Our Work in Yakima & Kittitas Counties
Through United Way’s community programs and partner agencies, we reach nearly 1 in 2 people living right here in Yakima and Kittitas Counties. People you know — living in your neighborhood, going to your kids’ schools, working alongside you every day.
Together, we ensure that more kids go to bed with their bellies full and more adults have a job to go to in the morning. We make sure there’s support for a person who’s been given a life-altering diagnosis. We’re there when disaster strikes.
We help people by funding more than 50 effective and efficient programs at over 40 local nonprofits, by bringing individuals and organizations together to solve problems, by mobilizing volunteers.
We help charities become stronger. We help people become stronger. We provide the building blocks for a better community and a better life.
United Way partners with organizations and community coalitions that share our view that the way to improve lives is by mobilizing the caring power of communities. Their long-term commitments are essential to addressing key social issues, and achieving collective impact in each of the four United Way of Central Washington community focus areas:
EDUCATION
Helping people achieve their potential
INCOME
Promoting financial stability and independence
HEALTH
Improving people’s health
MEETING BASIC COMMUNITY NEEDS
Ensuring the basics of food, clothing, and shelter are met, including crisis housing and childcare.
Granting Focus
Our United Way is committed to overcoming inter-generational poverty by collaboratively building resilience and closing the opportunity gap in the lives of our youth in Central Washington.
Key Aspects of Our Granting Focus
Overcoming Inter-generational Poverty
Addressing the negative effects on health, education, and well-being caused by inter-generational poverty while supporting people as they break out of the cycle.
Collaboration
Working with other organizations to achieve or do something.
Building Resilience
Providing the resources and services to develop healthy coping mechanisms to face difficult and adverse situations
Closing the Opportunity Gap
Supporting those with unequal or inequitable opportunities. An opportunity gap refers to the ways in which race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, community wealth, familial situations or other factors contribute to or perpetuate lower educational aspirations, achievement, and attainment for certain groups of students.
Youth in Central Washington
People under that age of 18 living in Yakima and Kittitas Counties.
Grant Process
Our grant process includes three phases: a Letter of Intent, an Application, and a Site Visit. All interested parties who are 501c3 organizations are invited to submit a letter of Intent at the start of the new grant cycle. A Committee of community volunteers review the Letters of Intent and determine which agencies will be invited to continue to the Application phase. Once those agencies submit their Applications, the Committee of community volunteers will review each application and determine which agencies will be recommended to the board for funding. For some programs, there will be a third phase to the process which will be a Site Visit. The need for site visits will be determined by the review committee. The entire grant process takes around six months to complete, from when agencies submit their Letters of Intent to when they are notified of their grant award.
If you have further questions, contact Ivan Orozco at Ivan@uwcw.org or 509-248-1557