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United Way Of Greater Philadelphia And Southern New Jersey

Annual Giving
$20.5M
Grant Range
$50K - $0.1M
Decision Time
4mo
Success Rate
18%

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $20,500,000 (FY2023)
  • Success Rate: ~18% (100 awarded from 500+ applicants for Partnership Grant Program)
  • Decision Time: 3-4 months (January to June cycle)
  • Grant Range: $50,000 - $50,000 (standardized two-year grants)
  • Geographic Focus: 9-county region across Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey

Contact Details

Website: https://unitedforimpact.org

Main Office: 1800 John F Kennedy Blvd, Suite 1200, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: (215) 665-2500

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 787897, Philadelphia, PA 19178

Application Portal: https://unitedforimpact.submittable.com/submit

Overview

Founded as a philanthropic organization serving Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) operates across a 9-county footprint (Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania; Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, and Cumberland counties in New Jersey). With over $20.5 million invested in FY2023, the organization partners with 150+ community organizations to end poverty and expand opportunity. Led by President and CEO Bill Golderer since 2018, UWGPSNJ supports 20,000+ donors and 400+ corporate partners. The organization restructured its flagship Partnership Grant Program in 2023 to prioritize collective learning, high-trust relationships, and diverse perspectives over traditional outcomes-focused metrics. UWGPSNJ manages specialized initiatives including the Digital Navigator Network, 211 Helpline, Violence Prevention Hotline, and Record Clearing Clinics.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Partnership Grant Program: $50,000 per year for two years (unrestricted funding)

  • Limited to 100 organizations per cycle
  • Standardized grant amount across all grantees
  • Rolling application schedule by pillar throughout fiscal year
  • Two-year grant cycle (FY24-FY25)

Priority Areas

Early Learning: Child development, school readiness, K-3 literacy, tutoring, out-of-school-time programs, parent/caregiver programs for families with children from infancy through age 8. In FY2023, programs reached 137,939 children and families.

Career Pathways: Career readiness, adult education, workforce development, industry partnerships, entrepreneurship services. In FY2023, programs supported 88,430 young adults in education and job training.

Financial Empowerment: Asset-building, wage advancement, matched savings programs, financial literacy. In FY2023, programs assisted 134,443 people.

Community Resiliency: Basic needs assistance, emergency relief, utility assistance, food security, housing support. In FY2023, programs created 3,403,404 touchpoints connecting people to basic needs.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but eligibility is restricted to organizations serving the 9-county Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey region with missions focused on alleviating poverty.

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO: Bill Golderer - Joined in 2018 from Arch Street Presbyterian Church. Golderer states: "When our work is through, every low-income family in our region will have what they need to support themselves and improve their lives." He emphasizes that "poverty is what's called a 'wicked' problem — there's not one cause and there's not one solution."

Executive Team:

  • Melissa Culp - Vice President, Development & Operations
  • Sybille Damas - Vice President, Human Resources
  • Alyssa Love - Vice President, Accounting & Finance
  • Stacey Woodland - Vice President, Impact
  • Kelly Woodland - Executive Director, Center for Leadership Equity
  • Erin Morton - Executive Director, Philadelphia Partnership for Nutrition & Health

Board Leadership:

  • Melinda K. Holman - Board Chair, Chairman of Holman Automotive
  • Board includes leaders such as Dalila Wilson-Scott (Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast)

Key Leadership Quote: Kate Houstoun (leadership team) stated: "The success of the Partnership Grant Program will be based on the quality of what we learn."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the online Submittable portal at https://unitedforimpact.submittable.com/submit. Applicants must create a free Submittable account. Different pillars (Early Learning, Career Pathways, Financial Empowerment, Community Resiliency, Education & Mentorship) open on a staggered schedule throughout the fiscal year.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Located in one of the 9 service counties (PA: Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia; NJ: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland)
  • Mission focused on alleviating poverty in the region
  • Programs, services, or activities align with United Way's focus areas
  • Operate programs in and/or provide services to the 9-county region

Decision Timeline

Typical Application Cycle (based on 2023 Partnership Grant Program):

  • Application Opens: Late January
  • Applicant Questions Due: Mid-February
  • Application Closes: Early March
  • Application Review: March-May (3 months)
  • Award Notifications: June

Total Timeline: Approximately 3-4 months from application opening to award notification.

Success Rates

In 2023, the Partnership Grant Program received over 500 applications and awarded grants to 100 organizations, representing approximately an 18% success rate. Nearly half of the selected grantees had not received grants in the previous cycle, and 30 had never applied to United Way before, demonstrating openness to new partners.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. The organization accepts new applicants and has shown willingness to fund organizations without previous United Way relationships.

Application Success Factors

Program Restructuring Priorities: In 2023, United Way fundamentally shifted from outcomes-focused to learning-focused grants. According to Kate Houstoun, "The success of the Partnership Grant Program will be based on the quality of what we learn." This represents a significant philosophical change that values knowledge-sharing and diverse perspectives over traditional metrics.

What United Way Values:

  • Organizations "knowledgeable about their fields and communities"
  • Partners "interested in contributing to United Way's understanding of poverty issues"
  • Willingness to engage in collective learning and collaboration
  • Diverse perspectives on poverty-fighting solutions

Diversity Priorities: United Way explicitly seeks diverse organizations across:

  • Fields of practice
  • Geographic areas served
  • Demographics of populations served
  • Organization size and age
  • Leadership diversity

Recent Grantee Examples (2023 Partnership Grant Program):

  • Early Learning: Big Brothers Big Sisters, First Up, UrbanPromise Ministries, ACLAMO
  • Career Pathways: Coded by Kids, Graduate Philadelphia, First Step Staffing, University City Science Center
  • Financial Empowerment: Compass Working Capital, Habitat for Humanity, Hopeworks Camden, Women's Opportunities Resource Center
  • Community Resiliency: Broad Street Ministry, Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Pathways to Housing PA, Share Food Program

Application Focus: The restructured application process focuses on what United Way can learn from organizations, rather than requiring extensive demonstration of outcomes. This suggests applications should emphasize organizational knowledge, community insights, and willingness to participate in shared learning.

New Organization Friendliness: With 30% of 2023 grantees being first-time applicants, United Way demonstrates genuine openness to organizations without existing relationships.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Learning over outcomes: The Partnership Grant Program prioritizes knowledge-sharing and collective learning rather than traditional outcome metrics—frame your organization as a knowledge partner, not just a service provider.

  • Diversity advantage: United Way actively seeks diverse organizations across multiple dimensions (size, age, geography, leadership, populations served)—newer and smaller organizations have genuine opportunities.

  • Standardized funding: All Partnership Grant Program recipients receive the same amount ($50,000/year for two years), eliminating need to justify specific budget amounts.

  • Competitive but accessible: With an 18% success rate (100 from 500+ applicants), competition is significant but not prohibitive, especially given openness to first-time applicants.

  • Mission alignment is critical: Organizations must demonstrate a clear focus on poverty alleviation within the 9-county service area—general programming won't succeed without this specific alignment.

  • Long application cycles: Plan for 3-4 months between application submission and decision, with different pillars opening throughout the fiscal year on a staggered schedule.

  • Unrestricted funding philosophy: Grants are unrestricted, signaling United Way's trust-based approach and belief in organizational autonomy.

References

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