To Apply for UW Funding

More than 2,000 Henderson County residents participated in the 2009-10 community assessment process that was coordinated by United Way of Henderson County (UWHC) and Western Carolina Community Action (WCCA). The information gathered through the assessment identified specific needs in the areas of Education, Income, Health, and Rebuilding Lives. Those four focus areas include a set of barrier statements and 17 objectives needed to improve the human condition in Henderson County.

Agency Funding Eligibility Criteria: An agency seeking UWHC program funding must first meet a set of eligibility criteria for all areas of agency operations including finance, legal, governance, and organizational and program quality.

• Agency must be a 501(c)(3) and meet UWHC Agency Funding Eligibility Criteria.
• Program must serve residents of Henderson County and be non-duplicative.
• Program must be operating with proven results for a minimum of one year and be administered by an agency that has been providing services for a minimum of two years.

To make an appointment for an Eligibility Review, contact us at 692-1636.

Funding Timeline: Funds available for program grants are raised through an annual campaign, conducted primarily in the fall of each year. Letters of Intent for program funding are accepted from eligible agencies from January 2 through noon on January 21; program funding applications will be accepted from February 2 through noon on February 16, 2011, and may be obtained from the United Way office by calling (828) 692-1636. The application, with instructions, is normally provided by email in Microsoft Excel the last week in December.

Program Funding Policies and Procedures: This guide details the specific requirements an agency must meet when receiving program funding.  Click here   to download the guide. 

Funds Distribution Steering Committee (FDSC): This volunteer committee oversees the funding process. It is made up of the four funding panel chairs, a UWHC Board member who chairs the FDSC, and both UWHC’s Director of Community Impact and Executive Director.

Funding Panels: Community volunteers (approx. 50) with expertise in Education, Income, Health or Rebuilding Lives (basic needs) are responsible for reviewing funding applications and determining the program funding recommendations made to the UWHC Board.

UWHC funds programs, not agencies, with several agencies receiving funding for multiple programs. When approved, funds are normally distributed in 12 equal payments on a July to June fiscal year basis. Program funding is results based, can be awarded for one or three years, and no program, regardless of whether it has received funding in the past, is guaranteed funding.  

For additional information, contact our Director of Community Impact at (828) 692-1636.