Grants to help you grow
We offer grants to help strengthen and grow your organization and encourage youth-led volunteer projects
Grants to help you grow
We offer grants to help strengthen and grow your organization and encourage youth-led volunteer projects
Organizational Development Grant Overview
The Organizational Development Grant is a small grant offered through three different streams: United Way Winnipeg funded agencies, non-United Way Winnipeg funded agencies, and Indigenous-led agencies.
Nonprofits can apply for up to $7,500 as of Fall 2024, totaling 75% of the total project budget.
We believe we can create a better future for our city and everyone that lives here by investing in organizations and communities. We do this with sustained funding to a network of agencies that support people in need in many different ways.
We also invest in community organizations across Winnipeg through our Organizational Development Grant Program so they can offer effective, high-quality programs and services.
For United Way Winnipeg, capacity building for organizational effectiveness means supporting organizations to strengthen the following six core capacities. These areas of effectiveness are listed below in order of priority. Given the volume of requests in recent intakes, United Way Winnipeg will apply this weighted criterion when reviewing applications:
1. Governance and Leadership
Focusing on improvements to processes and structures used by the Board of Directors. (that is, development or revision to board bylaws, policies, procedures documents, terms of reference, roles/responsibilities of the board, board review/assessment, research).
2. Financial Management
Fostering an improved ability in agencies to effectively manage and deploy organizational revenues and assets. (I.e., development of process and procedures to ensure financial accountability and transparency, development of fundraising strategy/plan, development of fundraising policies).
3. Human Resources
Enhancing areas related to the systems, policies, and procedures to ensure effective functioning of an agency’s human resources that comply, at minimum, with employment, health and safety and other applicable legislation as well as good practice standards. (I.e., development of HR policies, succession planning, procedures, development of job descriptions, conflict resolution policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion policies/procedures, volunteer management policies/procedures).
4. Research
Research focusing on effectively serving diverse communities, including Indigenous, immigrant/refugee, LGBT2SQ+, disability, etc. (i.e., research to better understand how to serve diverse communities appropriately)
5. Strategic Alliances and Partnerships
Fostering strategic alliances and partnerships that significantly advance an organization’s goals and expand its influence. (I.e., fostering collaborations and partnerships in areas such as restructuring, mergers, fostering strategic alliances and partnerships to advance a common agenda).
6. Strategy and Business Planning
Enhancing agency capacity to results in stronger decision making, strategy development and planning processes. (I.e., development of strategic plans, needs assessment/plan development, communications and social media plan, environmental scan to gauge changing client need, information and technology planning).[MM1]
ELIGIBILITY
To apply for United Way Winnipeg’s Organizational Development Grant, your organization must meet all the following eligibility criteria:
Your organization must be:
- A registered nonprofit organization, and
- An organization working in the health and social service sector, and
- Based in Winnipeg, and
- Primarily providing programs and services for Winnipeg individuals, and
- An agency whose programs and services align with United Way Winnipeg focus areas:
- Education: All That Kids Can Be
- Income: From Poverty to Possibility
- Health: Healthy People, Strong Communities
In addition to the above eligibility criteria, the below points will be considered in the evaluation process:
- United Way Winnipeg recognizes the importance of agencies that provide front-line service delivery in meeting the needs of individuals and families in our community.
- Your organization demonstrates a clear alignment with United Way Winnipeg’s strategic investment priorities. United Way Winnipeg’s current strategic investment priorities include:
- Mental health and addiction supports
- Job readiness and training
- Family supports
The below organizations are not eligible for an Organizational Development Grant:
- Agencies whose primary mission is of a political or religious nature
- Organizations primarily involved in medical research
- Daycares
- Libraries
Note: Agencies are eligible for one project per fiscal year (April 1 – March 31). A project funded by an Organizational Development Grant must be completed and an invoice submitted to United Way Winnipeg before another application to the fund can be approved.
CRITERIA
Preference will be given to projects which demonstrate all of the following:
- Urgency or timeliness for the organization to minimize risks, address organizational challenges, enhance sustainability of the organization, etc.
- Evidence that it will contribute to building the overall capacity and effectiveness of the organization through one or more of the six core capacities noted above. The six core capacities are listed in order of priority.
- Encouraged by Agency Liaison Volunteers Teams – this point is specific to United Way Winnipeg agency partners.
Grants will not be approved to support costs associated with:
- Staff costs or salaries
- Staff development and training
- Software
- Capital purchases
- Financial audits
- Transportation, space rental, or food
- Implementation of operating plans or strategic plans
- Conference registration, workshop registration and travel
- Projects/activities already completed before the application is reviewed and approved by the review committee
- Printing, distribution and promotion of materials developed as a result of the project.
APPLICATION, PROCESS & DATES
Link to Online Application
Applications may be submitted by filling out the Online Application form above. United Way Winnipeg will accept submissions for a window of four weeks during two intake periods per year (Fall and Spring). The review committee will review all applications against the criteria to make final funding decisions. The 2024 Fall intake period is noted below.
FALL 2024:
Applications will be accepted starting October 7, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. to November 1, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions in December.
IMPACT STORIES
Are you unsure about how this grant can help build the capacity of your organization?
Here are a few success stories that help to paint a picture of impact:
Sexuality Education Resource Centre‘s Board of Directors updated its bylaws to enhance governance resilience and ensure compliance with legal obligations for non-profit organizations. In collaboration with legal experts, the revisions aimed to align with best practices and provide flexibility for future organizational changes. With support from United Way Winnipeg’s Organizational Development Grant, this work was paired with a full day of governance training for the Board, strengthening governance structure and board cohesion.
Thanks to an Organizational Development Grant from United Way Winnipeg, Ikayuqtiit Inc. completed its new branding. The new logo symbolizes the meaning behind the agency’s name. Ikayuqtiit is Inuktitut for “Inuit helping Inuit,” with traditional mitten shapes meeting at the top, an urban building and sun at the center, and a drum edge encircling it, representing the four Inuit regions and urban communities. This branding enhances Ikayuqtiit’s recognition, strengthens its social media and publications, and improves communication with the community and funders.
QUESTIONS?
For more information, please contact:
Madeline Dufresne
Community Investment Manager
204-924-6411
mdufresne@unitedwaywinnipeg.ca