Community Workforce Fund

The fund is available to Racine County-serving nonprofits. To be eligible to apply for funds, organization must meet all of the following criteria: 

• Serves residents of Racine County, WI. 
• Able to provide (upon request) detailed board-approved budgets and financial reports, including an audit or audited financial statements as required by State of Wisconsin Statute 202.12 (1)(b).
• Has been legally incorporated for at least six months. 
• Is tax exempt as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 
• Is governed by a voluntary board of directors, which has reviewed and approved the application for funding through the Community Workforce Fund. 
• Maintains a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity, and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 
• If currently receiving any funds from United Way, be in compliance with all funding agreements, policies and procedures. 
   

• The minimum amount for Community Workforce Fund requests is $1,000. The maximum request amount is $10,000.
• Organizations may be granted a maximum of one Community Workforce Fund per calendar year. 
• Funding is available until the available Community Workforce Fund dollars are exhausted. 
• Funds may be released in a lump sum, or on a reimbursement basis. Grants awarded on a reimbursement basis require receipts and/or paid invoices. Requests for reimbursement must be submitted within 60 days of the completion of the project/program/event or funds will be forfeited. 
• UWRC reserves the right to change the focus of the fund at any time.
   

Requests submitted on or before the last day of the month will be reviewed by United Way’s community investment community (CIC) the following month. Applications must be submitted online at www.unitedwayracine.org/CWF. Notification of funding will be issued by the end of the month of review. Grantees are required to submit an end-of-funding report within 60 days of the completion of the project/program/event. 

The review process is conducted by United Way staff, board members and community investment committee volunteers. Incomplete applications, applications that do not meet the eligibility requirements, and applications with misalignment between the request narrative and request budget will not be considered for funding. Proposals from organizations not in compliance with requirements for other United Way funds, current funding agreements and/or the community investment policies and procedures at the time of review will not be reviewed.

The president and CEO is responsible for monitoring expenditures from the Community Workforce Fund and reporting them in the monthly financial reports to the board.

All requests are reviewed and monitored by CIC. Expenditures from the UWRC Community Workforce Fund shall be approved as follows:

• Requests up to $25,000 are approved by the president, board chair, and vice chair-community investment or CIC.

• Funds cannot be used to cover expenses incurred prior to funding notification.
• Funds cannot be used to supplant existing budgeted items (e.g. existing organization dollars already allocated for the project/program/event cannot be displaced by United Way of Racine County Community Workforce Fund dollars and reallocated for other organizational expenses). 
• Pass-through purchases.
• Requests to support fundraising events/efforts will be not considered.
   

• Applications with misalignment between the request narrative and request budget will not be considered for funding.
• All fund requests are required to submit a complete and detailed budget and budget narrative. Budget details should include product sources, quantities, unit costs and calculations. 
• If the total budget for the project exceeds the amount requested from UWRC, there must be clear documentation of already-secured additional funding sources to cover the difference. 
• Requests may include quotes/estimates and/or brochures/registration details if you feel it will strengthen your proposal. Such materials can be submitted via email attachment in response to your confirmation email after successful application form submission. Quotes/estimates must be no more than six months old. 
• Requests should demonstrate thorough planning that will result in successful implementation.