United Way, Strive to award $3.5M to nonprofits through Social Innovation Fund

The United Way of Greater Cincinnati and Strive, a non-profit urban education advocate, have just released a request for proposal (RFP) for its Social Innovation Fund. The Fund will award $3.5 million over three to five years to area nonprofits for their collaborative efforts to address economic opportunities, youth development and school support.

United Way and Strive are managing the fund, which was spurred by a $2 million award from the Corporation for National and Community Service, part of President Obama's national call to service initiative. That money was matched dollar for dollar by local partners; $3.5 million of a total of $4 million will go directly back into the community, said Mike Baker, director of the fund and a United Way employee.

"The purpose of the fund is to identify and support effective and innovative community solutions along the 'cradle-to-career' continuum in Cincinnati, Newport and Covington," Baker said.

The fund will go toward programs that target low-income communities in one of the following areas: "Kindergarten Readiness," "Fourth Grade Reading," "High School Graduation and College Preparedness," "Postsecondary Enrollment and Completion," and "Sustained Employment."

Baker said that grants will go to programs that have been proven to be successful.

Five to 10 local organizations or collaborations will be awarded dollars through the Social Innovation Fund. The RFP was released Oct. 1. Strive and United Way led an information session on the fund including the nuts and bolts of applying for program funding on Oct. 11.

Other funders include the Thomas J. Emery Memorial, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, KnowledgeWorks and the P&G Fund.

The grant for Cincinnati was part of a larger $50 million awarded to organizations that demonstrated innovation in developing community solutions in the areas of economic opportunity, health and youth development.

More than 60 organizations applied for these grants. The Cincinnati area joins the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, the National AIDS Fund, and Venture Philanthropy Partners in Washington D.C., which also received funding.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Mike Baker, director of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Social Innovation