United Way of Central Ohio

2010 Program Investment Process

Through its program investment process, United Way of Central Ohio provides funding to high
quality human service programs which support the achievement of nine community results. The
new program investment process will begin in fall 2008 and conclude in fall 2009 with
investment decisions for the three-year period beginning January 2010.

The 2010 program investment process will include the following features:

• UWCO will continue to invest in programs, rather than provide general operating support for
agencies
• Community results and performance measures will serve as the framework for all program
funding;
• Funding will be provided through a multi-year (three year) funding cycle;
• Investment decisions will be based on consistent investment criteria;
• Emphasis will be placed on leveraging UWCO investments to achieve greater impact;
• UWCO will not guarantee future funding or any specific amount of funding to currently
funded programs;
• Collaboration among non-profit organizations and service systems will be encouraged;
• The process will reflect UWCO’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and its emphasis on
reducing racial disparities;
• UWCO will continue to focus on accountability to donors and the broader community for
funds invested in local programs; and
• The amount of program funding available to invest in each community result will be
determined through decisions by the Community Impact Cabinet and Impact Councils.

Eligibility

The process will be open to a broad group of not-for profit organizations which meet specific
eligibility requirements, including the following:

• Supports UWCO’s mission, values and strategic direction;

• Offers programs that support and respond directly to UWCO community results, strategies
and performance measures;
• Has a current, complete PowerPhilanthropy portrait established with the Columbus
Foundation;
• Qualifies as an exempt organization under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
• Can verify three years of organizational history through written documentation of 501 (c) (3)
status for a minimum of 3 years;
• Has proof of current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance;
• Has current certification of compliance with all applicable licensing, accreditation and other
applicable legal requirements;
• Has current certification of Patriot Act compliance and completion of verification form; and
• Completes the UWCO statement of Non-Discrimination for each program for which funding
is requested.

All proposals must focus on services or program activities that take place in Franklin County. As
a condition of program funding, agencies must agree to comply with UWCO reporting and
accountability requirements and other eligibility criteria specified in UWCO Agency Membership
and Program Funding Requirements and Benefits.

Volunteer and Staff Roles

Volunteers and UWCO staff will have key and complementary roles with program review and
decision-making. Volunteers will provide input and oversight in the development of investment
criteria and priority considerations, will review and approve all Letter of Intent recommendations,
will provide input during the review of full proposals, will assess and recommend funding for a
select group of higher and lower rated proposals, and will review and approve the total package
of recommendations.

UWCO staff will assume greater responsibility for the direct review of Letters of Intent and full
proposals, coordinate follow-up and conduct site visits, facilitate and incorporate volunteer input
and guidance for the process, work collaboratively with volunteer teams to make
recommendations about a select set of proposals that are rated high and low, and coordinate
the final set of recommendations for approval by the UWCO Board of Trustees.

Letter of Intent (LOI) and Full Proposal Components of the Process

The process will include two phases: Letter of Intent and Full Proposal. Through the submission
of brief Letters of Intent, agencies will share their strongest ideas about ways to assist in
achieving community results. The LOIs will be reviewed using consistent investment criteria and
selected programs will move forward to the full proposal phase. Programs that are successful in
the LOI review will be given a specific range of funding which they may request in the full
proposal.

The full proposals will include more comprehensive programmatic and financial information,
which will be reviewed using consistent investment criteria. Site visits will be conducted for new
programs and other programs, as needed. This phase will include opportunities to pose
questions and conduct follow-up contacts with program representatives.

Key Activities and Dates

Date Activity
Summer/Fall 2008 Information/Orientation sessions for not-for-profit organizations
October 15, 2008 Letter of Intent released
December 1, 2008 Letters of Intent due at UWCO
March 16, 2009 Agencies notified about LOI decisions
May 1, 2009 Full proposals due at UWCO
September, 2009 Funding recommendations approved by Impact Councils
October, 2009 Funding recommendations approved by UWCO Board
January, 2010 Funding for three-year cycle begins