During times of uncertainty and crisis, people, organizations, and communities come together to support one another in remarkable ways. COVID-19 has and continues to test the collective strength of our communities in the Chippewa Valley. The crisis at hand has caused United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley (UWGCV) to adapt and respond in new ways to best serve our community.
Partnering for the Common Good
Collaboration has always been an important part of UWGCV’s community impact work. UWGCV is uniquely positioned in the Chippewa Valley. Members of our team regularly sit at the table with other community leaders making measurable impact for the health, education and financial stability of residents in the Chippewa Valley. Our organization also has a long history of being a catalyst for giving in our community. The current situation has allowed for new collaborations to occur to best serve the community.
Due in part UWGCV’s unique position, the Quick Response Community Fund was established by Eau Claire Community Foundation (ECCF) in partnership with UWGCV. The fund rapidly deploys financial resources to Eau Claire area nonprofits that serve community members disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and its economic consequences. It also supports urgent operational needs. Both organizations see the strength and value in the partnership that has been forged due to this unique situation.
“I couldn’t think of a better partner than UWGCV during this difficult time,” shared Sue Bornick, Executive Director of ECCF. “We serve our community in different but complementary ways. While ECCF awards many different types of grants to nonprofits through its endowments, UWGCV has a strong focus on meeting urgent community needs for health, education, and financial stability. UWGCV’s expertise in addressing basic needs has been invaluable for ensuring the success of our Quick Response emergency grant cycle, and we’re truly grateful for their partnership.”
To date the Quick Response Community Fund has granted $274,491 to 42 Eau Claire area nonprofits. Click here to view impact stories. UWGCV has also provided support for Community Foundation of Chippewa County’s Response – Recovery – Rebuild Fund.
Overall, community partnerships have played a key role in response efforts and it is clear that partnering for the common good will continue to be vital as our community enters into a time of recovery.
Providing Certainty for our Program Partners
In a very uncertain time, UWGCV felt it was essential for our program partners, many of which are serving on the frontlines during this pandemic, to be supported in concrete ways. UWGCV will be extending funding from a 3 year grant cycle that would have ended on June 30, 2021 to a 4 year grant cycle which will end on June 30, 2022. This allows our current program partners to have the reassurance that they can count on UWGCV funding for another year while they adjust programming to meet impact goals. An additional year will give everyone a chance to stabilize before completing the next comprehensive grant application.
Geri Segal, Director of Family Support Center and River Source Family Center in Chippewa Falls, is one of many program partners who have expressed their gratitude for the extension. “What a relief it is in these frightening and uncertain times to know that United Way is on our side,” expressed Segal. “United Way’s flexibility during this time is extremely helpful and shows that they understand what a difficult time this is for our agency and clients.”
As with many things, it is hard for our program partners and other area nonprofits to know exactly what their new normal will be. Extending the grant period not only provides certainty of funding for this upcoming year for current program partners; it also gives both current program partners and other area nonprofits the chance to do so during a more stable time.
Accommodating with Flexibility
UWGCV’s goal is to make a measurable impact in the areas of health, education and financial stability while also providing support for basic needs. When applying for funding, organizations predict the measurable impact they will be able to make with the dollars granted. The circumstances that have currently at hand could not have been predicted.
UWGCV has worked with program partners to provide flexibility around both their use of funding and reporting. For the months of April, May and June, granted dollars can be used by the agency to best serve the community and do not have to be program specific. The accommodation provides partner programs with the ability to use the grant dollars to best serve the current needs of their clients.
All of our program partners have had to rethink the way in which they serve our community. Some of our program partners have seen a great influx in services requested and others face barriers to reach the clients they usually serve. Most have needed to implement new tactics and strategies to safely serve our community. Due to all of these factors, reporting for this time period will look different and be viewed with a different lens by review teams. Instead our teams will be interested in learning the story of how COVID has impacted each organization and what support UWGCV might be able to provide during recovery.
UWGCV is proud to be a part of an area that prides itself in innovatively coming together to meet needs even during difficult times. It is thanks to the strong community of dedicated volunteers, generous donors, passionate nonprofit partners and collaborative community organizations that the response efforts made by UWGCV have been possible. UWGCV is grateful to have each of you as part of our team.