Agency Application Process | Ada Regional United Way

Instructions: Please watch this video

All applicants are required to have or create an account to complete and submit your application. Keep your username and password handy so that you can "save a draft" and return to complete your submission. Also, this username and password will continue to be used for agency reporting and future applications.

LOGIN HERE (If you already have a username and password)
CREATE AN ACCOUNT (New users only - an email will be sent to you)
RESET YOUR PASSWORD (if your email has been used previously, you can reset your password)
LOGOUT (Be sure to log out once you have saved your draft or submitted your application)

Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Do not leave any blanks; enter N/A if not applicable.

2025 applications open on February 15, 2024, and are due by 11:59 pm on March 31, 2024.

Welcome to Ada Regional United Way!

Below is information on how to prepare and submit your Community Investment Allocation funding application.

With the increased need for services by all agencies, we are being increasingly strategic in our community investments and the impact they have on our community and its residents. In the application, we are asking you to provide detail on the Outcome and Impact of the program for which you are seeking funding. We must measure results of the invested dollars and provide optimum value of service delivery to our community. In general, we are asking for less information about your agency, but more about the specific program for which you are seeking funding.

We realize our request for you to measure the impact of your programs may present challenges to you. We understand that you are a small agency with limited resources and are not asking you for professional program evaluations. However, we ask you to be as specific as you can on the outcome of the program for which you seek funding. We can provide advice on developing outcome measures and indicators.

Process and Timeline:

This application and all required documentation are due in our office by 11:59 pm Friday, March 31, 2024. See the following instructions for more details.
The applications will be reviewed and you will be contacted to schedule a mandatory presentation in front of our Community Investment Committee. These 30-minute presentations and Q&A sessions will take place in mid to late April. Time, date, and location will be emailed to applicants as soon as they confirm. Please read the Presentation Guidelines.
The Community Investment Committee reviews the funding requests, hears the presentations, seeks additional information, and makes recommendations to the United Way Board of Directors.
We will offer the Community Investment Committee members the opportunity to make an optional site visit to the applicants. They will schedule these at a mutually convenient time.
The Board of Directors will meet in May to consider the recommendations of the Panel and to make funding decisions.
Agencies will be notified of the allocation decisions in late May.
The first allocation payments, provided the 2025 goal is met, will begin in January 2025.

Please note that neither past support from United Way, nor this invitation to apply, is a guarantee that you will receive a Community Investment Allocation this year.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact our Executive Director, Oriana McElwee.

Application Instructions:

GENERAL:

Please read the instructions and review the application carefully. Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted. All fields must be completed before the application may be submitted.
The completed application and attachments are due in the United Way office by 11:59 pm March 31, 2024. Late submissions WILL NOT be accepted.
Only one copy of your attachments is required. Your most current audit and Form 990, and a copy of your Annual Report for the most recently completed fiscal year are required. At a minimum, this Annual Report must include the Board of Directors, the name of your Executive Director, and a summation of your programs.
Applicants, who are not currently receiving funding from Ada Regional United Way (ARUW), must submit all requested attachments and should contact the United Way office before applying to determine if additional documents may be appropriate. Additional documents may be requested by the agency or Community Investment Committee before funding decisions are made.
The Oklahoma State and the Combined Federal Campaign applications are separate from this process. Specific information for each will be given out under separate cover. Member agencies are encouraged, but not required to participate in the State and Federal Combined Campaigns.
For any questions about the application and/or process, contact Oriana McElwee, Executive Director, at 580.332.2313. Agencies may request a meeting to discuss the application or process before the submission date.

REQUIRED APPLICATION ATTACHMENTS:

Please click on the name of each attachment to download a copy of the form needed. If there is no link, then you may upload your own file.

Agreement Between Ada Regional United Way and Agency must be initialed and signed by the agency's Board President and Executive Director and submitted with the application.
Board of Directors Roster is required; the agency may upload this list in whatever format works best for them.
Renewal Certificate of Registration as a Charitable Organization from the State of Oklahoma: https://www.sos.ok.gov/charity/Default.aspx under 'File Online'
Most Recent Audit (within the last 2 years)
Most Recent IRS Form 990 or eligible tax document (within the last 2 years)
IRS Form 501(c)3 (if not already submitted and on file with ARUW)
Annual Report
Program Budget (attach where prompted with each program)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a “health or human service agency?”
Those whose principal objective is to improve conditions necessary to achieve fundamental physical, social and/or psychological well-being. We will consider funding health and human service programs of agencies with other principal objectives, as long as the health or human service impact is clear.
What is the Program Budget?
We fund specific programs or services for which the impact can be clearly identified, rather than providing general agency funding. Some very small agencies may have just one program. In that case, your Program Budget may be your entire agency budget. For multi-county agencies, the budget should reflect only services to be provided in Pontotoc County and the zip codes 74572, 74531, 74534, 74842,74843, 74844, 74820, 74821, 74825, 74827, 74849, 74865, 74867, 74871,74872. For a map of the geographic area, click here. Agencies applying for funding for more than one program should fill out the Application Form and Program Budget Form for each.
What period should I use for the Budget Years?
Either calendar or fiscal, whatever makes the most sense for your agency. The figures provided by your agency in the application should tie to the supporting financial documentation. i.e.: 990, audit, internal financial statements should all reflect the same time frame.
Why is some of the information requested in more than one place?
The redundancy is intentional. It makes it easier for the volunteers to quickly review a number of applications. Thanks for your understanding. We have removed some pages from the application relating to year end reporting since all previously funded agencies are required to submit quarterly reports with this information.
What geographic area does Ada Regional United Way fund?
We only support services provided in Pontotoc County and the zip codes 74849 and 74872. For multi-county agencies, the proposed outputs and outcomes, as well as the budget should reflect only those services provided locally.
What are the impact areas and funding priorities?
Our three funding priorities and related outcomes are listed below. We will consider applications for programs that meet any of the following. Please note: Funding is provided for specific programs, not overall operations.
HEALTH –
Description: Improving people’s health.
Priority Outcomes:
·        Community members have access to basic and preventative health services.
·        Youth and adults are healthy and avoid risky behaviors.
·        Seniors and people with disabilities maximize their self-sufficiency.

EDUCATION –
Description: Helping children and youth achieve their potential.
Priority Outcomes:
·        Children enter school developmentally on track in terms of literacy and social, emotional, and intellectual skills.
·        Young people graduate from high school.
·        Youth develop life and work skills to help them make a successful transition from high school to adulthood.

FINANCIAL STABILITY –
Description: Helping families become financially stable and independent while ensuring that basic needs are met.
Priority Outcomes:
·        Families have support for basic needs, including shelter and food.
·        Youth and adults develop financial literacy skills.
·        Lower-income families move toward financial stability.
·        Community members have resources to overcome disasters and emotional or financial crises.
How much will United Way fund?
Allocations vary and we are unlikely to fund the full cost of any program and expect agencies to have other funding sources.
How will our application be evaluated?
EVALUATION CRITERIA - Community Investment Committee members will use the following criteria for reviewing proposals. (scores range from 1=fails to meet expectation to 5=greatly exceeds expectation
COMMUNITY NEED
·   The need is consistent with ARUW mission and Funding Priorities for 2023.
·   The community need is great.
IMPACT
·   The program demonstrates a meaningful linkage between community needs, program activities and outcomes.
·   The program provides a meaningful volume of services and/or people served.
·   United Way funding will make a difference.
ABILITY AND EVALUATION
·   The agency has a good reputation.
·   The agency has adequate staff and resources to conduct this program.
·   The program plan seems sound.
·   Goals and objectives are clearly written.
·   Measurable outcomes are evident.
·   The agency/program demonstrates the ability to deliver and measure proposed outcomes.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
·   The financial information is presented clearly & accurately.
·   The agency has a balanced budget
·   The agency has diverse funding sources
·   Overhead expenses are a reasonable % of the total budget
TRACK RECORD
·   Agency demonstrates a year-round commitment to work in partnership with Ada Regional United Way?
Grade: A, B, C, D, E, F

More definitions:

Direct Human Services: One-on-one assistance to a client, i.e., giving food or clothing, an individual counseling session, advocacy or legal advice, transportation, cash assistance, housing.

Education & Support: Education or support for a group of individuals, i.e., support group, class, or training.

Community Event: A public event whose purpose is to raise awareness, i.e. Culture Fest.

Session: One group activity, i.e., one CPR class or one Child Care Provider Training

Unit of Service: Delivery of service to a client. Count every service contact as one unit of service, i.e. one individual receives food once a week for 10 weeks - Count 1 client and 10 units of service.

Client: One individual. When providing services to a family where the entire family directly benefits, i.e., rent assistance, count total individuals in the family not "one family."

Participant: One individual attending a session or event. Example of unduplicated count - one client attends 5 sessions of "group A" and 10 sessions of "group B" - Count 1 client and 15 sessions.