Summer Grant Program

United Way of Indiana County is offering its 2026 Summer Grant Program to support nonprofit, government, school, church, and social service organizations that are working to improve the quality of life for residents throughout Indiana County, Pennsylvania. The United Way of Indiana County states that the mission of the grant program is to help meet critical human service needs and strengthen the community by inspiring and uniting local residents. The Summer Grant Program is administered by the United Way of Indiana County Grant Program Committee and the Board of Directors. The program is designed to provide small grants to organizations that present well-developed proposals addressing community priorities and unmet human service needs within Indiana County. The 2026 Summer Grant Program prioritizes projects that align with one or more of four major focus areas established by the funder: Youth Opportunity, Healthy Community, Financial Security, and Community Resiliency. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed activities directly contribute to improving conditions within these categories. The grant program supports initiatives that positively impact residents through programming, services, outreach activities, or events that address community challenges and improve access to support systems and opportunities. The program is intended to strengthen organizations that provide direct community benefits and meaningful outcomes for Indiana County residents. Eligible applicants include organizations recognized as 501(c)(3) nonprofit entities as well as other organizations that qualify to receive charitable contributions under Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. The grant opportunity is open to nonprofit organizations, schools, churches, government entities, and social service organizations serving Indiana County. Funding is awarded on a merit basis and applicants must demonstrate a strong programmatic plan that addresses an unmet community need. Projects are limited to one application per program. Organizations that have received United Way of Indiana County funding for the same project for two consecutive years are required to wait one year before applying again for that same project. The grant guidelines specify both allowable and prohibited uses of funds. Eligible expenses may include personnel costs for staff directly delivering services, marketing materials, printing expenses, program supplies, transportation costs related to service delivery, and equipment necessary for the direct provision of services. Any equipment purchases must be specifically detailed within the proposal and are subject to review and approval by the committee and Board of Directors. Funds may not be used for general operating expenses such as administrative salaries, mortgage or rent payments, utilities, insurance, maintenance, association dues, endowments, celebrations, operating deficits, or capital building expenditures. The guidelines also prohibit the use of funds for projects that have already received support through another United Way of Indiana County allocation process. The total amount and size of awards are determined annually by the United Way Grant Program Committee and the Board of Directors. The guidelines state that grants typically range between $500 and $2,500. All awarded funds must be spent within one year of allocation. Applications for the 2026 funding cycle opened on May 11, 2026, and must be submitted electronically no later than Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at noon. Grants are expected to be awarded by September 1, 2026. Although the organization provides downloadable paper application materials and guidelines for reference, only electronic submissions are accepted for consideration. Applicants are instructed to provide sufficient detail to help reviewers clearly understand the project goals, implementation strategy, and intended impact. The application process requires organizations to complete and submit the grant application electronically to the designated United Way email contact. Supporting materials include the grant guidelines, application form, and outcomes documentation. Questions regarding the grant program may be directed to Joe Fishell, Executive Director of United Way of Indiana County, while completed applications and reporting documentation are submitted through Carolyn Hainaut. Following completion of funded activities, grantees are required to submit a final report within 30 days of the end of the project or program. The report must demonstrate that grant funds were used for their intended purpose and must be completed using the United Way Grant Project Final Report Form. The organization also references prior grant cycles dating back to 2018, indicating that this is a recurring annual funding opportunity for local organizations serving Indiana County.

Clearly demonstrate how the project addresses an unmet human service need in Indiana County and align the proposal directly with one or more of the four priority areas identified by the United Way of Indiana County. Provide specific allowable expense details and a fully developed implementation plan.