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United Way Of Coastal And Western Connecticut Inc

Annual Giving
$0.5M
Grant Range
$3K - $0.1M
Decision Time
2mo
Success Rate
68%

United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $500,000+ in competitive grants (FY 2025)
  • Success Rate: Approximately 68% (Social Equity Council program)
  • Decision Time: Announced by mid-June
  • Grant Range: $2,500 - $100,000+
  • Geographic Focus: Greater Bridgeport, Greater Danbury, Greater Norwalk, Southern Litchfield County, and Stamford, CT

Contact Details

Address: 301 Main Street, Suite 2-5, Danbury, CT 06810
Phone: 203-792-5330
Website: https://www.unitedwaycwc.org
Grant Inquiries: communityimpact@unitedwaycwc.org
ALICE Fund: archeline.youte@unitedwaycwc.org

Overview

United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut (UWCWC) has been serving communities across 27 municipalities in Fairfield and Southern Litchfield Counties since its founding. The organization focuses on improving the lives of ALICE households—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed families who earn above the federal poverty level but cannot afford basic necessities. With approximately 40% of Connecticut households falling below the ALICE Threshold in 2023, UWCWC mobilizes community resources to create lasting change in health, education, and financial stability. The organization serves more than 25% of the state's population and distributed funding to 126 nonprofits across multiple grant programs. UWCWC has embraced trust-based philanthropy principles, offering unrestricted funding to support organizational flexibility and sustainability.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Impact Philanthropy Grant Program (2025-2026): $332,000 available

  • Basic Needs Grant: $232,000 pool supporting organizations providing essential services (food, housing, utilities, childcare, healthcare) to ALICE households
  • Community Catalyst Grant: $100,000 pool providing unrestricted funding to grassroots organizations and civic engagement/community-building initiatives serving ALICE households
  • Mini-Grants: $2,500 - $10,000 unrestricted grants for organizations not currently funded by United Way

City of Danbury Social Service Grants: Approximately $204,000 annually

  • Administered since 2009 in partnership with the City of Danbury
  • Supports Greater Danbury area organizations serving Danbury residents
  • Application: Annual cycle with mid-year decisions

Social Equity Council Community Reinvestment Grant: $1.8 million (pilot program)

  • UWCWC serves as third-party grant manager for Connecticut's Social Equity Council
  • Funds programs uplifting communities impacted by the war on drugs
  • Focus areas: (1) reentry and reintegration, (2) youth education and recreation
  • Note: 84 organizations submitted requests totaling $7.5M for this highly competitive program

Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP): Variable amounts

  • Federal program administered locally by UWCWC
  • Supports emergency food and shelter services in Greater Danbury and Stamford

ALICE Fund: Direct cash assistance to individuals at or below ALICE Threshold

Priority Areas

Financial Stability: Programs helping ALICE households achieve economic security, including rent/mortgage assistance, utility assistance, deposit assistance, and financial education

Education and Childcare: Early childhood education, childcare services, after-school activities, and educational programs

Health and Wellness: Healthcare programs, mental health services, food pantries, emergency feeding providers, and health promotion initiatives

Housing/Shelter: Safe and affordable housing access and retention, shelter services, and homelessness prevention

Community Building: Civic engagement, grassroots organizing, and community-building initiatives that support ALICE households

ALICE Household Focus: All programs must serve households at or below the ALICE Threshold—the minimum cost to live and work in Connecticut, which includes housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, technology, taxes, and miscellaneous expenses

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not detailed in available materials, but eligible organizations must:

  • Serve communities within Greater Bridgeport, Greater Danbury, Greater Norwalk, Southern Litchfield County, or Stamford
  • Focus on ALICE households in areas of health, education, and financial stability
  • For Danbury Social Service Grants: must serve Danbury residents specifically

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO: Isabel Almeida

Chief Operating Officer: Ashley Barnett Gaudiano, JD

Board of Directors (Selected Members):

  • Vikram Nafde (Chair, 2024-2025), Chief Information Officer at Webster Bank - elected June 2024 for three-year term through 2027
  • Rowena Bergmans - Board member (joined 2025)
  • José Juan Casarrubias Adame - Board member (joined 2025)
  • Noel Anderson, Pitney Bowes Inc.
  • Christina Bodine Aysseh, Atlantic Community Bankers Bank
  • Doreen Bentson, Genworth
  • Paul Bruce, Union Savings Bank
  • Luis Diez, Northern Trust Asset Management
  • Carmen Hughes, City of Stamford
  • Thomas McCarthy, Town of Trumbull
  • Aaron Meyer
  • Mark Ouellette
  • Giles Payne
  • Gerald Rosenberg
  • Michael Stern
  • Sam Tingley, M&T Bank Corporation
  • Robert Trefry
  • Katherine Webster-O'Keefe

The board represents diverse sectors including banking, government, and corporate leadership, reflecting the organization's commitment to collective impact across the region.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Impact Philanthropy Grant Program:

  1. Review the full NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) and grant guidelines at https://www.unitedwaycwc.org/grant-opportunities
  2. Attend a required information session (sessions typically held in March for spring application cycles)
  3. Register or log in to the e-CImpact grant management system at https://agency.e-cimpact.com/login.aspx?org=08090F
  4. Submit application by the deadline (April 22, 2025 for 2025-2026 cycle)
  5. Paper applications available for those unable to access the e-CImpact portal

Danbury Social Service Grants:

Social Equity Council Grants:

  • UWCWC serves as grant administrator
  • Application process and deadlines vary by cycle
  • Contact for specific opportunities

ALICE Fund (Individual Assistance):

Decision Timeline

Impact Philanthropy Grants: Applications due late April; decisions announced by mid-June; grant period typically runs July 1 - June 30

Danbury Social Service Grants: Announced mid-year (typically February-March for following fiscal year funding)

Notification Method: Email notification to applicants; announcements posted on website and via press releases

Success Rates

For the Social Equity Council Community Reinvestment Grant program, 84 organizations submitted requests totaling over $7.5 million for $1.8 million available—more than four times the available funding. Of these, 57 nonprofit projects received funding, representing approximately a 68% acceptance rate.

The organization notes that "community needs far outpace the available funding, making it likely that we will receive more applications than we can fund," indicating competitive application processes across programs.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations that did not receive funding in previous cycles are explicitly encouraged to apply. The 2025-2026 Impact Philanthropy program specifically created a $100,000 mini-grants pool "for organizations that did not receive FY 24 grants through either legacy United Way," demonstrating openness to new applicants and organizations that were previously unsuccessful.

No specific waiting periods or restrictions for reapplication were found in available materials.

Application Success Factors

Trust-Based Philanthropy Approach: UWCWC has committed to trust-based philanthropy principles, making Impact Philanthropy grants unrestricted. This reflects their belief in supporting organizational flexibility and sustainability. Committee members receive equity and trust-based philanthropy training to ensure decisions are made with equity at the forefront.

Strategic Focus on ALICE Households: All successful applications must demonstrate clear service to households at or below the ALICE Threshold. The 2023 ALICE Threshold in Connecticut represents a household survival budget of approximately $126,018 annually (or $63/hour wage). Understanding and articulating how your program serves this specific population is critical.

Attend Information Sessions: UWCWC requires or strongly encourages attendance at information sessions before applying. These sessions provide crucial insights into application expectations, evaluation criteria, and program priorities.

Systemic Change Focus: The organization seeks to support nonprofits that "address critical community needs and drive systemic change." Applications should articulate both immediate impact and longer-term systems-level change.

Competitive Landscape: With application demand often exceeding available funding by 4:1 or more, applications must clearly demonstrate impact, organizational capacity, and alignment with UWCWC priorities.

Fewer, Larger Grants Strategy: UWCWC has made a strategic decision to "award fewer, larger grants with a targeted focus on serving low- to moderate-income households to achieve greater impact." This suggests they prefer funding organizations positioned for significant, sustained impact rather than spreading resources thinly.

Equity Lens: Grant decisions are made "with equity at the forefront." Applications should demonstrate cultural competency, equity-focused programming, and awareness of systemic barriers facing ALICE households.

e-CImpact Proficiency: The organization uses the e-CImpact grant management system. Organizations should ensure they can navigate this system or request paper applications if needed. Having an existing account or being familiar with the platform is helpful.

Service Area Alignment: Organizations must serve communities within UWCWC's service area (Greater Bridgeport, Greater Danbury, Greater Norwalk, Southern Litchfield County, Stamford).

Focus Area Alignment: Programs must align with at least one of UWCWC's three core areas: health, education, or financial stability.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Understand the ALICE framework: Successful applications must clearly articulate how they serve households earning above poverty level but below the basic cost of living. Use UWCWC's ALICE data and language in your application.

  • Unrestricted funding advantage: UWCWC now offers unrestricted grants through their trust-based philanthropy approach. Emphasize organizational capacity and fiscal responsibility rather than just program-specific needs.

  • Consider mini-grants for new applicants: If you haven't received funding from either legacy United Way, the $2,500-$10,000 mini-grant pool provides a lower-barrier entry point to build a relationship with the funder.

  • Information sessions are essential: These required or strongly encouraged sessions provide critical insights into evaluation criteria and priorities. Attend and take detailed notes.

  • High competition requires strong differentiation: With 4:1 application-to-funding ratios in some programs, your application must clearly demonstrate unique value, strong outcomes, and organizational capacity.

  • Equity must be central: UWCWC evaluates applications through an equity lens and trains reviewers in equity-focused decision-making. Demonstrate cultural competency, equity-focused programming, and understanding of systemic barriers.

  • Leverage multiple funding streams: UWCWC administers several different grant programs. Consider which program(s) best align with your work—Impact Philanthropy, Danbury Social Services, Social Equity Council, or EFSP.

  • Reapplication is welcomed: Previously unsuccessful applicants are explicitly encouraged to apply, with dedicated funding set aside for organizations new to United Way funding.

References

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