SWLA Nonprofits Serving Community Members Can Apply For Partnership Grants

volunteers at boys and girls village

United Way of Southwest Louisiana accepting Letters of Intent beginning November 1

teen volunteers assisting at a senior center
Summer of Service volunteers at a Calcasieu Council on Aging site assisting with parties and repairs

Programs awarded a grant by our Community Investment volunteers will undergo a comprehensive review to make sure they align with our stated objectives and serve the ALICE population in our community

United Way of Southwest Louisiana’s Partnership Grant program will begin accepting online Letters of Intent (LOI) from human services nonprofit organizations on November 1. The deadline to submit the online LOI if the intention is to apply for a competitive Partnership Grant is 4 pm on December 2, 2022. The online portal can be found at unitedwayswla.org/partnership-grant.

“Programs awarded a grant by our Community Investment volunteers will undergo a comprehensive review to make sure they align with our stated objectives and serve the ALICE population in our community,” explained Denise Durel, President and CEO, United Way of Southwest Louisiana. “Our grants are funded by donations so we work hard to ensure every dollar is achieving results and making progress toward our goals.”

Nonprofit organizations applying for Partnership Grants must meet certain requirements which begin with serving individuals or families in a Southwest Louisiana parish: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron or Jeff Davis. Mailed, faxed and emailed LOIs are not accepted. Applying organizations must possess a 501(c)(3) or related status with the Internal Revenue Service and be in good standing with the State of Louisiana. Full requirements can be found online at unitedwayswla.org/partnership-grant.

The online application will take an organization through the steps to complete the LOI. Once the LOI has been submitted and processed, all qualified applicants will be invited to move into the full grant application process called a Request For Proposal (RFP). Find the application online at unitedwayswla.org/partnership-grant.

United Way of Southwest Louisiana’s Community Investment Committee reviews all programs submitted for a grant by nonprofit organizations for significant alignment with identified objectives and evidence-based practices. The volunteers rate community need, financial accountability, equity and inclusion, and the overall stability of the applicant. The Committee submits a formal recommendation to the Board of Directors for final approval.

United Way of Southwest Louisiana addresses critical gaps in the services being supplied by swiftly engaging an in-house Initiative. The objective is to work quickly to serve the most vulnerable. To view the current Partners and Initiatives along with the four Focus Areas, visit unitedwayswla.org/partner-with-us.