How does United Way of Rhode Island make funding decisions?
United Way of Rhode Island conducted its second open and competitive grant application process in 2006. We received 346 requests totalling nearly $34 million in yearly funding. (In 2004, the first year of cometitive funding, UWRI received 238 proposals representing about $30 million per year.) After extensive review by trained volunteers, more than $14.4 million was awarded to 60 programs at 66 different agencies across the State for the period of 2007 – 2009. The grants complement UWRI’s longer term strategic work to reduce homelessness and expand the stock of affordable homes; improve the quality and availability of early care and out-of-school time progamming, and increase the earning capacity of lower income workers. A three year funding commitment is significant because it provides program stability.
