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SEED GRANT PROGRAM
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Criteria for Targeting Seed Grants
Overview
Seed Grants provide year-round community problem-solving
projects initiated by United Way to develop or strengthen
service delivery systems. Grants are time-limited, usually
one-time only awards.
Seed Grants allow United Way to target:
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A community/region that has shown significant
interest in raising funds for local health and human services
to increase service accessibility to residents;
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An under-served ethnic population for which
there are very limited service resources to meet unique
needs, such as support for start-up, development or stabilization
of new agencies or programs; expansion of existing agencies
or programs; and/or expansion of existing agencies and
service delivery systems.
The program helps establish United Way of the
Inland Valleys as an effective vehicle for community problem
solving in the Banning and Beaumont, Jurupa, Lake Elsinore
Valley, Moreno Valley, Perris, and Temecula/Murrieta regions,
which have limited accessibility to human service resources.
The Seed Grant Program is administered through
the Community Problem-Solving Committee, which is directly
accountable to the Resource Distribution and Planning Committee.
The Community Problem Solving Committee makes recommendations
annually as to the designation of Seed Grants, and is also
responsible for monitoring the Seed Grant process and presenting
progress reports. A member of the Community Problem-Solving
Committee serves as liaison for each Seed Grant project.
Goals
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To establish a Seed Grant program in geographic
areas that have been historically under-served, and have
potential to support additional services.
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Involve local volunteers, representing
different sectors of the community, in a community problem-solving
process facilitated by the United Way.
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Use United Way Seed Grant monies to address
a priority community need by enhancing or filling a gap
in the service delivery system.
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Increase local interest and participation
in ongoing United Way volunteer opportunities, such as
Resource Distribution committees, Campaign and Board of
Directors.
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Leverage other funding by using the United
Way Seed Grant to attract matching funds and to stimulate
community involvement and resources.
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Enhance the capacity of existing agencies
and service delivery systems by supporting coalitions,
collaboratives or sectors.
Criteria for Targeting Seed Grants
United Way of the Inland Valley's Community
Problem-Solving Committee will use the following criteria
in making their recommendations to the Board of Directors
in awarding annual Seed Grants.
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Lack of accessible services as identified
by United Way of the Inland Valleys' Needs Assessment
and planning process;
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Specific need where no other service resources
exist as determined by United Way of the Inland Valleys’
Needs Assessment and Planning Committee and validated
by the Board of Directors;
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Equitable distribution of funds to a region
that has been working diligently to raise campaign dollars,
and/or has made significant campaign increases.
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The population size, growth in service
need and availability of funds will be considered in determining
the amount of the Seed Grants.
Seed Grant Process
Once a region for Seed Grant distribution has
been targeted, local volunteers will be invited to build consensus
by serving on a Seed Grant committee. They will review the
needs identified through United Way's Needs Assessment process
and have an opportunity to add to the list, and/or validate
existing needs. The volunteers will engage in a local community
fact-finding process, to prioritize needs and determine which
need and what scope will be addressed by Seed Grant funding.
The process is designed by the Community Problem-Solving
Committee and will be facilitated by United Way professional
staff. Upon determining the most critical need to be addressed,
the Community Problem-Solving Committee will determine the
most appropriate avenue to select a service provider. In most
instances, a provider will be identified through a Request-for-Proposal
(RFP). The final recommendation to award a Seed Grant to a
specific provider will be presented to United Way of the Inland
Valleys' Board of Directors for approval.
If United Way elects to follow a Requests for
Proposal (RFP) process to identify a service provider, three
volunteers from the respective Seed Grant committee, (who
do not present a conflict of interest), will be appointed
to serve on a subcommittee of the Community Problem-Solving
Committee to review applications and make funding recommendations.
The application process will be open to any health or human
direct service provider that meets criteria as a private nonprofit
501(c)(3) agency.
Process Objectives:
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To form a local Seed Grant committee that
reflects local demographics, and a balance of representatives
from the general public and service providers.
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To address one community need.
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To complete the process within six months.
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To generate public awareness of United
Way's involvement in local community problem-solving.
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