This week, the United Way of Greater Augusta completed the work required to reinvest over $200,000 raised in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta Country back into agencies and programs that are making significant and direct impact on the financial stability, health, and education of our community neighbors.
“We’re excited and proud about the grant awards for this year,” explains Jeff Miracle, United Way of Greater Augusta CEO. “More funds raised locally are being reinvested back into local non-profits.” Since the agency’s ‘Bridge the Gap’ campaign last year, during which the United Way raised additional funds to meet its grant obligations, the agency has significantly reduced its overhead and secured outside funding for programs including the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
At the same time it was cutting costs, United Way was experiencing an increase in the number of requests for funding; with the increases in funding requests outpacing giving. “Need is growing in our area,” Mr. Miracle explained. “Other area funding agencies are also experiencing significant request increases.”
“We awarded $194,000 in grants last year,” Mr. Miracle continued, “This year we were able to increase that reinvestment to $205,000. However, we had requests for over $375,000 and as a result, we had to make some very difficult funding decisions.”
While the majority of applications were at least partially funded, not every request was able to be financially supported this year. In these cases, United Way continues to offer executive coaching partnerships, networking and collaborative programming coordination, smaller grant opportunities, and training to help support partner agencies.
For the 2019-2020 Awards Cycle, Citizen Investment Review Team members reviewed funding applications and participated in agency site visits. These citizen volunteers made funding recommendations to United Way Board of Directors for the programs that they reviewed using local impact data and United Way priority guidelines. The Citizen Investment Review Team and the Board Awards Team worked together using an Impact Model to see that donor funds are directed to community needs and programs that demonstrate measurable and sustainable outcomes.
United Way will celebrate the reinvestment of the community’s donations and recognize the organizations, individuals, and companies that help donate to community change at its Annual Awards Celebration on June 6th at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton.
The non-profits and programs funded this year are listed in the table below. For more information regarding the 2019-2020 Grant Award funding or the United Way of Greater Augusta, please contact Jeff Miracle at [email protected] or by call 540– 885–1229. Also, please visit United Ways of Greater Augusta’s web site at www.unitedwayga.org.
Applicant | Program |
Valley Program for Aging Services | Meals on Wheels |
Daily Living Center | Fee Assistance Program |
Staunton Creative Community Fund | Virginia Individual Development Accounts Program |
New Directions | Mental Health Counseling |
Talking Book Center | Talking Books |
Renewing Homes | Critical Home Repair |
Valley Supportive Housing | VSH Permanent Supportive Housing |
Fairfield Center | Community Mediation |
Salvation Army (Staunton) | Emergency Services—Rental/Mortgage Assistance |
Brain Injury of Shenandoah Valle | Circles of Support |
LEARN | Expanding Literacy to Adults |
Community Child Care | Sliding Fee Scale Program |
Project Grows | Support & Strengthen Food Education & Access in the SAW Region |
Blue Ridge Legal Services | Civil Legal Assistance to Low Income Households in Crisis |
Valley Children’s’ Advocacy Center | Child Abuse Support Services |
Blue Ridge CASA | Child Advocacy in SAW |
Valley Hope Counseling Center | Low Fee Counseling Services |
Girls Scouts | After-School Outreach with Boys and Girls Club |