United Way of Central Indiana awards $17.8M to 72 nonprofits in region

Funding will help nonprofits address basic needs, improve the education, financial stability & well-being of whole families

United Way of Central Indiana announced Wednesday that it is awarding $17.8 million to 72 nonprofits in the region to help meet the basic needs of Hoosiers and improve the education, financial stability and well-being of families.

The grants come from United Way’s Basic Needs and Family Opportunity Funds.

The Basic Needs Fund focuses on safe and affordable housing, healthy food access, transportation and health services. The Family Opportunity Fund supports integrated programming that serves both youth and adults in the same household, aimed at improving the education, financial stability and well-being of the whole family.

Three organizations received “Systems-Level” grants for work that addresses poverty through a broad, industry-wide approach, including building, maintaining and training the sector’s workforce and other system-wide strategies and public policy efforts to advance the sector in reducing poverty.

The grants range from $40,000 to $470,000 and are being awarded to nonprofits accredited with United Way of Central Indiana. Funding contracts begin Jan. 1, 2025.

A separate grant cycle is currently underway for nonprofits outside United Way’s accredited network, with that funding announcement expected in February.

For this round of funding, a committee of 16 people – United Way staff, board members and community volunteers – reviewed Basic Needs Fund applications, and a committee of 15 people reviewed Family Opportunity Fund applications. These committees made funding recommendations, which were approved by United Way’s Board of Directors at its Oct. 24 meeting.

Previously, nonprofits applied to the two funds separately and at different times of year. Starting this year, United Way has combined the funds into one application to ease the process for partners. Also new this year: multi-year funding, which will allow accredited partners to better plan for the future.

“United Way remains committed to partnering with community organizations to tackle issues Central Indiana residents are facing, and to ensure households have access to programs, resources and opportunities that help people live the lives they are most capable of living,” said Shannon Jenkins, United Way’s vice president of impact. “Funds awarded through the Basic Needs and Family Opportunity Funds will help more than 70,000 people and households have access to essentials and opportunities that lead to educational success, well-being and economic mobility for Central Indiana families.”

The grant recipients include:

• Alternatives Inc: $50,000 Basic Needs
• American Cancer Society: $40,000 Basic Needs
• American Red Cross of Central Indiana: $130,000 Basic Needs
• The Arc of Greater Boone County: $70,000 Basic Needs; $80,000 Family Opportunity
• At Your School (AYS): $50,000 Basic Needs
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana: $175,000 Family Opportunity
• Boone County Senior Services, Inc.: $50,000 Basic Needs
• Bosma Enterprises: $50,000 Basic Needs
• Boys & Girls Club of Boone County: $50,000 Basic Needs
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis: $175,000 Basic Needs
• Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville: $75,000 Basic Needs
• Brightlane Learning: $220,000 Family Opportunity
• Burmese American Community Institute: $70,000 Basic Needs; $80,000 Family Opportunity
• Catholic Charities Indianapolis: $200,000 Basic Needs; $280,000 Family Opportunity
• CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions: $250,000 Basic Needs
• Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE): $175,000 Basic Needs; $470,000 Family Opportunity
• Concord Neighborhood Center: $175,000 Basic Needs; $220,000 Family Opportunity
• Damien Center: $250,000 Basic Needs
• Early Learning Indiana: $300,000 Systems-Level
• Easterseals Crossroads: $75,000 Basic Needs; $260,000 Family Opportunity
• Edna Martin Christian Center: $200,000 Basic Needs; $470,000 Family Opportunity
• Englewood Community Development Corporation: $125,000 Basic Needs
• Family Promise of Hendricks County: $120,000 Basic Needs
• Fathers and Families Center: $100,000 Basic Needs; $380,000 Family Opportunity
• Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center: $100,000 Basic Needs; $175,000 Family Opportunity
• Firefly Children & Family Alliance: $200,000 Basic Needs; $175,000 Family Opportunity
• Flanner House of Indianapolis: $175,000 Basic Needs; $470,000 Family Opportunity
• Foster Success: $70,000 Basic Needs; $50,000 Systems-Level
• Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana: $200,000 Basic Needs; $380,000 Family Opportunity
• Hancock County Senior Services: $40,000 Basic Needs
• Hawthorne Community Center: $200,000 Basic Needs; $470,000 Family Opportunity
• Hendricks County Senior Services: $200,000 Basic Needs
• Horizon House: $250,000 Basic Needs
• HVAF of Indiana, Inc.: $100,000 Basic Needs
• Indiana Legal Services: $70,000 Basic Needs
• Indiana Youth Group (IYG): $200,000 Basic Needs
• Indianapolis Legal Aid Society: $120,000 Basic Needs
• Indianapolis Urban League: $200,000 Basic Needs; $470,000 Family Opportunity
• Indy Reads: $140,000 Family Opportunity
• John Boner Neighborhood Centers: $200,000 Basic Needs; $470,000 Family Opportunity
• The Julian Center: $120,000 Basic Needs
• La Plaza: $120,000 Basic Needs
• Little Red Door Cancer Agency: $150,000 Basic Needs
• Lutheran Child and Family Services: $250,000 Basic Needs; $470,000 Family Opportunity
• Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY): $150,000 Systems-Level
• Martin Center Sickle Cell Initiative: $70,000 Basic Needs
• Martin Luther King Community Center: $175,000 Basic Needs; $350,000 Family Opportunity
• Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation: $100,000 Basic Needs
• Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center: $200,000 Basic Needs; $220,000 Family Opportunity
• Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana: $120,000 Basic Needs
• Meals on Wheels of Hancock County: $80,000 Basic Needs
• Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic: $70,000 Basic Needs
• New Hope of Indiana: $120,000 Basic Needs
• Noble: $160,000 Basic Needs; $80,000 Family Opportunity
• PrimeLife Enrichment: $40,000 Basic Needs
• Public Advocates in Community Re-Entry (PACE): $120,000 Basic Needs; $140,000 Family Opportunity
• Reach for Youth: $50,000 Basic Needs; $175,000 Family Opportunity
• The Salvation Army Indiana: $200,000 Basic Needs
• Second Helpings: $250,000 Basic Needs
• Sheltering Wings: $175,000 Basic Needs
• Shepherd Community Center: $80,000 Basic Needs; $220,000 Family Opportunity
• Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County: $150,000 Basic Needs
• Southeast Community Services: $175,000 Basic Needs; $350,000 Family Opportunity
• St. Mary’s Early Childhood Center: $100,000 Basic Needs; $140,000 Family Opportunity
• Stability First: $70,000 Basic Needs
• Tangram, Inc.: $150,000 Basic Needs
• TeenWorks: $120,000 Basic Needs; $175,000 Family Opportunity
• The Villages of Indiana: $200,000 Basic Needs; $175,000 Family Opportunity
• Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana: $200,000 Basic Needs; $260,000 Family Opportunity
• WellSpring: $100,000 Basic Needs
• YMCA of Greater Indianapolis: $80,000 Basic Needs; $140,000 Family Opportunity
• YMCA of Morgan County: $220,000 Family Opportunity