Our Community Investments
United Way of the Plains invests in programs that tackle our community’s most pressing needs.
United Way’s core investments in local nonprofit programs are made through three grant opportunities: Opportunity on the Plains, Promise on the Plains and Impact on the Plains. Each investment opportunity supports our work to advance the common good in our focus areas of health, education, financial stability and basic needs.
OPPORTUNITY ON THE PLAINS
Opportunity on the Plains is the largest, annual investment program from United Way of the Plains to help meet the most pressing needs in our community. It provides grants to health and human service programs in our focus areas of health, education, financial stability and basic needs. Thanks to the caring power of our community, this program is investing a total of $6,582,311 in area programs, including 24 new programs, from July 2022 to June 2023 that will help individuals and families throughout south central Kansas achieve their human potential.
PROMISE ON THE PLAINS
Promise on the Plains works to reduce inequities in the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) nonprofit sector by assisting in building organizational capacity to help foster a more just and inclusive community. Grants intentionally support and strengthen nonprofit organizations serving the BIPOC community, while advancing the work of United Way in the areas of health, education, financial stability and basic needs. United Way has invested $100,000 in 10 nonprofit organizations that benefit the BIPOC community.
Recipients were announced at the Mayor’s Press Briefing on Thursday, June 16, 2022. Read the press release, with a list of the recipients, here.
IMPACT ON THE PLAINS
Impact on the Plains, United Way’s social innovation competition, invites nonprofits to pitch their ideas for bold solutions to community issues in a “Shark-Tank” style event. A diverse group of community judges narrows down applications to the top two in each of our focus areas: health, education, financial stability and basic needs. Finalists pitch their program to a panel of judges at a live event. This event promotes an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the nonprofit community and transforms how complex social issues are addressed.
Impact on the Plains was held Sept. 15, 2022. Read the press release, highlighting the recipients. Learn more about Impact on the Plains.
COLLECTIVE IMPACT:
IMPACT ICT-CoC
United Way is leveraging collective impact to tackle homelessness at it’s root causes. Under this model, we bring together partners from multiple sectors, such as businesses, nonprofits, government organizations, community leaders and more to form the Impact ICT Continuum of Care Coalition. United Way serves as the backbone organization to support the work of the coalition by coordinating a shared measurement system, mutually reinforcing activities and ongoing communication. Learn more:
As part of their efforts to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring, the coalition coordinates grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Through a $2.8 million HUD grant, 14 homeless service programs are funded in Sedgwick County for 2022 – 2023. They include:
- Breakthrough Episcopal Social Services: Rapid Re-Housing Program
- Catholic Charities: Rapid Re-Housing Program
- HumanKind Ministries: Villa Central, Villa Courts and Villa North
- Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas: Dual Diagnosis Permanent Supportive Housing and Permanent Supportive Housing Consolidated
- Sedgwick County COMCARE: Shelter Plus Care Consolidated
- The Salvation Army: TH – RHH Program
- United Way of the Plains: Coordinated Entry – Domestic Violence Database, CoC Planning Project, Coordinated Entry – Homeless Management Information System and Coordinated Entry – SSO
- United Methodist Open Door: Family Rapid Re-Housing
OUR FOCUS
Our focus is on health, education, financial stability and basic needs—the building blocks for a good quality of life and a strong community. Click below to learn more about what we’re doing, the programs we invest in and our lasting impact in each area.
