Investing $26 million to empower communities to build local solutions
March 10, 2022 – United Way is investing in solutions that fight poverty’s UNIGNORABLE issues by focusing on communities in Peel, Toronto and York Region as well as strengthening investments in Indigenous, Black and equity-led, focused and serving programs.
With the announcement of new funding, United Way is supporting 297 programs, and continuing to mobilize community resources to meet dynamic needs in this period of recovery while advocating for policy changes that enable long-term solutions. These community program grants are designed to be nimble yet also deliver lasting impact addressing the current and emerging issues in the GTA. The grants will reach 75 new or expanded programs and 43 new organizations.
Grounded in research and real-time data and building on extensive and careful review by staff and community volunteers, Daniele Zanotti, President & CEO, United Way Greater Toronto firmly believes this three-year portfolio of support will meet the current and emerging needs across Peel, Toronto and York Region.
“Poverty shows up geographically, and so do we,” said Zanotti. “United Way is evolving and responding to the most urgent needs. We do it by leaning into our core values: community leadership, trusted granting, equitable approaches, and working with all partners in a united way.”
After an open call for agencies to submit funding proposals, the organization received over 700 applications with requests totalling almost $79 million, which was 3 times the funding available. United Way is tackling thirteen core issues, including homelessness, food security, employment and mental health.
The three-year program grants complement United Way’s five-year anchor grants to agencies for programming and core operating support, and rapid response grants for emergency support. United Way has expanded its relationships to reach deep into community to work with new hyper-local organizations, offered flexibility with core funding, and extended program funding contracts to ensure agencies are well-positioned to meet critical needs and adapt new service models, as necessary. This investment in program funding is one of the ways that United Way delivers on its mission to meet urgent and changing needs by strengthening support for the GTA’s social safety net.
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About United Way: As the largest non-government funder of community services in the GTA, United Way Greater Toronto reinforces a crucial community safety net for people living in poverty. United Way’s network of agencies and initiatives in neighbourhoods across Peel, Toronto and York Region works to ensure that everyone has access to the programs and services they need to thrive today. Mobilizing the network and other community support, United Way tackles #UNIGNORABLE issues linked to poverty. United Way’s work is rooted in ground-breaking research, strategic leadership, local advocacy and cross-sectoral partnerships committed to building lasting solutions to the GTA’s greatest challenges. unitedwaygt.org
Media contact:
Abby Robins, Senior Manager, Communications, United Way Greater Toronto
Mobile: 416-254-9463 | Email: arobins@uwgt.org