United Way of Larimer County will award $66,000 to three collaborative, systems-building projects designed to advance racial equity in Larimer County.
Each of the selected projects will receive $22,000, and must incorporate capacity-building and strategic, shared learning across the collaborative. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. MT on May 14, 2021.
Nonprofit organizations and local governments, including school districts, are eligible to apply for this collaborative grant opportunity.
Priority will be given to applications that include three or more partner applicants and benefit neighborhoods, communities, and areas of Larimer County with a considerable number of residents who identify as people of color. Funding is expected to be distributed by the end of June 2021.
UWLC promotes and invests in collaborative approaches to solving complex social issues in our community. The organization’s Board of Directors launched the Innovation Grant program in 2018 to support nonprofits exploring pilot projects and innovative partnerships intended to fill pressing community needs. In 2020, the board approved racial equity as the primary lens for disseminating these funds for the remainder of UWLC’s 2020-21 fiscal year. The process will be guided by a diverse and impacted group of community advisors and will support projects focused on improving outcomes and opportunities for local communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID and other traumatic events this year and in years prior.
“This last year has reminded us that we have an obligation and an opportunity to continuously evaluate and improve UWLC’s work. We strive to remain nimble and flexible so that we can adjust in a very timely and meaningful way when necessary,” said Justin G. Davis, UWLC Board Chair.
“Applying an equity lens to funds that we have already committed to innovation became obvious to the UWLC board. When the idea of collaborative grants with multiple partners we have already vetted was suggested, we were thrilled to be able to support it. We expect this funding and the attention to supporting programs that increase equity for local communities of color will be one more step in addressing today’s greatest needs while reducing tomorrow’s.”
United Way of Larimer County will continue to examine our own systems, resource distribution, hiring practices, and more with the lens of equity. We will also continue to invest in our long-standing commitment to civic engagement and pursuit of democracy. And, we will remain a leader in addressing the basic needs of community members who have been disproportionately impacted by the events of this year and many years before it.
You can support this important work by making a tax-deductible donation today.
To learn more about United Way of Larimer County’s grant process, please click here.
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