February 7, 2022
United Way of Southeast Louisiana is pleased to announce its FY22 (July 2022 – June 2023) Blueprint for Prosperity Programmatic Grants, which will offer one year of funding to qualified nonprofits addressing education, health, and economic stability disparities across Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes.
The application, funding guidelines, and grant process instructions are available on UnitedWaySELA.org/Grants.
Eligible nonprofits include those whose work aligns with United Way SELA's mission to eradicate poverty and its Blueprint for Prosperity's four priority outcomes:
- Stability Today: All families have the skills, resources, and opportunities to access basic needs.
- Prosperity Tomorrow: All families have the social, educational, and financial assets to create a better future.
- Personal Wellness: People of all ages enjoy a high quality of life and well-being.
- Vibrant Communities: All communities are safe, thriving, and equitable.
This one-year grant opportunity will also include increased data reporting requirements on equity and a focus on both long-standing community problems and emerging needs in the wake of COVID-19 and Hurricane Ida.
"As our United Way continues to evolve as a modern organization, we recognize the importance of embracing our traditional grantmaking and its significance to our communities," said Michael Williamson, UWSELA president and CEO. "We'll use 2022 as a transitional year of funding to evaluate our process, fine-tune our Blueprint's strategies aimed at tackling poverty and its root causes, and kick start a new programmatic grant opportunity more focused on equity than ever."
United Way SELA will host a series of community conversations in mid-2022 to get a clear picture of how needs are shifting. Findings will inform the FY23 grant process, including the duration of grants, focus areas, and community indicators. Before applying, United Way strongly urges nonprofits to review the full Blueprint for Prosperity Framework. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, March 7, 2022. Please direct general questions about the framework or the process to Grants@UnitedWaySELA.org.
Non-profit organizations, faith-based, or units of government in Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa parishes are also encouraged to apply for Emergency Food and Shelter Program grant funding managed by United Way SELA. Learn more at UnitedWaySELA.org/Grants.