UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL MARYLAND INC
1800 WASHINGTON BOULEVARD No 340, BALTIMORE, MD 21230 www.uwcm.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: UNITED WAY'S MISSION IS TO UNITE AND ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE PEOPLES LIVES. WE HAVE BEEN EMPOWERING FAMILIES TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT BY FOCUSING ON THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A BETTER LIFE: EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING AND HEALTH. FAMILY STABILITY IS AT THE DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION MISSION: HEART OF THIS WORK, WHICH INCLUDES HELPING CHILDREN BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL; ENSURING INDIVIDUALS, CHILDREN AND FAMILIES HAVE A SAFE, AFFORDABLE PLACE TO CALL HOME; HELPING PEOPLE FIND STABLE EMPLOYMENT THAT BRINGS IN ENOUGH INCOME TO COVER THE BASICS, AND ENSURING OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS FOOD AND HEALTHCARE.

UNITE AND ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE PEOPLE`S LIVES

OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM: For over 90 years, United Way of Central Maryland (United Way) has been a human service leader for the region, encouraging all central Marylanders to give, advocate and volunteer. United Way is dedicated to helping individuals and families facing poverty to meet their basic needs, stabilize and achieve self-sufficient lives. We do this through grantmaking, collaboration, promoting volunteerism and advocacy, and mobilizing resources as a trusted fundraiser. Additionally, United Way addresses local needs and creates impact through targeted direct-service initiatives.United Way uses expertise, data, and local knowledge to better understand the issues facing central Marylanders and to make informed investment and programmatic decisions. As part of this work, United Way convenes local stakeholders and actively works to develop collective impact strategies in partnership with other nonprofit organizations and government agencies. United Way has moved beyond fundraising and grantmaking and into creating innovative direct-service initiatives that support family stability in high need communities. United Way implements evidence-based best practices and incubates promising ideas in the areas of education, housing, health, and workforce development.United Way GrantmakingThrough our grantmaking, United Way works to sustain and grow the capacity of community-based partners to strengthen families and neighborhoods, underpinning the community safety net and improving the lives of Central Marylanders who are work hard but still can't make ends meet. We direct funding annually to approximately 100 nonprofit organizations through grants that target specific community needs, most through a competitive allocation process administered by our volunteer Region United Network Advisory boards (RUN Boards). In FY20, United Way provided seven types of grants: - Community Operating Grants - are the culmination of an annual competitive process in which hundreds of nonprofit organizations apply for funding through United Way's six local Region United Network (RUN) Boards, serving each of Central Maryland's jurisdictions: Baltimore City, and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. Funds are allocated among the six jurisdictions based on relative ALICE population and relative total population. RUN board volunteers use their local knowledge and subject matter expertise to assess where United Way funding and other support is most needed. They then evaluate applications and recommend grants of up to $30,000 each. Their operating grant recommendations are then reviewed and approved by the United Way's Board of Directors. - Directed Grants - are awarded to qualified nonprofit organizations based on recommendations from United Way RUN Boards and/or staff. United Way's Board of Directors approves direct grants to support our Impact Strategy programs and address community needs in the areas of Education, Health, Housing, and Workforce Development. - Neighbors United Grants - are dispersed by the United Way in conjunction with the Neighbors United Programmatic Team to provide capacity building and community engagement support to local non-profits to respond to neighborhood/ community needs. In FY20, three non-profits were selected through a competitive process to engage in neighborhood work in Meade/Severn, Anne Arundel County; Morrell Park, Baltimore City; and Lansdowne, Baltimore County. A group of community members, including board and local partners, use a scoring rubric to evaluate proposals and select partners with insights from United Way staff. These grants can be renewed for up to four years, with continuation contingent on successful completion of programmatic benchmarks each year. United Way Board approval is given on a yearly basis. - Emergency Relief Grants / Sponsored Grants - utilize funds raised by or donated to the United Way for the sole purpose of dispersing aid to the individuals, communities or organizations affected by a specific unforeseen disaster or emergency. Such crises include the Government Shutdown of 2018-2019. Funding for these grants is due to unforeseen circumstances, and thus the availability, disbursement, and recipients of these grants will vary from year to year. - COVID-19 Community Fund Grants - These grant opportunities began in March, 2020 and are specifically designed and extended to community partners to address the most critical community needs stemming from the COVID-19 global pandemic, including access to food, mental health, technology, and health/safety services. Most grants are offered through a competitive process in which United Way board members score applications and provide recommendations to United Way's executive committee. Some grants are directed grants, determined by United Way staff and leadership, and carried out as described in the "Directed Grants" section above. Grant Eligibility CriteriaAll eligible applicants applying to the Community Operating Grant and the Community Response Grant competitive process must provide: - Copy of their IRS Determination Letter - Most recent copy (within the last two fiscal years) of one of the following financial documents: - Financial audit of their organization (preferred for all organizations and required for organizations with annual revenues of $500,000 or more). - Financial statement reviewed by an independent auditor (acceptable only for organizations with annual revenues of less than $500,000). - Good Standing Certificate of Status - From Maryland's State Department of Assessments & Taxation (SDAT) - Current roster of their Board of DirectorsAll eligible applicants applying to the COVID-19 Community Fund must provide: - Copy of their IRS Determination Letter - Most recent copy (within the last two fiscal years) of one of the following financial documents: - Financial audit of their organization (preferred for all organizations and required for organizations with annual revenues of $750,000 or more). - Financial statement reviewed by an independent auditor (acceptable only for organizations with annual revenues of less than $750,000). - Internal financial statements (acceptable only for organizations with annual revenues of less than $350,000.) - Good Standing Certificate of Status - From Maryland's State Department of Assessments & Taxation (SDAT)All eligible applicants applying to any other competitive process, other than those mentioned in the two bullet points above, must provide: - Copy of their IRS Determination Letter - Most recent copy (within the last two fiscal years) of one of the following financial documents: - Financial audit of their organization (preferred for all organizations and required for organizations with annual revenues of $750,000 or more). - Financial statement reviewed by an independent auditor (acceptable only for organizations with annual revenues of less than $750,000). - Good Standing Certificate of Status - From Maryland's State Department of Assessments & Taxation (SDAT) - Current roster of their Board of DirectorsUnited Way's Grant Allocation ProcessUnited Way conducts a comprehensive and stringent grant allocation process that utilizes the extensive experience of staff and relies on the knowledge and insight of local professional and community leader volunteers who live or work in each respective jurisdiction and make up United Way's Region United Network Advisory Boards (RUN Boards). United Way utilizes these RUN Boards, one in each of the six central Maryland jurisdictions, to address local needs as they relate to the overall impact goals of United Way. United Way announces and promotes its grant funding opportunities through its website, through emails to a comprehensive regional list of non-profit agencies, and through a network of community partners, including its RUN Board members. Applications are reviewed by staff to ensure that applicants meet established eligibility criteria and are then reviewed by RUN Board members who score and rank the applications using established grant review guidelines. In some instances, RUN Boards are convened to review and discuss application scores and rankings and come to consensus on funding recommendations. In others, RUN Boards work with the United Way's Executive Management Team to make final decisions based on their scoring criteria.Each organization that receives a grant is required to submit the following: - Executed Grant Agreement signed by the organization's Executive Director/President/CEO - Copy of most recent W-9 form - Patriot Act compliance form - Legal Disclosure compliance form - United Way's 2-1-1 Maryland Information form

OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM: 211 MARYLAND IS AN ACCESSIBLE, FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICE FOR THE STATE OF MARYLAND. PEOPLE SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT SERVICES SUCH AS FOOD ASSISTANCE, SHELTER, MEDICAL CARE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, PROTECTION FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND MANY MORE, CAN CALL THIS EASY TO USE HELPLINE. AVAILABLE IN 150+ LANGUAGES, 211 CONNECTS CALLERS TO TRAINED, CERTIFIED CALL SPECIALISTS AT ONE OF FOUR NATIONALLY ACCREDITED CALL CENTERS IN MARYLAND WHO ASSESS THEIR NEEDS AND LINK THEM TO THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS USING A COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE OF FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL SERVICES - BOTH GOVERNMENT AND NON-PROFIT. 211 IS PART OF THE NATIONAL 211 SYSTEM AVAILABLE IN ALL 50 STATES, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND PUERTO RICO. 211 SYSTEMS ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN IDENTIFYING NEEDS OR GAPS IN SERVICES, PROVIDING A MORE ACCURATE PICTURE OF LOCAL NEEDS AND EMERGING TRENDS. RESULTS OF PROGRAM: DURING FY 2020, 211 MARYLAND UNITED WAY HELPLINE ANSWERED 132,590 CALLS. THE TOP SERVICES REQUESTED WERE UTILITY ASSISTANCE; HOUSING ASSISTANCE; FOOD ASSISTANCE, LEGAL/TAX ASSISTANCE; INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES; AND HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE. THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS SIGNIFIGANT AND CAN BE CLEARLY SEEN IN THE INCREASED REQUESTS FOR FOOD AND HEALTH RESROUCES. A 5.9% DECREASE IN REQUESTS FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE, A 95.7% INCREASE IN HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, AND A 55.6% INCREASE IN FOOD REQUEST IN FY 20 OVER FY 19. 211 WORKED WITH THE FUEL FUND OF MARYLAND TO PROVIDE EXPEDITED UTILITY ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME BGE CUSTOMERS WHOSE SERVICES WERE OFF AND WHO HAD APPLIED FOR ENERGY ASSISTANCE THROUGH OHEP. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CASH CAMPAIGN OF MARYLAND, 211 WORKED TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF EITC AND FREE TAX PREPARATION SITES. 211 HANDLED OVER 10,000 CALLS FOR FREE TAX PREPARATION AND SCHEDULED OVER 7,000 FREE TAX APPOINTMENTS. 211 WORKED WITH BGE HOMES TO PROVIDE HEATING SYSTEMS AND REPAIRS FOR THOSE IN NEED DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. OUR FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS DEMONSTRATED THAT 80% OF THE PEOPLE THAT CALLED IN TO 211 RECEIVED THE SERVICES THAT THEY WERE SEEKING.

In October 2017, UWCM took over the operations of the Ben Center and integrated the strategy/programs into operations. The United Way Ben Center is operated out of Benjamin Franklin High School in the Brooklyn/Curtis Bay neighborhood of Baltimore City. The unique concept has been designed to create a "hub" within the community that provides a safe nurturing environment for students and community members to not only seek out a vast array of services, but to be active participants in shaping their community to be what will help them fulfill their hopes and dreams for themselves, their family and the community. The program philosophy is one in which a network of partners has been created through evidence-based practices that will support steady, high rates of school attendance, boost student achievement, and engage families and stakeholders. Programs include family stability case managers, community school coordinators, mental health, workforce development, advocacy and the United Way Family Center. The United Way Family Center at Benjamin Franklin High School is a school-based Family Center that provides services to teen parents to keep them on track for high school graduation while equipping them with critical parenting skills and providing their children with early childhood education. Another such program has been developed for the Poppleton area of West Baltimore as well as planning and fundraising has begun for a United Way Family Center in Howard County. United Way Family Center has been instrumental in helping 45 student-parents graduate from high school.

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