THRIVING FAMILIES GRANT 2025
United Way of Greater New Haven is committed to helping our community reimagine a more equitable, financially stable life. To do that, we must connect all job seekers to good paying jobs with career advancement opportunities. The 2024 ALICE (Asset, Limited, Income, Constrained and Employed) Report highlights that in Greater New Haven, 42% of households cannot meet their basic needs. The ALICE survival budget for a family of four has grown to $114,132, significantly higher than the Federal Poverty level of $32,150 for a family of four. With the possibility of reduced government support, it is more critical than ever that all job seekers can increase their skills to achieve competitive employment with family sustaining wages.
United Way of Greater New Haven is releasing this Request for Proposals to assist workforce development programs in recruiting, retaining and placing underserved job applicants and prioritizing applicants who identify as BIPOC, low- income, female head of households, re-entering individuals, individuals experiencing homelessness, immigrants, and people with disabilities on a career pathway.
This United Way grant will provide flexible funds to existing workforce service providers that can be utilized to remove barriers for job seekers to participate and complete training as well as secure and retain employment through their first year on the job. Examples include, but are not limited to, recruitment costs, transportation, childcare expenses, stipends, technology needs, job search support, uniforms, and more.
Organizations that apply for these funds must have programs that support ALICE and below job seekers to achieve job attainment on a career pathway with demonstrated career mobility. Prioritization will be given for programs that have demonstrated the ability to successfully serve underserved communities such as but not limited to, communities of color, low-income, female head of households, re-entering individuals, individuals experiencing homelessness, immigrants, and people with disabilities.
Funding awards will range between $5,000 and $30,000.
Eligible Applicants:
To be eligible, applicants must: Be a tax-exempt agency operating in greater New Haven:
- Not-for-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status
- Government agency
- School or academic institution
- Faith-based organization
- Have an existing employment program located in greater New Haven designed to connect job seekers to employment.
- Have a Non-Discrimination Policy.
- Serve the ALICE and below population.
For the purposes of this RFP, greater New Haven is defined as: Bethany, Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, West Haven, and Woodbridge.
