United Way of Cascade County announced that it will invest $1,143,183 to advance bold goals in education, financial stability and health.
Thanks to last fall’s record-breaking campaign, United Way will help 31,133 people in the coming year through the local programs receiving grants alone. And its community impact work touches everyone living in Cascade County.
The annual United Way campaign aims to make it easy for people and businesses to build our entire community. Most give through a workplace campaign and deduct small amounts from each paycheck.
“Our generous community continues to step up their support of our efforts,” United Way President Gary Owen said. “Because of their support, United Way is able to bring together community resources to tackle some of our community’s biggest challenges.”
To broaden United Way of Cascade County’s impact in our community, the nonprofit is dedicating $432,864 to community initiatives in the coming year. That includes supporting efforts to address homelessness, prevent child abuse, improve education and manage the federally funded Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
Employees can designate their donations to specific nonprofits that are close to their hearts. This year, donors designated $268,319 to 106 nonprofits.
For money that isn’t designated, a volunteer committee decides which programs best advance United Way’s goals of helping children achieve their potential and graduate on time, promoting financial stability and independence and improving people’s health.
A team of 40 volunteers spent hours reviewing written proposals and listening to presentations before allocating $442,000 to fund 30 nonprofit programs.
Many nonprofits requesting grants had increased costs as they scrambled to safely offer support to students, seniors and people with disabilities. United Way will invest in new programs including a literacy program aimed at children who are homeless, have a parent in prison or need food assistance and a program that will work with high school dropouts to help them learn skills building a house while they work to get a high school equivalency certificate.
“Each year, our volunteers face the challenge of being able to fund half of what is requested of United Way,” Owen said. “Our hope is to rise to meet that need with this year’s campaign.”
In addition to the workplace campaign, people may give by sending contributions directly to United Way at PO Box 1343, Great Falls, MT 59403, or donating online at www.uwccmt.org.
Broken down in to United Way’s focus areas of education, income and health, which includes protecting vulnerable populations, here are the 30 programs that will be funded this year:
Education -- $66,480
- Boys & Girls Club -- $17,480
- Foster Grandparents -- $8,000
- GFPS Every Child a Reader program -- $5,000
- Habitat for Humanity Building Better Futures - $10,000
- St. Vincent de Paul child literacy program -- $3,000
- Young Parents Education Center -- $23,000
Financial Stability -- $189,290
- Alliance for Youth’s youth resource center – $21,250
- Cascade County Law Clinic -- $10,250
- Family Promise -- $6,000
- Great Falls Children’s Receiving Home -- $10,000
- Habitat for Humanity -- $12,000
- Job Service -- $2,500
- Kairos Youth Services -- $25,040
- NeighborWorks Great Falls -- $24,000
- Opportunities, Inc. (housing)-- $35,000
- St. Vincent de Paul’s homeless outreach programs -- $30,000
- YWCA Mercy Home -- $13,250
Health -- $186,230
- Alliance for Youth (2 - parenting classes & Sober Life) -- $45,000
- Eagle Mount -- $5,000
- Get Fit Great Falls (afterschool program and Park Pals) -- $9,000
- Great Falls Senior Center -- $3,000
- Meals on Wheels -- $20,400
- Peace Place Respite Care -- $16,450
- Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect task force -- $20,450
- St. Vincent de Paul food program -- $29,960
- Sunburst Unlimited -- $2,500
- Toby’s House -- $18,000
- Voices of Hope (2 - crisis line & 2-1-1 information line) -- $16,470