United Way of Greater Cincinnati recently notified as many as 135 partner agencies they would receive a total of more than $9 million to help with fallout from the global pandemic and continue serving local families.
The money will be available in January, but granting the money now helps nonprofits budget for 2022. This continues United Way’s efforts to help nonprofits deal with the effects of COVID. These same partners were advanced allocated money last year to help with immediate COVID response and were among the groups that received $7.2 million in relief funding through the COVID-19 Regional Response Fund.
All grant recipients are partner agencies funded by United Way in the past few years and work throughout United Way’s 10-county service area in Northern Kentucky, Southwest Ohio, and Southeast Indiana. Together, they serve tens of thousands of residents across the region, helping families meet basic needs, reach financial stability, improve health and wellness and obtain a quality education, among other things.
A complete list of the agencies receiving funding can be found at uwgc.org.
“While the health effects of the pandemic seem to be subsiding, the economic effects are still raging and we know rebuilding is a long-term effort for many Greater Cincinnati families,” said Moira Weir, president and CEO of United Way. “Our local nonprofits are a crucial component to supporting families on their road to economic well-being. We are grateful for their work and proud to be part of the support system helping our community recover and revitalize.”
Nonprofits, faith-based organizations and other community groups served as boots on the ground during the COVID response. United Way initially advanced one month’s funding to all of its partner agencies so they could respond with force when the pandemic began to take hold. Throughout COVID, United Way offered other support, such as distributing 1.6 million masks — donated by Procter & Gamble — through agency partners.
United Way also expanded beyond partner agencies to work with hundreds of other community-based and faith-based groups to ensure equitable relief efforts. Weir said that work continues and United Way is committed to showing up and being relevant in all communities.
“We exist at the intersection of donor interest and community need,” she said. “Our donors trust us to know what is going on in our community, to assess where the need is greatest and to develop a plan that will not only meet the immediate need, but change the system so people are financially stable in the future. We are grateful to have that trust.”
United Way of Greater Cincinnati
