Chester County United Way is requesting proposals for Community Impact and Innovation Grants that address issues related to financial stability and self-sufficiency for individuals and families. CCUW remains focused on serving ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and addressing the needs of disadvantaged and at-risk individuals and families in Chester County by funding effective and targeted programs and services.
Only applicants with a primary mission to relieve food insecurity, stabilize housing, and/or provide mental/behavioral health services will be considered. In very limited cases, proposals for basic needs may be considered where the services are clearly defined, unduplicated, and of immediate need in the community. Please review the following guidelines carefully to ensure that your program or service is aligned before you submit your application.
Eligible Organizations Must:
- Provide programs/services that are fully aligned with CCUW priorities and address the needs of ALICE
- Serve primarily Chester County residents and have full-time local physical presence and programming
- Have current 501c3 status or similar tax-exempt status
- Register with the State of Pennsylvania, Bureau of Charitable Organizations (as required)
- Respond to CCUW inquiries regarding proposal details and complete reporting requirements
Quick Links:
- Grant Guidelines (Word)
- Grant Guidelines (PDF)
Grant Q&A Session
September 30 | 1-2pm
During this session, we’ll walk through the Fall 2025 grant cycle guidelines and answer questions from individuals considering applying on behalf of their organization.
Community Impact Priorities
Prior to each funding cycle, the target population, priority focus areas, goals and outcomes are reviewed and may be modified. Such modifications may result in a previously funded program or service no longer aligning with CCUW priorities. These modifications are not an indication of the importance or quality of services but rather targeted approaches to meaningfully impact the most immediate and emerging needs of the vulnerable populations in our community.
Successful applicants will be able to measure and demonstrate outcomes related to financial stability and basic needs such that individuals and families receive:
- Food assistance
- Emergency or transitional shelter placement
- Permanent housing placement
- Assistance that otherwise stabilizes housing (i.e. home repairs, eviction prevention, aging in place modifications, unique programs that fill gaps in services, etc.)
- Legal assistance
- Mental/behavioral health services
- Clearly defined and unduplicated basic need provisions
Requirements
Eligible applicants must complete and submit the application in its entirety. Deadline for submission is 4:59 PM on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. No exceptions will be made. No late or incomplete applications will be accepted. Note: You will not be able to save and return to the application. Please save the prompts and your responses, and return to the application to submit the information. Decisions will be announced in early December.
For a complete list of guidelines and priorities, please review the Grant Guidelines here.