United Way of Southwest Louisiana’s Partnership Grant process begins Nov. 1 with an online Letter of Intent (LOI). The process is open to all 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations doing human services work in a Southwest Louisiana Parish: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron or Jeff Davis. The deadline to submit the LOI online is 4:00 pm on Dec. 1. The online portal will open on Nov. 1 at unitedwayswla.org/partnership-grant.

“Donors fund our grants, so our Community Investment Volunteer Committee works hard to ensure every dollar is achieving results and making progress toward our goals in the four focus areas we know positively change lives,” says Denise Durel, President and CEO for United Way of Southwest Louisiana. “Each of our partner agencies has undergone a comprehensive review and aligns with our stated objectives as well as serving our ALICE families.”

Nonprofit organizations applying for the Partnership Grant must meet the requirements:

– Possess a 501(c)(3) or related status with the Internal Revenue Service

– Be in good standing with the Louisiana Secretary of State

– Serve individuals/families in our five-parish footprint

– Have a written Disaster Management Plan for operations during a natural disaster

– Services provided must fit into our Community Investment Strategy

The complete requirements can be found online at unitedwayswla.org/partnership-grant.

The online application will take an organization through the steps to complete the LOI. Once the LOI has been submitted and processed, all qualified applicants will be invited to move into the entire grant application process, called a Request For Proposal (RFP). 

United Way of Southwest Louisiana’s Community Investment Committee reviews all programs submitted for a grant by nonprofit organizations for significant alignment with identified objectives and evidence-based practices. The volunteers do a comprehensive review that rates community needs, financial accountability, equity and inclusion and the overall stability of the applicant. The Committee submits a formal recommendation to the Executive Board of Directors for final approval.