Community Impact Grants invest local dollars into our communities by supporting projects that address targeted issues identified by United Way of Greater New Bedford. This year, United Way of Greater New Bedford will focus its support on the impact areas of Healthy Community and Child and Youth Opportunity. We will invest in programs at agencies that support our priorities and address needs in the community.
Healthy Community
Increasing access to basic needs and strengthening physical, mental and social wellbeing to support safe and healthy communities.
- Nutrition & food security
- Mental health
- Maternal & child health
- Substance misuse
Child & Youth Opportunity
Promoting enriching learning opportunities that help young people realize their full potential.
- Early education and childcare
- In & after school & summer learning
- Literacy development
Economic Mobility
Advancing pathways to financial stability and improved quality of life by empowering people to make informed financial decisions.
- By invitation only
An all-volunteer Citizens Review Committee Community Impact reviews and decides upon the grant proposals. The committee scores proposals, interviews potential grantees, and makes funding recommendations. Organizations receiving grants are accountable for responsible use of the funds and must file mid-year and final reports measuring their service impact.
Grant Criteria
Non-profits and public entities are eligible to apply for funding for one program or service.
- Only one application per organization, some exceptions may apply.
- Proposals may come from collaborations and networks as well as stand-alone organizations.
- Applicants may apply for up to one year of funding.
- If your organization is currently receiving Community Impact grant funding, you are eligible to submit a new application as long as you have completed your mid-year grant report.
Organizations may apply for a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $25,000.
How to Apply
The application process for 2024 is now closed.
2023/2024 Funded Partners
Program Name: After School/Summer Program
Award Amount: $15,000
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater New Bedford looks to ensure they support every young person who enters our Club with a comprehensive approach to youth development. The Club offers a variety of programs and services that support youth in achieving positive outcomes in our three priority areas of Academic success, Good Character and Citizenship and Healthy Lifestyles. After school and summer programs present the greatest opportunity to close the education gap and help kids succeed. Quality matters, high quality out-of-school time programming drives even greater impact through a direct correlation between the quality of the Club experience and postve youth outcomes. Their programs that focus on education attainment, technology, the arts, social and emotional assistance and healthy lifestyles through physical education, nutrition, and positive choices have paved the way for success for many of our community's youth over the years and decades
Program Name: Resident Supportive Services Program in New Bedford
Award Amount: $20,000
Caritas Communities mission-driven goal is to provide well-maintained, safe homes where low-income people can live with dignity. Once housed, they help residents preserve their tenancy and achieve stability, employability, health and well-being and social belonging. Additionally, by strengthening the disadvantaged among us, Caritas Communities believes that they enhance the well-being of every member of the community they operate in.
Program Name: The Bridge of Hope
Award Amount: $10,000
The Bridge of Hope program is a community-based addiction recovery program for women with children from the Greater New Bedford area. Due to current disparities in access to services, the target population for this pilot is Hispanic and Latina women, but it is open to all women with children. This pilot program targets three areas: access to services and skills to support long-term recovery, support for children and families, and group-based recovery.
Program Name: Caring Network
Award Amount: $15,000
Since 1996, Caring Network has been providing free psycho-educational groups to children between the ages of 4-14 that have witnessed or were victims of violence in their home, school or community. The groups help children work productively through the trauma associated with witnessing violence. Strategies, skills, and educational components include identifying feelings, understanding abuse is not their fault, stress reduction, and safety procedures. The program also serves to help reduce feelings of isolation, increase self-esteem and improve conflict resolution skills Groups run once per week for a period of 8 to 10 weeks to address the violence children are exposed to every day through society, family, media and neighborhoods. At the start of a group cycle, a treatment plan is created to help facilitate discussions and is reviewed/updated to reflect the needs of the group as sessions progress as necessary. Pre/Post tests are used to help evaluate group effectiveness.
Program Name: Healing & Resiliency Program (HARP)
Award Amount: $15,000
The Children's Advocacy Center of Bristol County is a program of the 501(c)(3) non-profit agency, Justice Resource Institute (JRI). The CAC was established in 2007 and merged with JRI in 2017. The organization provides a coordinated response to disclosures and allegations of child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, commercial sexual exploitation/child trafficking and witness to violence, serving children (ages infant-18) and adults with intellectual disabilities (ages 18+) from any of the 20 towns and cities in Bristol County, MA. Three core program areas that advance the mission: further protecting and advocating for children after a disclosure of abuse, helping children and their families heal from trauma and educating the community about prevention. The CAC of Bristol County is a fully accredited member of the National Children's Alliance, a network of over 950 Children's Advocacy Centers throughout the United States.
Program Name: Near Peer Mentoring in New Bedford Public Schools
Award Amount: $15,000
Coaching4Change (C4C) partners with low-income, school districts to provide an extra layer of support for racially and ethnically diverse high-need middle school students. C4C provides a near-peer mentoring model that recruits trains and places diverse college students to support school improvement initiatives aimed at increasing student engagement, social emotional learning and family engagement. Professional Educators (Coaches) supervise college students (Mentors) who in turn mentor/coach the middle school students.
Program Name: Money Management Program
Award Amount: $15,000
Coastline's Money Management Program (MMP) covers 23 communities throughout Bristol County & 3 in Plymouth County. The program's two primary components are Bill Payer & Representative Payee, and are free to income eligible consumers. Bill Payers are volunteers who are trained to assist older consumers with their financial affairs by helping to organize their bills. They help consumers to develop a budget, manage monthly income and expenditures & all the paperwork related to paying bills. The elders in this program can still make decisions on how to spend their money, but often have trouble with the tasks involved in the daily management of their money, such as opening the bills or drawing up a budget for their incomes. Representative Payee cases are most often referred to us by Social Security, as the clients in this program, for whatever reason, do not have the faculties or capacity to manage their own finances. There are no volunteers within Representative Payee. This program works closely with Bristol Elder Service's Protective Services program and is primarily funded through the State Money Management Program authorized through legislation within the Protective Services Bill. Since 1994, Coastline has provided this service to individuals who are 60 years of age and older, and who are at risk of losing their independence and or their home because they have great difficulty with managing their finances and paying their bills.
Program Name: VITA – Free Tax Preparation
Award Amount: $25,000
The CEDC is an IRS affiliated VITA site, providing free electronic tax filing to low and moderate income residents with targeted outreach to working families, micro businesses and seniors who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit or the state Senior Circuit Breaker.
Program Name: Healthy Food Baskets
Award Amount: $25,000
Damien's food distribution program provides a supplement to the nutritional and food needs of the households experiencing food insecurity in our community. 99% of the households served have income ranging from No Income to Low Income according to the latest federal guidelines. They have been providing this service to our community since 1992.
Program Name: Academic Excellence Program
Award Amount: $15,000
Dennison Center is located in the center of the three census tracts that are identified as the most severely impoverished in the city and also in the state. For almost 150 years, Dennison Center has served disadvantaged children and families of New Bedford and the South Coast region with a host of programs and services. Their mission is to improve the educational attainment and personal development of at-risk youth and families by providing education, recreation and support services in a safe environment. Open to any child or teen between the ages of 6-16 or through high school graduation, we serve approximately 100-150 children and teens on a daily basis and an additional 200-300 during the summer. They accept all youth 'wherever they are at', regardless of circumstances, disability or need. Dennison provided after school and summer programs to encourage youth to remain in school and make sound life choices.
Program Name: New Bedford Equity Now: Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic
Award Amount: $25,000
Health Imperatives provides culturally sensitive, confidential, and high-quality sexual and reproductive health services to vulnerable, low-income un-or under insured individuals at their Orchard Street clinic in New Bedford. The needs of each patient will be carefully assessed at intake, and they will create individualized care plans to improve long-term health and well-being. They provide a wide range of prevention-oriented clinical services, which include pregnancy testing and birth control, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and Hepatitis C, HIV testing and prevention medications, human papillomavirus (HPV) and COVID-19 vaccinations, gender affirming hormone therapy, annual exams, cancer screenings, colposcopy to identify cervical cancer and other pre-cancerous conditions, and the loop electrosurgical excision procedure to remove abnormal cervical cells. A Certified Application Counselor works with those who are uninsured or under-insured to help them apply for or re-start health insurance coverage. The Harm Reduction Specialist conducts outreach, education, and harm reduction counseling with individuals who are at high risk for substance use disorder and/or HIV and link them directly to our clinic for HIV testing and prescriptions for HIV prevention medications.
Program Name: Low Barrier Community-Based Services
Award Amount: $20,000
High Point Treatment Center (HPTC) provides psycho-education and support for individuals and families impacted by substance use and mental health. HPTC is a 501c3 not-for profit organization based in New Bedford, serving southeastern Massachusetts through inpatient, outpatient, residential and community-based services.
Program Name: Multi-lingual Basic Needs
Award Amount: $15,000
The Immigrants' Assistance Center current programs provide a broad spectrum of assistance to increase the safety and security of our community by meeting the basic needs of their clients. For those clients with immigration needs who wish to pursue the path to citizenship, they provide translation services, form completion and preparation via our three Board of Immigration Appeals accredited representatives. These same BIA experts are able to assist those clients who need to document their Acquired U.S. Citizenship as well as those who need to renew Legal Permanent Residency cards and other documentation. They are expanding these services to assist with VAWA cases, U Visa applications (victims of crime) and Special Immigrant Juvenile visas for the unaccompanied youth who have arrived in our community and are under the age of 21.
Program Name: Early Intervention Pop-Up
Award Amount: $10,000
Meeting Street's Early Intervention (EI) team is partnering libraries, child care centers and local community centers to provide free, drop-in developmental screenings for any parent/caregiver with a child age three and under. At the end of the brief screening, participating families will receive an individualized summary that clearly outlines either, (1) their child presented within a typical developmental range, or (2) their child presented with a developmental delay. Families in the first category will receive culturally appropriate materials outlining forthcoming developmental milestones and engagement exercises to ensure their child remains "on track." For children who present a delay, parents will be provided contact information for their local EI provider, along with an explanation of next-steps for their child's further evaluation. These "pop-up" events will be scheduled in advance and promoted to the community via social media, earned media and through collaboration with our nonprofit partners. By reducing barriers to participation, Meeting Street seeks to provide parents with the tools to ensure a healthy start and school readiness for their child.
Program Name: Homebuyer Education and Coaching for Low Income Families in New Bedford
Award Amount: $10,000
NeighborWorks Housing Solutions (NHS) provides continued support for Homebuyer Education, Foreclosure Prevention, and Financial Education and Coaching services in New Bedford. A stable and affordable home allows people to sink roots into a community, connecting them to schools, religious congregations, and civic organizations. It provides the conditions for forming friendships and bonding with neighbors threads that become the social fabric of a healthy community, where people experience good quality of life, regardless of their incomes. Providing support to households to help them stabilize their housing serves as a pathway to individual and family wellbeing as well as community economic vitality. The Homebuyer Education Classes introduce first-time homebuyers to information needed to successfully purchase their home, including choosing a realtor, finding the right home, improving credit, securing financing, navigating home inspections and insurance, and maintaining a home. The NHS homebuyer education course has received a Seal of Approval from CHAPA s Massachusetts Homeownership Collaborative and NHS is a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency. These services primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents of New Bedford and are tailored to their specific needs.
Program Name: Supporting Students for Academic and Life Success
Award Amount: $15,000
OSS students are representative of the underserved population of Greater New Bedford; over time more than 65% of our student population has identified as BIPOC. Many of these girls experience challenges in one or more of the following areas: identity formation, puberty, moral development, increasing responsibilities, academic rigor, and unstable family dynamics. Additionally, some of their students have experienced trauma related to housing and food insecurity, parental/guardian addiction and/or incarceration, and racism and sexism. Since 2014, OSS has provided a conduit to counseling services for students in need, with an uptick in numbers subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Program Name: PACE Head Start- Therapy Pup Program
Award Amount: $20,000
PACE Head Start will enhance the Mental Health Component of services provided to children on site in classrooms through the incorporation of a therapy pup program.
Program Name: PACE YouthBuild New Bedford
Award Amount: $20,000
The Blueprint to Financial Literacy is in it's 5th year and teaches our YouthBuild members financial literacy skills, financial capability awareness, has members open traditional bank account and encourages a 20% weekly savings of their stipend to build financial stability. Through helping our young people establish a baseline financial literacy, we begin to develop financial capability and the ability for financial stability in adulthood.
Program Name: ESL Youth Program
Award Amount: $15,000
The English Literacy Language Program is designed to improve the English language literacy skills of children who are English Language Learners(ELLs) in the Southcoast community schools.
Program Name: Elevate LGBTQ+ Youth
Award Amount: $20,000
There is a gap in the continuum of care services currently offered to LGBTQ youth that The Network fills through Elevate LGBTQ+ Youth. The motivation for this program stems from the growing population of LGBTQ+ Youth who are homeless, unprepared for independent living, lack connections to community, lack positive support and experience repeated discrimination. In addition, supporting families through their journey supports family relationships remaining intact and creates a sense of safety and security for youth. The South Coast LGBTQ+ Network has witnessed firsthand the growing LGBTQ+ homeless population who move from couch to couch after being disowned by their family, age out of foster care or leave home due to safety concerns. Elevate LGBTQ+ Youth offers opportunities for youth, families, and young adults to feel supported in their individual journeys and/or their journeys as families where youth and young adults are supported in maintaining their relationships and possibly avoiding homelessness or are supported in their journey to independence in the community through working closely with the program to gain the skills necessary to remain successful. The program consists of home visiting, mentorships, social groups for youth, educational groups for youth, parenting groups, educational groups, and community-based groups. The goal of the program is to reach the neediest of youth and families, support their strengths and encourage growth in areas of need supporting overall wellness, strong connection to community, strengthened family relationships and independent living skills for young adults.
Program Name: New Bedford Women's Graduate Program
Award Amount: $15,000
The New Bedford Women's Graduate Program (NBWGP) provides sober, supportive housing and case management services for women who are stable in their recovery from substance use and mental health disorders but need additional time and assistance with achieving long-term sobriety and transitioning to independent living in the community. The Program's three-story ADA-compliant structure in New Bedford, contains three shared apartments which provide a comfortable, home-like environment with on-site recovery groups and case management available to residents. Most residents are referred from Steppingstone's New Bedford Women's Residential Rehabilitation program or the City of New Bedford's coordinated entry system for individuals in need of homeless services.Residents may reside in the program for up to two years as they are assisted with building up their recovery skills, social support system, income and employment skills, and achieving other recovery and housing-related goals. NBWGP can accomodate up to five individuals and two families (up to seven adults and two children).
Program Name: Turning Point
Award Amount: $20,000
Turning Point's program provides a safe and confidential place to obtain information and assistance to maintain or acquire housing. Turning Point's centralized headquarters makes it possible for those in distress to more easily access various types of assistance without the difficulty of driving or taking a bus to various locations. Volunteers are critical to the success of the program. Some volunteers are general/operational volunteers, while others are trained as Intake Speciailsts. These "Intake Specialists" are trained in various aspects of financial and housing security issues, such as heating and electric resources, shelter, food, employment, finances, and more. The Intake Specialists greet their clients and interview them, establish their needs, and seek solutions.
Program Name: Weaving Climate Literacy into Y.O.U.’s Out-of-School Programming
Award Amount: $10,000
Since 2004, Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) has provided New Bedford s youth with opportunities to safely explore New Bedford's south end. Over Y.O.U.'s history, the organization has worked with its youth participants to build its programming into six key, year-round, out-of-school programs: Explore Your Environment (E.Y.E. Summer Program), Fall Urban Explorers, Winter INdoor Discoveries (WIND), Food For Thought Cooking Program, Bicycle Maintenance & Repair, and Spring Urban Explorers. Each of these core programs provides participants with the opportunity to ride bicycles (except during the winter months), enjoy a healthy and hearty snack or light meal, and learn about a variety of topics that complement participants academic studies while also supporting their social and emotional health through strong relationship building. Each year, staff refresh the topics and programs within the programs that are presented to participants through a hands-on, experiential format. This year, Y.O.U. will implement science and climate literacy into their out-of-school programming within Fall Urban Explorers, WIND, Spring Urban Explorers and the EYE programs during the 2023-2024 school year. Over the coming 12 months, Y.O.U. will coordinate and implement a series of science and climate-focused programs that Y.O.U. participants will engage with during their time at Y.O.U.
Program Name: YWkids School Age Child Care
Award Amount: $20,000
The YWCA YWkids School Age Child Care Program services 52 underserved youth of Greater New Bedford, and provides reliable, affordable, and quality child care to families in our community. Licensed by the MA Department of Early Education and Care, YWkids has serviced our community since 1989. We offer a wide range of educational and cultural activities in both afterschool time and full day summer programs. Staff seek to ensure children thrive in our community with quality wrap-around care to children and families. They provide holistic, wraparound care, educational activities, promote physical and emotional well-being, and strive to support the diverse and challenging needs of the population we serve in an inclusive, authentic and supportive environment. YWkids will empower and engage families in a supported environment that focuses on their children's education and setting them up for future success in school. YWkids services families in need of quality care for youth ages 5-14.
Contact
For more information, contact Sarah Rose at 508-994-9625 ext. 218 or srose@unitedwayofgnb.org