About Impact & Opportunity Grants
What are Impact Grants?
Impact Grants are competitive funding awards from UWSCI that invest in nonprofit programs strengthening long-term stability, health, and opportunity for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households. Each grant awarded in the 2026 cycle provides $25,000 in support for one year.
The goal is to disrupt the cycle of instability faced by ALICE families by investing in programs that address interconnected needs related to finances, health, and youth success. The grants prioritize solutions that create pathways from crisis to stability and from stability to economic mobility.
What are Opportunity Grants?
Opportunity Grants provide focused investments that strengthen essential programs serving children and families across our counties. These grants support work aligned with United Way of South Central Indiana’s priority outcomes, ensuring that strong, community-based organizations have the resources they need to create stability and expand possibility for ALICE families.
Designed for targeted impact, Opportunity Grants help organizations sustain core services, expand access to critical supports, or advance a defined portion of a larger initiative. Each grant, up to $10,000, plays an important role in building stability, opportunity, and long-term success for local families.
The additional $70,000 in Opportunity Grant funding was made possible by the success of UWSCI’s fall fundraising efforts, allowing more resources to be directed to programs that support children, families, and individuals working toward greater stability and opportunity across South Central Indiana.
About ALICE
What is ALICE?
ALICE households earn above the Federal Poverty Level but do not earn enough to afford the basic cost of living in their county. Because many ALICE households live paycheck to paycheck, even a small, unexpected expense can create financial hardship.
ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — describing hardworking individuals and families who are employed but still struggle to afford essentials like housing, food, childcare, healthcare, and transportation.
Supporting ALICE families helps strengthen the entire community by improving financial stability, expanding opportunity, and ensuring local workers and families can continue contributing to the region’s economy and quality of life.
In South Central Indiana, United Way invests in programs that support ALICE households by investing in local programs that strengthen financial security, improve health, and expand opportunity so families can move toward greater stability and long-term success.
Funding Focus Areas
What areas of work do Impact Grants support?
Programs must advance outcomes in one or more of UWSCI’s three core focus areas:
Financial Security
- Financial literacy
- Debt reduction
- Economic mobility
- Resource education
- Workforce-linked supports
- Services that help families move from crisis to stability and long-term security
Healthy Community
- Reducing food insecurity
- Access to nutritious, affordable food
- Mental and physical health supports
- Chronic disease management
- Preventive care outreach
- Community-based wellness programs
Youth Opportunity
- Safe, enriching environments for youth
- Early childhood supports
- Family-strengthening programs
- Mentoring and academic enrichment
- Initiatives that interrupt generational poverty and support youth from birth to adulthood
Did UWSCI consider supports beyond the three core focus areas?
Yes—UWSCI considered key drivers of success when they directly supported outcomes in the core focus areas. These included:
- Stable housing
- Reliable transportation
- Affordable childcare
- Language access
- Other enablers that remove barriers and strengthen economic mobility
These supports are not funded on their own but were considered when they clearly contribute to improving financial security, health, or youth opportunity.
Eligibility & Application Process
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants must be:
- a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization,
- serving at least one of UWSCI’s six counties: Brown, Greene, Lawrence, Monroe, Orange, and Owen, and
- delivering programs aligned with at least one core focus area.
How many grants were awarded?
During the 2026 grant cycle, UWSCI is investing $320,000 through ten Impact Grants ($25,000 each) and eight Opportunity Grants (totaling $70,000) to strengthen families and expand access to opportunity across South Central Indiana.
What was the review process?
Applications went through a multi-step review that included:
- Eligibility and completeness screening
- Scoring by trained volunteers
- Staff and leadership review
- Final approval by the UWSCI Board of Directors
Applications were evaluated based on alignment with core focus areas, strength of evidence-based approaches, clarity of outcomes, and potential to disrupt the instability cycle for ALICE families.
Additional Support
Does UWSCI offer more than grantmaking?
Yes—UWSCI directly supports and leads initiatives that strengthen stability and opportunity, including:
- Financial Stability Alliance
- Free Community Tax Service
- Bank On Bloomington
- Truancy Case Management
- In-School Youth Mentoring
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
- Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD)
- Monroe County Health Equity Council (MC HEC)
- General Nonprofit Community Support
These initiatives help expand community-wide impact beyond the grants themselves.
Who can I contact with questions?
Questions about the Impact Grants or Opportunity Fund may be directed to:
Randy Rogers, President & CEO
United Way of South Central Indiana
Randy@unitedwaysci.org or (812) 334-8370 x15