United Way of Allen County provides funding for specific programs that address the targeted needs of our community assessment, Goals for the Common Good. These needs are revealed in our bi-annual Community Assessment, a comprehensive document that helps set our funding priorities. These dollars come from our general Community Fund and are allocated by volunteers in the community who review grant requests for program funding from our agency partners.
No monies from this pool of funds are given directly to our agency partners to use at their discretion. Funds are used only to support those identified programs which our agency partners administer.
This practice of program funding began in 1996 and was meant to make the most of the dollars available by making sure they are used in an efficient and effective manner. These targeted programs are held to strict accountability standards and are reviewed on an every-other-year basis to coincide with our funding cycle.