Partner Funding Process

When you give to United Way of Southern Kentucky, you entrust your hard-earned dollars to an organization that takes this trust very seriously. Community volunteers make sure that designated funds are distributed according to the donor’s wishes and then oversee the allocation of undesignated funds to all programs through community investment committees. These panels conduct annual reviews and closely monitor services. 

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United Way of Southern Kentucky (UWSK) would like to invite all nonprofit organizations who are eligible to apply for funding, in one of the impact areas listed below, to complete a Letter of Intent Application that can be found here. This is the first step for the FY 2027/28 funding year and will be due by Noon on Tuesday , September 29, 2026. For an in-depth look at the funding process you can view a PowerPoint here.  

Impact Areas include:

Education: Kindergarten Readiness or College & Career Readiness

Income: Workforce Development

Health: Access to Affordable Health Care or Safe Home & Community

Safety Net: Transportation or Access to Basic Needs

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Who is eligible to apply for funding?

Programs aligned with Community Impact priorities in Education, Income, Health, and Safety Net. Eligible applicants are federally tax-exempt nonprofits currently providing or able to implement quality programs in our priority focus areas. We prioritize best-practice, collaborative, and innovative programs that address community needs, integrate with other local efforts, and reflect the goals of those served. Funding is awarded annually for one-year program support. Please note, your program must fit in one of the priority focus areas and defined strategies as outlined in the LOI application. A strong focus is placed on the outcomes section. Please provide as much details as possible in that section.

Are there requirements for receiving United Way funding?

In addition to achieving impact in one of the priority areas/ strategies, UWSK has several operational requirements that must be agreed to in writing and met over the duration of the grant period. If your organization cannot agree to meet these requirements in a reasonable timeframe, you will not be eligible to apply for funding from United Way. If there are several requirements that your organization is not currently meeting, please reach out to Hannah Gray at 270-843-3205 for eligibility clarification. A full description of the Policies and Procedures for Funded Agencies can be downloaded here.

May our agency apply for funding in more than one Community Impact Priority Focus Area? 

Yes, organizations may apply in multiple Priority Focus Areas. Each program for which you apply must fit into one Priority Focus Area.

How does an organization apply for funding?

Letter of Intent Applications are the first step to determining eligibility. These are reviewed by a UWSK regional volunteer committee. Please see link to apply via Google Form at the top of the page. Proposals that demonstrate meaningful impact in one of the priority areas/ strategies and indicate ability to meet United Way funding requirements will be invited to submit a full Community Impact Grant Application.

2027-2028 Funding Application Submission Process

Only organizations that receive an official invitation to apply are eligible to submit a FY 2027-2028 Community Impact Grant application.

Organizations seeking funding for multiple programs must submit an application for each program. A regional program providing program services in multiple counties must submit a funding application for each county in which you are requesting funding.

For questions regarding the Funding Application email: communityimpact@uwsk.org.