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:: Priority Venture Program

Priority Venture Grant Program

Overview

The Priority Venture Grant Program is a component of the Response Fund. The Board of Directors is committed to dedicating at least ten percent (10%) of the dollars available for distribution each year to the Response Fund, which has distinct funding mechanisms: Priority Venture Grants, Seed Grants, and Community Initiatives and/or Emergency Loans and Grants. The Priority Venture Grant Program receives sixty percent (60%) of the funds allocated to the Response Fund.

The intent of the Priority Venture Grant Program is to provide funding to address unmet needs identified through UWIV’s needs assessment process. A request for proposal (RFP) process is the mechanism for awarding grants.

Eligibility is limited to UWIV Certified Agencies, funded and non-funded agencies only. Priority Venture Grant Funding is the first step for a non-funded agency to access annual program support.

Priority Venture Grant Programs can later be rolled into the Base Support Fund. Consideration for Base Support Funding if through evaluation it is determined that the program and/or process objectives were met, demonstrated accountability, and demonstrated partnership.

The Community Problem-Solving Committee, which administers the Priority Venture Grant Program, recommends which of the priority needs, geographic areas and/or ethnic populations will be targeted for funding during the grant year, in order to help fill service gaps. However, United Way will not specify the methods for addressing the needs.

Purpose

To provide a system of funding for programs to address needs identified through UWIV’s needs assessment process as "priority," with consideration given to under-served geographic areas and/or ethnic populations.

Eligibility

Applications for Priority Venture Grant Funding will only be accepted from United Way of the Inland Valleys Certified Agencies, funded or non-funded, whose proposed program, unless otherwise specified by UWIV, falls within the preferential category.

Criteria

Requests for Priority Venture Grant funding will be reviewed on a COMPETITIVE BASIS for the following:

1. Submitted before the specified deadline.

2. Completeness and accuracy the Funding Request Forms submitted and attached documents.

3. Priority Need is being addressed

4. Provides a needed service to under-served geographic area, and/or

5. Provides a needed service to under-served ethnic population.

6. Projected Objectives and Budget for the project period is realistic and based on documented community need.

7. Implementation plan is accomplishable within the project period.

8. Extent to which the proposed project relates to the agency’s mission, goals and long-range plan of the organization.

9. Extent to which the agency meets United Way’s standards for fiscal, program and organizational accountability.

10. Future plans for maintaining/expanding the program.

11. Demonstrated partnership with United Way.

There is no appeals process for Priority Venture Grant Funding.

Grant Cycle

In 1998, the grant cycle was changed to allow for a longer evaluation period of 22-months. The initial 12-month grant period (September through August) is followed by two possible extensions,

4 months (September through December) and 6 months (January through June) respectively, Extensions are based on evaluation.

Recommendations and justifications regarding grant extensions and denial of extensions are to be forwarded first to the Resource Distribution and Planning Committee and then to the Board of Directors for approval.

Reporting Requirements

Agencies will be expected to submit regular reports as specified in the funding agreement. Compliance is to be part of the evaluation process. Initially, reports are to be submitted monthly. Upon evaluation of accountability, the committee may approve quarterly reports. Exceptions are determined on a case by case basis. The reports are due within 30 days after the month/quarter ends. Reports are to be submitted on UWIV forms, which include an income and expense summary, program statistics, and overview of the progress made toward achieving the goals/objectives, and copies of written materials/articles relating to the program specifically.

Program materials are to reflect United Ways funding of the program.

Transition of Priority Venture Grants to the Base Support Fund

The agency’s formal request for Base Support Funding for the Priority Venture Grant Program is to coincide with the last grant extension period, in order for Base Support Funding to begin on July 1, the day after the grant period ends on June 30. The agency may not apply for continued support for the Priority Venture Grant program if, based on evaluation, the final 6-month extension period is not approved. The final evaluation must be conducted in April and reported to the Resource Distribution and Planning Committee prior to May 1.

For each program approved for the final 6-month extension period, a final evaluation is to be conducted within a time frame that allows for consideration of continued support through the Base Support Fund. Based on the results of the evaluation, the committee will make recommendations to the Major Allocations Committee, via the Resource Distribution and Planning Committee, to "consider" or "do not consider," accompanied by a written justification.

The Report Out Process of the Major Allocations Committee is to include a step to add all eligible programs, previously funded through Priority Venture Grants, which are categorized as Preferential or On-going, and which receive an agency and program rating of not lower than Satisfactory (3).

Process

The Community Problem-Solving Committee will verify at the beginning of each funding cycle the amount of funding that will be available for grants and the portion that will be set-aside for extensions.

The Committee will review the unmet needs and determine whether or not the funds are to be specifically targeted, as well as determine additional evaluation criteria.

Announcement will be sent to all UWIV Certified Agencies, funded and non-funded.

Agencies will request a funding application.

The Community Problem Solving Committee may elect to appoint a Grant Subcommittee of at least four (4) members, to review the grant applications, instead of utilizing the full committee. If so, all are to be members of the Community Problem-Solving Committee, which one (1) of the members to have financial expertise.

Proposals upon receipt are to be reviewed by staff.

Copies of the application, the staff summaries, and an evaluation form will be forwarded to each member of the Committee or Subcommittee to review and complete.

Evaluation of the proposal will be based on the criteria.

The members will individually review and evaluate the applications before meeting as a group for discussion and consensus.

Written recommendations are forwarded to the Resource Distribution Committee before they are presented to the Board of Directors for approval.

Notification letters and agreements are to be sent to the agencies immediately following approval of the Board. The agreement is to include the reporting requirements and timeline. There is also to be an attachment to the agreement that outlines the agreed upon program objectives, timeline and budget.

Upon receipt of a signed agreement funding will be released in quarterly installments.

A news release will be sent to all media within the service area to announce the programs selected for Priority Venture Grant Funding.