Apply for Funding

Now Closed: Deadline to apply was Thursday, March 7 at 4:30 p.m. MST

This funding supports social service organizations providing direct, front-line services to vulnerable populations that align with one or more of United Way’s priority areas:

• Strengthening Mental Wellbeing
• Eliminating Barriers to Educational Success
• Empowering Financial Security

United Way of the Alberta Capital Region strives to be a trust-based funder whose focus is on cultivating strong relationships with community partners and supporting them to do their best work.

Eligible organizations may apply for three years of funding that can be used for any expenses that will actively move their mission forward, except for debt reduction and capital expenditures. Applicants are eligible to apply for 10% of their most recent Annual Operating Costs, up to $150,000 per year.

Eligibility criteria

Successful applicants must be:

• Registered charity in good standing with Canada Revenue Agency.
  • Municipalities, school districts, post-secondary institutions, hospitals, and places of worship are not eligible to apply.
• Social services organization focused on serving marginalized or vulnerable populations.
  • Note: Organizations that provide spiritually sensitive supports must demonstrate that there will be no explicitly faith-related criteria for accessing programming and that there are no discriminatory restrictions on service recipients. We do not fund agencies whose primary mission is of a political or religious nature.

• A direct service delivery organization who has been providing programs or services for at least three years.
• Located within and providing supports to individuals and families living in the Alberta Capital Region/Edmonton Metropolitan Area.
  • In the case of organizations that serve a wider geographical area, this grant must be used to support work in the Alberta Capital Region. Organizations who provide supports and services outside of the Alberta Capital Region must be able to demonstrate how these funds stayed within this region.
• Organization mission and/or program(s) must be aligned with at least one of the following priority areas:
  • Strengthening mental wellbeing: By supporting programs that offer essential mental health services to our community members, you can help ensure everyone has timely access to the resources they need to thrive mentally, emotionally, and socially.
  • Eliminating barriers to educational success: By supporting programs that help bridge the gaps that make it harder for families to access education, you can empower students and their families to make generational change and build stronger and more stable futures.
  • Empowering financial security: By supporting programs that break down barriers preventing equity-deserving individuals from reaching financial stability, you can help create a future where everyone has the knowledge and confidence to achieve their goals.
• Have policies related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion that ensure individuals from equity-deserving groups feel welcome, supported, and represented within the organization and its programs.
  • Organizations that are led by and/or focused on providing direct supports to equity-deserving groups will receive special consideration during the review process.
  • Organization must demonstrate (through online content, social media posts, print materials, etc.) they do not promote discriminatory views such as racism, anti-Indigenous views, homophobia, transphobia, anti-immigrant sentiments, etc.
• Have an independent, active governing body/board composed of volunteers. Organization by-laws must have provisions that no staff member can be a voting member of the board.
• Have a bank account in the name of the organization and a financial management system to track the organization’s income and expense transactions effectively.
• Be able to track and report on how these funds are being spent to support the Alberta Capital Region (Edmonton Metropolitan Area) as well as their impact on the organization and community.
• Have a policy of General Liability insurance in an amount not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence for bodily injury, death, property damage, and personal injury and conform to the IBC 2100 Standard or equivalent and willing to include United Way as an Additional Insured. Organization must be able to provide proof of insurance if requested.

NOTE ON ELIGIBLE EXPENSES:

• Funds from this grant may not be used for capital costs or debt repayment. They must be used intentionally during the fiscal year as a way to move your mission and programs forward.

Assessment Criteria

Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• Organizational programs and services: Agency provides meaningful and effective services addressing a demonstrated need in the community, particularly for vulnerable populations.
• Community impact and United Way alignment: Agency has strong alignment with at least one United Way focus area, effective community partnerships, and clear evaluation processes. Front-Line Agency Funding would result in measurable community impacts.
• Inclusion and access: Agency is committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and members of equity-deserving groups are supported to fully participate in programming. Organizations who are primarily focused on providing direct supports to equity-deserving groups will receive special consideration during the review process.
• Governance, oversight, and community accountability: Stable board membership and transparency to the public are reviewed, with a focus on the inclusion of equity-deserving community members.
• Financial health: Financial statements are examined for stability and the potential for enhanced impact through agency-based funding.

Now Closed: Deadline to apply was Thursday, March 21 at 4:30 p.m. MST

United Way recognizes the importance of a robust and responsive social services sector to addressing the diverse and evolving needs of our communities.

In order to build thriving and resilient communities by strengthening mental wellbeing, eliminating barriers to educational success, and empowering financial security, we are committed to enhancing the strength and capacity of the social services sector in the Alberta Capital Region.

The Social Sector Development Grants will support projects that promote sector capacity building through one or more of the following objectives:

• supporting the sector to Indigenize (open to Indigenous-led organizations only)
• fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)
• supporting the sector in research and evaluation
• providing anchor agency support to enhance grassroots capacity

We are calling for proposals for projects with a duration of 21 months, starting from October 1, 2024, through June 30, 2026. We anticipate awarding grants ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 in total.

Eligibility criteria

Successful applicants must be:

• Registered charity in good standing with Canada Revenue Agency or a registered non-profit organization.
  • Municipalities, school districts, hospitals, and places of worship are not eligible to apply.
• Social services organization focused on serving marginalized or vulnerable populations and/or focused on serving the social services sector.

• • Note: organizations that provide spiritually sensitive supports must demonstrate that there will be no explicitly faith-related criteria for accessing programming and that there are no discriminatory restrictions on service recipients. We do not fund agencies whose primary mission is of a political or religious nature.
• Operate within the Alberta Capital Region/Edmonton Metropolitan Area.
  • In the case of organizations that serve a wider geographical area, this grant must be used to support work in the Alberta Capital Region.
• Proposals must be aligned with at least one of the four objectives of the granting stream (Supporting the Sector to Indigenize, Fostering EDI, Supporting the Sector in Research & Evaluation, and/or Providing Anchor Agency Support to Enhance Grassroots Capacity).
• Have policies related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion that ensure individuals from equity-deserving groups feel welcome, supported, and represented within the organization and its programs.
  • Organization must demonstrate (through online content, social media posts, print materials, etc.) they do not promote discriminatory views such as racism, anti-Indigenous views, homophobia, transphobia, anti-immigrant sentiments, etc.
• Have an independent, active governing body/board composed of volunteers. Organization by-laws must have provisions that no staff member can be a voting member of the board.
• Have a bank account in the name of the organization and a financial management system to track the organization’s income and expense transactions effectively.
• Have a policy of General Liability insurance in an amount not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence for bodily injury, death, property damage, and personal injury and conform to the IBC 2100 Standard or equivalent and willing to include United Way as an Additional Insured. Organization must be able to provide proof of insurance if requested.

Application Assessment

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Overall need, alignment, and impact: The project aligns with fund objectives, addresses a clear need, and will have a significant impact on the sector and community.

Collaborations and partnerships: The project exercises meaningful community engagement and partnerships to enhance impact.

Viability and financial feasibility: The proposal demonstrates thorough planning and a high likelihood of successful implementation, including a complete and balanced budget.

Evaluation plan: The project demonstrates accountability to the community it serves.

Woven into everything we do is our focus on advancing equity. When we work to ensure that no one in our community is left behind, we must recognize that discrimination due to race, religion, gender identity, sexuality, and disabilities create inequity and systemic barriers.

United Way is focused on supporting agencies that are led by or primarily support equity-deserving groups, such as:

• Indigenous, First Nations, Métis, or Inuit communities
• African, Caribbean & Black communities
• Racialized communities not listed above
• Disability communities
• 2SLGBTQ+ communities
• Newcomers and English Language Learners
• Women who experience systemic barriers to success

United Way of the Alberta Capital Region is using an online portal for both funding streams.

You may save your responses and return to them later by clicking “Resume Later” on the top right-hand corner of any page of the form. This will prompt you to create your own login which you can use to access and complete the application at a later date.

Applications are not complete until the applicant has clicked “Submit” on the final page.

If you have questions, technical issues, or require accessibility accommodations, please reach out to us at [email protected].

United Way’s review processes ensure decisions are guided by equity, fairness, and transparency. Applications demonstrating a strong focus on equity-deserving community programs and representation in their staff and board will receive particular attention. 

Our carefully curated community review committee includes representatives from across the social services sector as well as volunteers with lived experience in our community who bring their unique perspective, expertise, and experiences to the review process.   

All applicants will be notified of the status of their application by June 30, 2024. Payments for successful applicants will begin October 1, 2024. 

Successful applicants will be asked to track and report on how funds were spent and their impact on the community. Further details on reporting guidelines will be shared with successful applicants.