'Significant need': United Way awards $9 million in nonprofit grants to help struggling families

Over the next two years, the Jacksonville-based United Way of Northeast Florida plans to distribute $9.05 million among 37 nonprofits to help people in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and northern St. Johns counties who are having trouble staying financially afloat.

The nonprofits collectively serve about 210,000 people, providing food, housing, education and workforce development. The grants will help them expand those efforts.

"Every day, thousands of families in our community are struggling to make ends meet," Ned Peverley, chairman of the area United Way's community impact council, said.

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"They’ve navigated a global pandemic and are now faced with the rising costs of housing, food, transportation and other basic expenses," he said. "This investment unites a network of local partners in providing targeted intervention and support that will amplify our impact on the region and change even more lives for the better."

The funding stems from a two-year effort led by the board, with input from area businesses, government and nonprofits, to "deliver greater accountability and results," according to the United Way. The agency also re-focused its resources and investments on basic needs, financial well-being and racial equity.

Funding designated for four focus areas

"In an economically mobile community, every individual — regardless of the color of their skin or the ZIP code in which they were born — has the opportunity to do better than the generation before," said United Way CEO Melanie Patz. "If we intend to achieve our vision of creating a community of opportunity where everyone has hope and can reach their full potential, we have to begin by addressing the barriers limiting economic mobility.”

In a similar funding initiative in 2018, the United Way awarded $8.4 million to 67 programs addressing a wide range of community challenges. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that two-year funding period was twice extended, which allowed the grant recipients to continue offering critical services, according to the agency.

The latest funding, totaling $9.05 million, will be divided among four focus areas: food insecurity, housing, education and workforce development.

The United Way sought grant proposals and 81 nonprofits applied, seeking a total of $13.6 million. That response showed "significant need that exists in our community." agency spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said.

A 42-member review committee of focus-area experts, community leaders and staff used a scoring matrix to make the "difficult decisions" of which nonprofits received funding, she said.

"We’ve nearly doubled our average funding amount per program," she said.

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• About $3.6 million of the total $9.05 million will go to 13 nonprofits that help people find stable employment. Leon Baxton is CEO of one of them, Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, a dropout prevention program which has helped about 110,000 students stay in school and find jobs.

"We are excited to be one of the recipients," he said. "This grant will allow Communities In Schools to expand and enhance our workforce development efforts with local high school students, connecting them with local jobs and internships that could set them up for success after they graduate."

• About $2 million will go to agencies that work to reduce homelessness by offering rent and utility assistance, emergency shelter and affordable housing options. Among them is Ability Housing, which operates apartment complexes with supportive services for people with disabilities or at risk of homelessness and recently took on management of Jacksonville's first tiny-house community.

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"Improving economic mobility is essential in strengthening an individual’s overall stability," said Ability Housing President and CEO Shannon Nazworth. "This investment … will allow Ability Housing to increase our capacity to serve our community’s most vulnerable neighbors by providing high-quality supportive housing."

That additional capacity, she said, will be "furthering United Way’s vision of creating communities of opportunity and complementing Ability Housing’s mission of building strong communities where everyone has a home."

Another housing-grant recipient is Family Support Services, the lead agency for foster care, adoption and family preservation in Duval and Nassau counties.

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"Stable housing is a vital component of our family preservation efforts and the funding announced by the United Way … will allow more families who are facing a housing crisis to continue to care for their children in a safe home of their own," Jenn Petion, president and CEO, said. "No child should be removed from their parents because of poverty and this partnership strengthens the safety net for vulnerable families to ensure that remains true in our community."

New funding and existing initiatives will create 'collective impact'

• About $1.7 million will go to eight nonprofits that provide food pantries, mobile food distribution and weekend meals for students in need, including Feeding Northeast Florida. The regional food bank distributes about 32 million pounds of food to the needy annually.

"We applaud United Way’s recognition of the profound importance of economic mobility in lifting our community, and their commitment to improving food security as a pillar objective," president and CEO Susan King said. "This funding … will provide much-needed food resources to agencies and programs throughout our area, many of whom are also included in this United Way grant funding. This funding expands our partnership with United Way, building on the support we have previously received through emergency funding programs in response to hurricanes and the pandemic."

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The "collective impact," King said, will be exciting to watch.

• Another $1.8 million will go to nonprofits that increase access to quality education and address barriers to academic success in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, which provide after-school programming and summer camps for about 4,800 youth at 48 locations in Duval, Clay, St. Johns and Alachua counties, is among the recipients. The funding will be applied to the organization's goal of increasing the number of area clubs from 48 to 55 by 2025.

"This funding is a total blessing," President and CEO Paul Martinez said. "It will help us continue our rapid growth to serve more youth in our community."

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In May, the United Way also awarded $5.5 million to five organizations through its Full Service Schools program to support youth mental health. Additional funding is planned for the agency's racial equity initiative.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

UNITED WAY ECONOMIC MOBILITY GRANTS

• Employment: $3.6 million among 13 programs that offer career readiness, job training and development, job placement and workplace mentoring

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida, Communities In Schools of Jacksonville, Daniel Memorial, Generation USA, Girls Inc. of Jacksonville, LIFT Jax, Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida, Operation New Hope, Pace Center for Girls Jacksonville, READ USA, Seamark Ranch, The Carpenter's Shop Center.

• Homelessness: $2 million among nine programs that reduce homelessness by offering rent and utility assistance, emergency shelter and affordable housing

Ability Housing, Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry, Downtown Ecumenical Services Council, Family Support Services of North Florida, Hubbard House, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, JASMYN, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Jacksonville, Sulzbacher

Education: $1.8 million among seven programs that offer academic tutoring, mentorship and other student support

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, Children's Home Society of Florida, City Year, MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation, New Heights of Northeast Florida, Sanctuary of Northeast Florida, Vision Is Priceless

• Food insecurity: $1.7 million among eight programs that provide food pantries, mobile food distribution and weekend meals for needy students

Baker County Council on Aging, Barnabas Center in Nassau County, Clara White Mission, Feeding Northeast Florida, Jewish Family & Community Services, Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida, Nassau County Council on Aging, Northside Community Involvement

To donate, volunteer or get more information about the United Way of Northeast Florida, contact the agency at 40 E. Adams St., Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32202; (904) 390-3200 or go to https://unitedwaynefl.org/

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville-based United Way awards $9 million in nonprofit grants