$2M Investment In Black, Latino, and People of Color Led and Serving Nonprofits

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The Nonprofit Catalyst Grant will return in 2025. Please fill out our interest form to be notified once the application process begins.

Nonprofit Catalyst Grant – Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the grant—how can it be used? The grants are intended to support capacity-building strategies that support the long-term success of the organization, across several organizational domains:  governance, financial accountability, technology, communications, program development and evaluation, fundraising, leadership development, and strategic planning.  Funds can be used to cover staffing expenses, consultant contracts, professional services, small capital expenditures, and organizational operating expenses aligned with the capacity-building goals of the funding proposal.

How can an organization seek a grant from the fund?  The first step for seeking support from the Nonprofit Catalyst is to complete the interest form above..  Interested organizations will be contacted by a United Way staff member who will schedule a meeting to explore the organization’s eligibility for the fund and learn more about the applicant organization’s goals for the grant.  This is followed by the submission of an online funding application.  Funding decisions will be made within 3 weeks of a monthly application submission deadline.

What is the amount of funding that grantees will receive? Successful applicants will receive a nonrecurring grant ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, and generally not to exceed 20% of an organization’s operating budget, and based upon the specific need outlined in the applicant’s funding application.

What type of organizations are the focus of the fund? The intended beneficiaries of this fund are smaller 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that primarily serve communities of color and/or smaller 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that are led by BIPOC individuals (at board and staff level).  Eligible organizations are those with a mission that aligns with one or more of the following human service domains:  education, youth development, human services, community development, and those that have economic mobility, entrepreneurship support, and/or workforce skill building as a primary goal.  (Organizations uncertain about eligibility with respect to mission alignment are encouraged to consult with a United Way team member.)

What is the geographic focus of the fund? This grant opportunity is for organizations within the six-county Kansas City metro area (Jackson, Clay, Platte and Cass in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte in Kansas).

How is “small nonprofit” defined for the purpose of this initiative? This fund is intended to advance the progress of established organizations with an established track record of serving the community (for at least one year), and that have an annual operating budget between $25,000 and $500,000.  In assessing the budget size eligibility, we will consider the organization’s financial statements as reflected in the IRS Form 990, or a year-end financial statement or budget provided for review by the applicant organization. In addition, applicants must have at least one paid staff person who is responsible for day-to-day operations of the organization (who may be in full-time, part-time or contract role).

How does United Way define “BIPOC-led” for the purpose of this initiative? A priority focus of this initiative is the investment in the capacity of organizations that are founded by or led by leaders from communities of color, either at the staff or board level (i.e.: Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer or President is from a community of color, majority of board members or executive staff are from communities of color, etc.).  Other organizations whose mission is focused on addressing the effects of racial inequality and who predominantly serve communities of color (as demonstrated by demographic service delivery data) are also candidates for this grant opportunity. Organizations that are not BIPOC-led will be asked to share how their program design and service delivery approaches are informed by input from leaders within the communities of color they serve or BIPOC members of the community with lived experience valuable to program design and delivery.

What is the timeframe of this grant opportunity? Grants are intended to provide a nonrecurring investment to support work that takes place over a limited timeframe, generally one year.  However, the time period over which grants are used is flexible and applicants will be asked to define the grant period at the time of application.  This period may be adjusted after the grant is awarded, based on the grantee’s progress accomplishing the specific goals outlined in the application.

For more information, please complete the interest form above.