United Way of Greater Lorain County announced today that healthy agency applications for the 2010 funding cycle are now available. All Lorain County 501c3 health and human services organizations are encouraged to apply. This year’s applications must be completed online. Access to the online tool can be obtained by contacting Jan Rybarczyk at jan@uwglc.net or by calling 440-324-2898/440-277-6530 x33. All applications must be submitted no later than Friday, October 30, 2009. No applications will be accepted after the deadline.

There are specific criteria that each applicable 501c3 organization must meet to be deemed a healthy agency. Once an organization is determined by a team of community volunteers to be a healthy, that agency will be invited to participate in the second phase of the process which is the program funding proposal and site visit. Funded agencies are then required to submit financial, demographic and measurable outcome reports that are reviewed to assure that high accountability for each funded program is being maintained.

“We are very committed to being fiscally responsible with the funds that we so generously receive from our investors,” said Dave Janowicz, community impact & results team leader. “Our strict guidelines ensure that our communities’ resources are being utilized effectively,” he added.

The United Way of Greater Lorain County’s community impact fund has three priority impact areas that were determined by an assessment of the community. Those include:

• Strengthening Families – to enhance the quality of family life and to strengthen families as well as individuals by offering a range of programs that ultimately empower family members to function to the highest degree possible.
• Nurturing Children and Youth – to ensure that every child be provided a healthy, safe and nurturing learning environment by providing assistance in developing assets and protective factors that are proven to reduce those risk factors in their environment.
• Caring for Basic Needs – to ensure that all people living in the Greater Lorain County community can meet their basic needs for safety, adequate food, and access to safe and affordable shelter, crisis intervention and other situations requiring emergency assistance.

The mission of United Way of Greater Lorain County is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community through leadership, collaboration, and resource development. In doing so, United Way of Greater Lorain County establishes partnerships that focus on collaborative problem-solving, capacity building and high accountability standards for themselves and the agencies they serve. The United Way of Greater Lorain County currently provides funding to 51 programs at 27 community agencies.