RESOURCES

Community Investment Process

2025 COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROCESS

For two-year funding period of May 2025 – March 2027.

Applications for 2025-2027 closed in January 2025. Funding will be awarded in May 2025. The next two-year process will open in fall 2026.

United Way of Kennebec Valley’s Community Investment Process provides funding to community programs that support our mission and align with one of the Impact2032 Vision Statements. UWKV convenes organizations and individuals around Impact2032’s three 10-year visions to improve the health, education and financial stability of every person in Kennebec County. Thanks to contributions from individual donors, businesses and foundations to the United Way Campaign, we are able to make grants to programs serving people of Kennebec County. Programs may apply for one of three funding streams within the Community Investment Process: Strategic Investment Grants, Basic Needs Grants, and Innovation Grants.

At UWKV, diversity, equity and inclusion lie at the core of achieving our mission, living our values, and advancing the common good. As we developed Impact2032, we purposefully and thoughtfully considered how we could make sure all people in our community were included. We continue to disaggregate Impact2032 data as much as possible to develop specific strategies to address some of the inequities we’re seeing in our communities. We acknowledge that injustices have persisted throughout history and continue to exist in our communities today—and we leverage our Community Investment Process funding to drive efforts in DEI. We are interested in partnering with programs that work to address disparities. We remain committed to addressing these complex issues by sharing our own values with the community.

CoMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROCESS

ESSENTIAL APPLICANT RESOURCES

e-CImpact Application Portal

e-CImpact Site Manual

This version of the site manual will help your organization register for the e-CImpact grant management platform. The full version of the manual is available on the platform once you have set up your account.

Impact2032 Vision Framework

Impact2032 is a community effort to achieve three, 10-year, cross-sector goals in Kennebec County. Your program must align with one vision statement and at least one outcome.

Letter of Intent Questions

This Word document contains all the questions in one easy-to-read format and has been provided to help you prepare to submit your application. You cannot submit your LOI as a Word document or PDF.

Application for Funding Questions

This Application is only for applicants invited to the second and final phase of the Community Investment Process. This Word document contains all the questions in one easy-to-read format and has been provided to help you prepare to submit your application. You cannot submit your Application as a Word document or PDF.

Application Evaluation Rubric

UWKV makes its Application Evaluation Rubric, which volunteers will reference when reviewing you application, available to all applicants in advance for your reference.

Choose your grants process

New this application season, programs must elect to apply for one of three funding streams within the Community Investment Process:

1. Strategic Investment Grants

UWKV’s Strategic Investment Grants serve as the primary vehicle for funding existing programs that align with our Impact2032 county-wide vision. These grants play a pivotal role in driving positive changes in the lives of 1 in 3 individuals across Kennebec County. With a commitment to transparency, community involvement, diversity and inclusion, and strategic alignment and advancement, these grants empower organizations to address pressing issues, choose shared community measures, and contribute to the vision of Impact2032. This grant process is most similar to our recent 2023-2025 process.

Funding range: $10,000-$50,000

2. Basic Needs Grants

The introduction of Basic Needs Grants streamlines the application process, encouraging participation from a broad range of organizations to collectively support Impact2032 and build a stronger and more resilient community.

Special instructions: If you are applying for the Basic Needs Grant, we don’t expect the same level of detail and length of response as we do for the other two applications.

Funding range: $2,500-$10,000

3. Innovation Grants

UWKV is folding its former Innovation Fund into the Community Investment Process to regularly foster innovation in the social sector. UWKV defines an “innovative” approach as a novel solution that is more effective, efficient, collaborative, and/or sustainable than current solution(s). Applicants should seek to experiment, pilot, or test new ideas and approaches that can help further the Impact2032 vision. Applicants must use UWKV funding to develop a new approach and/or program that the organization does not currently have.

Funding range: $5,000-$30,000

CoMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROCESS

2025 PROCESS REVIEW

The funding period will start May 2025 and end March 2027.
Our expectation is that programs will expend funds during the Funding Period (May 2025-March 2026 and April 2026-March 2027) and report data back based on that Funding Period.
The process will include two parts: a Letter of Intent and an Application for Funding. There will not be site visits or program presentations.
The application must be completed using UWKV’s e-CImpact grant management online platform.
Training will be provided regarding the e-CImpact platform. If your program plans to apply for funding, having the appropriate person(s) from your organization attend the training is mandatory. View recorded training here.
This application is for two years of funding at the same amount. (Example: If you hope to receive $15,000 in 2025 and $15,000 in 2026, please apply for $15,000 total. Do not apply for $30,000.)
All UWKV funding for all grant processes is allocated in accordance with the Impact2032 Vision Statements. Programs applying for funding must indicate how they align with one of the three Impact2032 Vision Statements.
Organizations applying for funding must have officially “Endorsed” Impact2032. This Endorsement must be on file with UWKV prior to submitting your Letter of Intent. You may complete your Statement of Endorsement online, or send the paper version to info@uwkv.org. If you aren’t sure if your organization has completed the Endorsement, you can confirm with our office.

CoMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROCESS

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

NOTE: In order to be eligible, your organization and/or the program for which you are requesting funds must be able to say “yes” to all of the following questions.

Organization Eligibility Requirements

Organization and all applicants represented in the application confirm official endorsement of Impact2032.
The lead organization is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), a public school district, a municipal entity, an Indian Tribal government, or can demonstrate a legal relationship with an established 501(c)(3) acting as its fiscal agent.
The organization has an annual independent audit performed and financial statements prepared in conformance with the Standards of Accounting and Financial Reporting for Voluntary Health and Welfare Organizations if the organization’s annual revenue exceeds $2,000,000. Applicants with revenues between $1,000,000 and $1,999,999 will require an audit or Review of Financial Statements. Applicants with revenues below $1,000,000 may submit an appropriate Internal Revenue Service Form 990 in lieu of an audit or Review of Financial Statements. Please note: These are the minimum requirements for funding, but UWKV recommends that organizations conduct an audit if revenues exceed $1,000,000.
Organization is able to submit its most recent IRS Form 990. If an organization has not yet filed a Form 990 due to a recent incorporation date, or is not required to file a Form 990 for various reasons, please upload a brief statement explaining the situation.
If selected as a funding recipient, organization agrees to conduct an annual United Way campaign among organization staff and/or board in fall 2025 and 2026.
The organization and all partners named in the application operate consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances, and comply with UWKV’s Anti-Terrorism Compliance Agreement.
The organization and all partners named in the application acknowledge they have reviewed UWKV’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement.
The organization agrees to sign the 2025-2027 Partner Program Agreement.

Program Eligibility Requirements

The program for which the organization seeks funding serves residents of Kennebec County or those who are unhoused. Applicants will use any funding to serve Kennebec County or the unhoused exclusively.
Program will serve diverse groups in the community, be open and not restricted by membership.
Funding will support a specific program or project, not general operations, and be tracked accordingly within the program’s financial software.
Program provides health and human services that align with at least one Impact2032 vision statement based on the Impact2032 Framework.
Program is requesting between $2,500 and $50,000 and will choose the appropriately aligned Grants Process.
The funding request does not exceed 35% of the program/project budget.
Programs will expend funds during the Funding Period (May 2025-March 2026 and April 2026-March 2027) and report data back based on that Funding Period.
The parent organization [nonprofit 501(c)(3), public school district, municipal entity, Indian Tribal government] and all its affiliates are not requesting more than $75,000 total among all their programs and all grant processes.