Home

Grant Update

UNITED WAY OF FREEBORN COUNTY: FOCUSING FOR GREATER IMPACT

Strategic Shifts in Grantmaking: 


In 2024, United Way Worldwide introduced new Impact Areas to guide community transformation. United Way of Freeborn County is aligning with this framework while tailoring it to local needs. This replaces our previous pillars of Health, Education & Income—an important shift that brings greater clarity and focus to our work.

Organizations seeking 2026 funding must complete the Grant Readiness & Interest Survey below by noon on April 20, 2026.

Please note: Website links are still in development. Check back regularly for updates.

UNITED WAY IMPACT AREAS

  • Youth Opportunity: Every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential. United Way supports programming that clears the path to success, from early childhood to college and career readiness. 
     
  • Healthy Community: United Way supports programs that connect our neighbors to resources they need to lead healthy lives. Health education, nutritious food, quality care and access to that care are vital for the overall health of our community. 
     
  • Financial Security: Building independence through financial security looks like many things. Connecting community members to education, financial education and coaching, United Way supports programming to help our communities thrive. Financial Security also looks like ensuring access to public benefits, homeless prevention programs, affordable housing programs and homeownership. 
     
  • Community Resiliency: United Way engages local leaders and neighbors to build stronger communities. Your local United Way is engaged in working to educate our nonprofits, provide infrastructure for stability in nonprofits, and provide tools such as 2-1-1, ensuring that learning where to go for help is just a call away. 

LOCAL IMPACT STRATEGY

As part of our commitment to responsible stewardship of donor dollars, United Way of Freeborn County is reassessing how we invest locally. We recognize the strong work already happening across our nonprofit community, while also identifying opportunities to strengthen grant readiness, operations, and data-informed practices.

Our goal is to support long-term sustainability and encourage program models aligned with best practices.

What’s Changing

• No 2025 Grant Cycle – Paused to strengthen the process
• 2026 Relaunch – Multiple competitive cycles aligned to individual Impact Areas
• Grant Readiness & Interest Survey – Required for all organizations seeking 2026 funding, regardless of grant cycle. Due by noon on April 20, 2026.
• 2025 Funds Rolled Forward – Increasing the 2026 grant pool
• More Focused Investments – Fewer, higher-impact grants to drive measurable outcomes

NEXT STEPS

Grant Announcements
Details and timelines for 2026 will be posted at unitedwayfc.org/grants following a review of submitted surveys. Updates are anticipated in early summer and will follow review of all submitted surveys. 

To ensure a fair and consistent process, please do not contact board members, staff, or volunteers regarding grant information or timing. All updates will be shared publicly so organizations receive the same information at the same time.

We welcome feedback as these efforts take shape. To help us review and consider input consistently, please share comments directly within the survey below.

For the grant process specifically, all updates will be shared publicly on this page - please bookmark it for future reference (https://www.unitedwayfc.org/grants). Individual guidance will not be provided outside of what is posted here.

Complete the Survey
Interested in 2026 funding? Complete the Grant Readiness & Interest Survey below by noon on April 20, 2026.

  • Organization Information
  • Complete
This should be the specific program or project for which you are seeking funding.
Organization Primary Contact
Organization Type?

United Way grants are limited to eligible charitable organizations serving Freeborn County.
What is your organization's approximate annual operating budget?
How many paid staff does your organization have?

Do not include volunteers.

United Way uses Impact Areas to help organize grant requests and understand where community needs and proposed programs are concentrated.

Previously, grant applicants participated in a single grant cycle that combined all Impact Areas. As the number of applicants has increased, United Way is restructuring its grant process so that funding is organized by Impact Area, with each cycle drawing from a defined pool of donor dollars.

Grant cycles will occur throughout the year and will fund reimbursable expenses incurred during the 2026 calendar year.

Which Impact Area best aligns with the primary focus of this program?

Please select the single best fit.
Approximately what percentage of the program’s total 2026 cost do you expect United Way funding to cover?

United Way typically funds a portion of a program’s total cost, not the full amount.
What would United Way funds help pay for?
Focus on the purpose of the program and what the funding would support. This is not a full program narrative.
About how much does this program cost to run for the full 2026 calendar year?

An estimate is okay.
How much of the program’s 2026 cost is already secured (confirmed) from other sources?

Do not include pending grants or hoped-for donations.
For the 2026 calendar year, which of the following are already in place or planned to help support this program?

Check all that apply.
How do you know this program is needed in Freeborn County?

Check all that apply.
This field is optional. Please keep responses brief.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. United Way of Freeborn County will use this information to guide next steps in its Community Impact grant process.

Comments

We welcome feedback as these efforts take shape. To help us review and consider input consistently, please share comments in the text area below.

Interested in helping out?