Area programs receive $70,000 from United Way

The Brown County United Way has granted $70,000 to six programs in Brown County from funds received in late 2005.

Those receiving money are:

New Community Shelter & American Foundation of Counseling Services; Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counseling; $15,300.

Brown County Homeless and Housing Coalition; Churches Offering Temporary Shelter (COTS); $14,700.

NEW Community Clinic; Medication for uninsured; $14,232.

Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin; Smart Parenting; $9,840.

NEW Community Clinic; Prescription assistance; $9,321.

Greater Green Bay YMCA; Girls’ Night Out Retreat; $6,607.

A total of 28 programs applied for the funds through a United Way grant-giving mechanism know as a Community Response Fund. The mechanism is designed to provide onetime funding for programs that address critical emerging needs in Brown County.

The selected programs underwent a strict process of review by a Community Response Fund committee comprised of BCUW board member and impact council volunteers. The committee’s recommendation was reviewed and approved by a Community Impact Committee prior to submission to the board of directors, which approved the final allocations Wednesday.

The grant money became available when the BCUW Board of Directors voted in mid-August to place funds leftover from the 2005 campaign into a Community Response Fund, which allowed any health and human services program in Brown County to apply for the money.

Background Information

The Community Response Fund (CRF) Committee of the Brown County United Way requested proposals from all eligible Brown County human service providers who are addressing emerging local needs. Service providers defined the needs and outcomes met by their program in their applications. The CRF Committee considered needs identified by service providers and evaluated proposals based on six criteria:

• Performance: How well does the program plan to meet its stated purpose?
• Impact: How well does the program address its customers’ needs?
• Fiscally Responsible: How effectively is the program designed to operate?
• Community Diversity: How well does the program integrate community diversity into its operations?
• Program Improvement: How would the program adapt and/or expand its services to better meet the needs of its clients and the community?
• Outcomes: How does the program improve lives?