United Way of PEI Invites Letters of Intent for 2020-22 Funding

United Way of PEI Invites Letters of Intent for 2020-22 Funding

The United Way of Prince Edward Island is pleased to announce this grant opportunity focused on breaking the cycle of poverty – to prevent people from entering poverty, and lift them out for good.

The focus of our Community Investment Program is children, youth and their families who are living in, or at risk of living in, poverty.

Our vision is that “all Island children and youth have hope for a bright future”. Our young people are the future of our Island communities, and we want them to grow into happy, healthy, independent and contributing adults. To do that, they need a level playing field.

New this year, the United Way is inviting eligible organizations to submit a Letter of Intent for an initiative that fits the funding criteria. The Grant Review Team will, after reviewing the Letters of Intent, select and invite several organizations to complete and submit a full funding application.

Funding Grant Details:

• The maximum amount of funds for each program/initiative is $30,000/year, for 1 or 2 years.
• Organizations may submit up to two Letters of Intent; however, the maximum number of applications approved for funding through this grant process will be one per organization.
• The grant may be used to support existing and/or new initiatives.
• Letters of Intent are being accepted until 4:00 pm, Thursday, August 22nd, 2019.
• Letters of Intent should be submitted in person, by mail or email, to:

o Director, Community Impact

United Way of Prince Edward Island

180 Kent Street, PO Box 247

Charlottetown, PE, C1A 7K4

Letters of Intent:

Letters of Intent (no more than 3 pages) should include:

• Confirmation statement that the organization meets the eligibility requirements.
• A description of the current/proposed initiative, including name, general description, approach/activities, and target population.
• Explanation of how this initiative aligns with the UW focus areas, grant priorities, goals and activities.
• Signature of at least one person with signing authority of the organization.

The charitable organization sponsoring, or leading, the project must meet all of the following criteria:

• The applicant must be a registered charity (with its own CRA number), one of CRA-approved donees, or have a registered charity as its sponsor.
• The applicant must maintain a volunteer board that meets regularly.
• The applicant must have an Annual General Meeting.

The charitable organization leading/sponsoring the project, AND the applicant community/resident group (if different from the lead/sponsoring charitable organization), must meet all of the following criteria:

• The activities proposed by the applicant must benefit residents of PEI.
• The applicant’s primary focus and mandate must be within the social services sector.
• The applicant (or partner sponsor organization) must be financially stable.
• The applicant must carry sufficient liability insurance to cover the proposed program/project seeking United Way funding.

Our (United Way) Focus on Poverty:

We will provide resources to established registered charities that:

• are aligned with our investment priorities (success in schools, emotional/physical well-being, community engagement and leadership, transition to adulthood).
• will directly support those living in, or at risk of living in, poverty.
• are inclusive of people with lived experience in their design and delivery.
• have proven and/or innovative programs.

We will focus our efforts on several priority populations, those most at risk of living in poverty:

• Indigenous individuals and families.
• Newcomers to Canada.
• People living with disabilities.
• People with little or no education.
• People living with mental health and addiction challenges.

And we will keep a lens on the “routes to poverty”:

• Generational (people born into families living in poverty).
• Transitional (people experiencing situations that put them at risk including: illness, changes in ability, violence, family break-up).
• Marginalized groups (people whose circumstances put them at risk including: Indigenous individuals and families, people living with disabilities, people with low/no education, newcomers to Canada, people who are low-paid, seasonal/unpaid workers, people living with mental illness, people identifying as LGBTQ2+).
• Those living on the edge (people receiving social assistance, people receiving disability assistance, people working near minimum wage and below livable income).

Our Focus on Children, Youth and their Families:

Investment Priorities

Goals

Activities

Success in Schools:

Children and youth have skills and knowledge to prepare for the future. We will support activities that promote the educational achievement of children and youth, as well as their transition to post-secondary education or employment. This includes but is not limited to services that support school readiness, homework completion, reading and writing instruction, alternative education options such as dropout programs or flexible learning environments, academic guidance and counselling.

Emotional and Physical Well-being:

Children and youth have positive mental and physical health and are better able to handle life’s challenges. We will support activities that assist the development of emotional health (including a positive self-perception, mental health and resiliency), physical health (including nutrition, healthcare and physical activity) and environment (life stress, socioeconomic status, and neighborhood setting) that allow children to actively engage in day-to-day activities.

Children and youth have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. We will support activities that ensure access to food for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity, and provide supports to build community by growing, cooking and sharing food together. This includes but is not limited to breakfast/snack programs, community gardens, and cooking programs.

Community Engagement and Leadership:

Children and youth are connected to, and contribute to, their community, and feel like they belong. We will support opportunities for children and youth to develop positive social relationships with adults and peers at home, in school and in the neighborhood, as well as to meaningfully participate in and contribute to the community. This includes but is not limited to programs that enable children and youth to participate in a wide range of recreational, cultural, social and civic activities through clubs or youth groups.

Transition to Adulthood:

Children and youth develop and strengthen their skills that help them to build their careers. We will support activities that assist individuals to develop their job skills and to enhance their ability to find and maintain employment. This includes but is not limited to employment counselling, resume preparation assistance, interview training and other pre-job guidance services, skills upgrading, mentoring, and training and development programs.

Children and youth develop their skills, knowledge and resources to become financially stable. We will support activities that help individuals to develop their knowledge and skills to manage their personal financial resources effectively and help them make more informed money management decisions that improve their financial outcomes and build their financial security. This includes but is not limited to banking services information, financial assessment tools, financial management workshops.

Feedback and Support:

United Way of PEI staff are available to answer questions about the process, focus areas and United Way outcomes.

For further information or support, please contact:

Behind every changed life is someone like you who made it happen.
All donations to the United Way of PEI stay on PEI to help Islanders.