Community Impact Fund
Program Year: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025

United Way of Northern New York (UWNNY) is pleased to announce that the portal to apply for 2025 Community Impact grant funding is open to local nonprofit, human service organizations August 1 through August 31, 2024.  Completed applications and supporting documents will be reviewed by community volunteers who carefully evaluate proposals in alignment with community needs.  Community review panelists, representing various sectors as well as those with lived experience, determine the grant allocations, forwarding recommendations for funding to the UWNNY Board of Directors.

Grant applications are open to 501(c)3 non-profit organizations providing human service programming to residents of Jefferson, Lewis, and/or St. Lawrence Counties. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to thoroughly review grant criteria and partner expectations before completing an application. Click here to review the Request for Proposals.

Applications must be submitted online at: https://unitedwaynnycommunityreview.communityforce.com//Login.aspx

UWNNY expects to award a total of $225,000 in 2025 Community Impact funding.  The maximum amount of funding that can be requested from the Community Impact fund is $25,000. The average grant award is $10,000. Proposals for capital projects are not eligible for Community Impact funding.  Submitted proposals must align with at least one of the primary areas of focus:

• Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) – interventions / strategies addressing SDoH, including but not limited to access to nutrition, housing, healthcare, literacy / language, education, and transportation.
• Child / Youth Success – programming that provides vital supplies and support necessary to academic success, growth and development, and a healthy successful transition into adulthood.
• Economic Stability – short- and long-term strategies to help people gain or maintain stability, including job skills training, soft skills development, and support to those at risk of falling into poverty.

Request for Proposals – Please read BEFORE proceeding with an application to ensure that your organization meets eligibility criteria.  Only those applications that meet all criteria will be accepted. 

Application – Review the application prior to signing in to the online portal.  

Evaluation Rubric – Review the evaluation tool used by community volunteers and UWNNY staff. 

Mid-Year Report – Organizations awarded grants are required to submit mid-year at the request of UWNNY.

Year-End Report – Organizations awarded grants are required to submit at the end of the grant period.

Community Impact grant funds are made available through the UWNNY campaign, conducted in more than 80 workplaces throughout the North Country.  Employees are invited to support their community – and a wide range of programs – through convenient payroll deductions.  We are grateful to the many individuals and businesses who contribute to the campaign.  United, we make Community Impact happen!

If you would like to bring a campaign to your workplace, contact us by email or phone (315) 788-5631.  It’s an easy way to support the community, strengthen your Corporate Social Responsibility agenda, and build team morale!