Distribution of United Way Funds

United Way's Allocation Process

What it is

The Allocations Process determines the distribution ("allocation") of United Way funds.  This annual review happens every spring and is open to non-profits meeting health & human service needs in Blue Earth County, Le Sueur County, Nicollet County and Waseca County. This rigorous process means that United Way is serious about how it invests one of its key resources: your dollars.  

If you are an agency applying for funding, click here

How it works

The concept is simple: take the people who are doing the work day after day, and let them tell their story. Our goal is to find out what needs they see in our community, who they serve, how they spend the money, and what impact they have.

Every spring, local non-profit agencies submit their applications to United Way to request funding for their programs. The application includes everything from detailed budgets, to how many clients they serve, to assessments of the program's impact in our community, to details about the demographics of the people they serve.

Each year more than 90 United Way volunteers break into Community Impact Teams that undergo an intense training, and then review the applications, interview the non-profit agencies in person (when possible, on location), and finally, discuss the best allocation of United Way funds. These volunteers dedicate a total of over 1,000 hours throughout this process, and make a recommendation to the United Way Board of Directors on how United Way funds should be distributed in the following year.

What it means

When United Way kicks off its annual campaign each fall, we can communicate to you exactly what programs will receive United Way funding, and why it's so important that programs like these are available in the greater Mankato area. Our campaign goal is to raise funds to meet the needs of our partner programs.

The allocation review process goes beyond a review of numbers, results and data; it provides an avenue where resounding messages of gaps and needs in the community can be heard. These reviews have often planted the seeds for new programs to start as United Way initiatives because as the community's needs become apparent, United Way is able to generate awareness and convene stakeholders and resources to address the issues.

To inquire about applying for funding or volunteering on a community impact team call the Community Impact Director at 507-345-4551 or email mankatouw@mankatounitedway.org.