United Way for Greater Austin granted $475,000 in strategic grant funding for 20 nonprofit organizations in Williamson County. The recipients of the award were leading organizations that serve more than 3,000 communities focusing on education, health and financial stability.
What happened?
In January 2022, United Way for Greater Austin and United Way of Williamson County joined forces and merged into a regional organization supporting communities in Austin, Travis County and Williamson County. Donations to United Way contribute to the grants that were given back to organizations in the community. The grants will support strategic work in the areas of:
Education
• Operation Liberty Hill
• Reset Mentoring
The specifics
In total, more than 80% of the funded work focuses on clients who are Black, indigenous or people of color, or BIPOC, and nearly 40% of the nonprofit recipients have BIPOC leaders. Each grant proposal was reviewed by at least three different community members. In total, there were 17 reviewers, 40% of whom were BIPOC and 94% of whom were women. They represented 11 different zip codes across Williamson County.
What United Way does
United Way uses the donated funds to provide for programs in their communities. As one example, in education, United Way offers tools for a program known as Success By 6, which helps reinforce early childhood education in Travis and Williamson counties and Austin. Additionally, the 2-1-1 program offers resources ranging from domestic violence prevention and secure affordable housing to utilities assistance. They also help with specific community needs.
Quote of note
“We are grateful to every donor who makes these strategic investments in Williamson County possible. Every dollar goes a long way to ensure everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential,” said David C. Smith, CEO of United Way for Greater Austin.
