succeed, so we make sure our grants are of a dollar amount that will make a meaningful impact.
Additionally, the amount of funds donated to United Way’s Community Impact Fund determines our ability to award grants. Our fundraising team works diligently to raise as much money as possible each year, while still keeping United Way's fundraising expenses low.
As a result of all these factors, the list of programs and agencies we fund will change from year to year. United Way is constantly striving to find, support, and invest in the best long-term solutions to our community’s toughest problems. We truly believe this benefits not only those we help but all of us as a community.