Community impact fund

investing in our community

Through the generous contributions of individual and corporate donors, we invest millions of dollars each year through the Community Impact Fund

The Community Impact Fund is our traditional process of investing contributions from donors into metro-area community programs. The Community Impact Fund (CIF) is one piece of our total investment in the community, but perhaps what we are known for most.

amplifying the impact of each donation

THROUGH THE COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND, ONE DONATION INVESTS IN MORE THAN 100 PROGRAMS AT ONCE.

Donors can either designate directly to the Community Impact Fund or give generally to United Way of the Midlands to support this work. Programs receiving UWM funds have the flexibility to use these dollars within the scope of their initiatives to meet various needs, amplifying the value of your support.

community voice in action

Receiving an investment from the Community Impact Fund is more than a financial investment. It is a stamp of approval from our community volunteers who make the investment recommendations.

Teams of community volunteers review program applications and direct dollars where they are needed most – creating a circle of support and strengthening the human services network in our community.

providing a circle of support

your gift builds a stronger tomorrow for our community

more than

local programs

from more than

local nonprofits

to provide

0 million

services

how it works

application process

UWM accepts applications from nonprofits across the metro requesting funding for their programming.

The process begins with nonprofits submitting a letter of intent to apply for funding, followed by a due diligence meeting where applicants meet with UWM staff members to discuss their program and the application process. Based upon the letter of intent and the due diligence meeting, nonprofits are then invited to apply and are provided with the formal application.

community-led funding

A key part of the process is the utilization of community centered volunteer review teams to review applications and help determine which agency programs receive a grant award.

Our review teams are made up of volunteers from the community who generously donate their time and represent diverse areas of expertise and lived experiences. Conflicts of interests are disclosed and respected to maintain the integrity of the process.

Once all of the applications are received by UWM, volunteers are assigned to a review team with a focus rooted in one of our four priority funding areas: Community Resiliency, Youth Opportunity, Financial Security and Healthy Communities. The teams are assigned 10-12 applications to score, participate in an orientation meeting and two review meetings to discuss scores and recommend funding levels. All CIF funding is reviewed and approved by the UWM Board of Directors.

relationships & reporting

This process helps ensure all funds are awarded to programs making the most significant impact in the community, while also addressing the highest needs in our area.

Over the course of the grant period, UWM staff reviews reporting, provides technical assistance, connects volunteers to the agencies and uses this time to strengthen our organizational partnerships. Partners are also provided opportunities to bring visibility to their work through UWM engagement, publicity and data partnerships. For multi-year investments, site visits are conducted in off-cycle years to provide volunteers with a sense of how dollars are being used to enhance service delivery.

This engagement also helps UWM and volunteers keep our pulse on community needs in preparation for future funding cycles.

A TRUSTED STEWARD OF DONOR FUNDS

UWM is committed to leading the discernment process with practices and open communication.

Each program applying was able to connect with UWM staff to receive feedback and seek clarity prior to the application with the addition of a letter of intent requirement and a due diligence meeting this cycle.

The nonprofit landscape has grown increasingly competitive with a growing number of organizations providing vital services, which underscores the importance of the CIF and its process. UWM is proud to be investing in these programs that the volunteer review teams diligently examined and recommended based on their ability to serve critical needs in our community.

Funded agency programs

ttttt

rwar rwarw

100 Black Men of Omaha-Support for Jet Cohorts-Added Staff Position

This partnership between the aforementioned Omaha Public Schools (OPS) high schools, the 100 Black Men of Omaha, Metropolitan Community College, and the Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers Scholarship foundation seek to provide an avenue for young men interested in the trades.

African American Empowerment Network

ARCH Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

ARCH, Inc. provides compassionate, evidence-based care to men strugglign wth substance use disorders.

Prosper Workforce Services

Prosper Workforce Services (PWS) addresses the community need for connecting job seekers (with autism) to employment opportunities.

MentorU: Empowering High School Students through Mentorship and Workforce Readiness

MentorU provides screened and trained volunteer mentors to high school students enrolled in an academic enrichment class intended to keep students on track for graduation and success.

Community-Based Mentoring (CBM)

Community-Based youth ages 7-14 participate in one-to-one outings and activities in the community with a Big Sister, Big Brother or, Big Couple.

Building Great Futures Program

Boys & Girls Clubs provide a safe way to learn and grow in a fun environment.

Career EdVantage-Council Bluffs Students

Career EdVantage has a primary mission to connect education and business by providing committed students with educational and training opportunities.

Transitional Living with Programming

Carole’s House of Hope provides transitional living for young women and mothers who have aged out of foster care or are experiencing homelessness.

Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program

The Catholic Charities’ Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program provides services to anyone faced with these issues through a 24-hour crisis phone line, emergency shelter, court advocacy and much more.

Catholic Charities of Omaha Pantry Program

Through two food pantries and a Mobile Pantry Program, life-sustaining food resources are offered to those in need.

Microbusiness & Asset Development Program

Provides assistance to help build, start, and grow the dreams and businesses of entrepreneurs, while promoting economic growth in our communities.

Youth Shelter-Children’s Square Campus

Serving children from birth through age 17, the shelter provides protective placemetn and short-term care for children and teens experiencing homelessness, family conflict, or other crises.

Youth Shelter-Mary Holland Campus

Serving youth up to age 19 (primarily teen males), the shelter provides crisis stabilization and transitional care.

KidSquad

The KidSquad program is dedicated to supporting children and caregivers through early development of social and emotional skills.

xr:d:DAFdIv8LegU:2,j:43226267007,t:23031402

Christ Child Society

The layette program provides parents with a backpack-style diaper bag filled with newborn necessities they can use to support the health and well-being of childrne at the beginning of their lives.

City Sprouts Inc

The City Sprouts Urban Farm Internship provides part-time employment to young adults, training them in agriculture, horticulture, culinary arts, public helath, and life skills.

Collective for Youth

Collective for Youth is a connector for advocacy, resources, and training for out of school time providers.

College Possible Access and Success Programming 2026-2028

College Possible is making college admission and success possible for students from low-income backgrounds through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support.

Weekend Food Program

Every week, volunteers come together to pack food bags filled with meals and snacks that are then distributed to each KID in the program.

Afterschool Two-Generation Programming

Completely KIDS provides enriching after-school and summer programs focused on enhancing learning and developing essential skills. Programs are offered to adults that cover life skills, self-improvement and self-sufficiency.

Youth & Family Mental Health Services

Completely KIDS offers a comprehensive appraoch that involves workign with KIDS and families, focusing on bolstering resilience, imparting coping mechanisms, and promoting self-care to foster mental well-being.

Day Health Services

CRCC supports children with diverse developmental and medical needs through education and care designed to help them learn, grow and belong.

Youth Academic Navigator (YAN)/Reengagement Specialist

YANs are education-focused case managers who check in with their students frequently and help with issues as they emerge to ensure students are makign progress and earning credits in school. The Omaha Public Schools/D2 Center Reengagement Project is a partnership where D2 Center and OPS staff members work collaboratively to reengage students who have withdrawn from school but are eligible to enroll.

Bellevue Food Pantry

The Bellevue Food Pantry provides emergency food support for households facing food insecurity in Bellevue and Greater Sarpy County through onsite distribution ande delivery to households with mobility or other challenges.

Youth Transition Services (previously Building Bridges to Inclusive Employment and Financial Well-Being)

Assists youth and their families to plan for the future and answer important question sabout Social Security and state-based benefits.

Camp Easterseals Nebraska

Easterseals Nebraska provides engaging, healthy, and lively programs so that campers can experience the joys and challenges of camp while gaining independence, trying new things during immersive and constructive activities, and make new friends or catch up with old ones, in a safe and adapted environment.

Housing Access and Retention Program (HARP)

Programming supports families and individuals in preventing homelessness and achieving stable housing through education, counseling, and advocacy.

Own Youth Future (OYF)

The dream of homeownership is made a reality through educational workshops, one-on-one personalized services, and supplemental services designed to help families build and maintain wealth through equity in their homes.

Earned Income Coalition

The Omaha EITC Coalition advances financial empowerment, asset development and community prosperity for low to moderate income families through quality volunteer tax return preparation, community partnerships, and strategies to improve savings.

Firefly Healthy Pregnancies

Firefly offers prenatal nursing visits and social work support for pregnant individuals.

Early Head Start Home Visitation program

Firefly offers personalized home visits for families expecting or with children aged 0-3 in Pottawattamie County providing parent education and modeling for child development.

Firefly Mobile Wellness Unit

The Mobile Wellness Unit program provides free preventative screenigns in the community at schools, parks, family events, or other community locations.

Boys Town Iowa In-Home Family Services

Helps teach families how to handle issues after they arise, as well as how to prevent them from becoming more disruptive, while they remain in their home.

Girl Scouts Omaha Outreach

The outreach program is accessible in schools, community centers, and other youth-serving organizations where girls receive a safe and quality experience.

Protégé House Transitional Living Program for Young Women Transitioning from Foster Care

Protégé House is open to all young women ages 19 to 28 who are able and willing to work and/or attend college, trade school, or other post-secondary training.

The Girls Inc. Experience

Girls Inc. of Omaha works with girls in North and South Omaha to help them grow up to be healthy, educated, and independent.

YouthBuild Omaha

Goodwill Omaha’s YouthBuild program is a national, community-based skills-training program designed to prepare opportunity youth for apprenticeships in the construction trades.

Owner Occupied Repair Program

Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs has a Home Repair program that provides funding for critical repairs of owner-occupied single-family homes.

Fresh Start

The Heart Ministry Center’s Fresh Start Program is a holistic, intensive human resource training program that guides participants through a personalized nine-month experience addressing both the individual and the professional.

Monen Healthcare Clinic

The Monen Healthcare Clinic at Heart Ministry Center provides free, quality services to treat routine illnesses, alleviate pain, and perform tersting for common ailments.

Food Distribution

The pantry is set up like a grocery store, allowing community members the ability to shop and choose from a selection of meats, produce, bakery goods, dairy items, and shelf-stable foods for free.

HFS Homelessness Prevention

Homeless Prevention provides assistance to individuals to keep them from losing their housing and becoming homeless.

HFS Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Program

Heartland Family Service Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault services are designed to keep victims safe, stop violence, and hold offenders accountable.

HFS Behavioral Health Services

HFS offers comprehensive mental health services through the metro area to include crisis intervention and stabilization, outpatient therapy, residential substance use and mental health treatment, therapeutic education centers for children, child and family therapy, psychiatric services, and medication management.

Hunger and Homelessness Prevention Program

Through a choice pantry clients can choose from a selection of meat, fresh produce, bread, dairy, and canned & boxed goods, all clients them are connected to employment opportunities, SNAP application assistance, and community referrals.

Building Cultural Wealth in Immigrant & Underrepresented Communities: Omaha Site

In partnership with the Nebraska Department of education and Project ASSETS< HWC has brought the Family Leadership Institute (FLI) curriculum to our community where participants are discovering their strengths, building confidence, and stepping into leadership within their families and communities.

Aging in Place Services

Aging in Place Services are designed to help low-income older adults remain safely and independently in ther homes where their memories are held.

IBBG’s Maternal Health Initiatives

IBBG’s Maternal health Initiatives seek to transform the maternal health crisis in Nebraska by catalyzing a movement for positive birth outcomes that disrupts the systems that perpetuate incidence of maternal death, near death, and traumatic care experiences through strategies that center the voices, experiences, and leadership of Black women and people with capacity for pregnancy.

IBBG’s Economic Opportunity

IBBG’s Catalyst entrepreneurial business programming provides a tailored, hybrid learning environment specific to the needs of community childcare providers and community-based birth workers and doulas.

inCOMMON Workforce Development

Using a holistic approach inCOMMON Workforce Development offers adult basic education, citizenship and language classes, soft skill development, practical employment preparation and financial workshops.

Bridge to Prosperity: Refugee Youth Mentoring, Tutoring and Career Laddering

Mentorship is provided to help youth navigate challenges related to education, community adjustment, and future planning.

Refugee Mental Health and Peer Support Initiative

Mental health support is offered through peer counseling, primary and mental health services, and personalized case management.

Refugees and Immigrants social and economic Development (RAISED)

ICRI’s Career and Economic Advancement Programs support refugees and immigrants in achieving financial independence and career success.

Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates (iJAG)

Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) is a statewide nonprofit organization and affiliate of the JAG Network that offers programming in leadership training, career education, individualized guidance and employer engagement.

Building Stability and Justice in Pottawattamie County

A nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal help and advocacy for underserved Iowans.

Refugee Intensive Case Management

The Refugee Intensive Case Management (RICM) program offers culturally and linguistically responsive behavioral health services to help Omaha’s most vulnerable refugees achieve self-sufficiency and well-being.

Immigrant Children and Families

CIRA’s legal team and social workers work together to simultaneously meet cleints’ needs and maximize their chances of success.

Kids Can Community Center Early Childhood Education

Kids Can offers comprehensive early childhood education and care from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, for childrne ages 6-weeks to 5-years-old.

Kids Can Community Center Out-of-School Time

For our elementary age students, Kids Can offers a variety of out of school programs including before, after and full-day programs.

Financial Education for Immigrant and Refugees

La Fuente provides education on topics including budgeting, loans and credits, vehicles, housing, and asset-building and retirement to improve our cleints’ financial stability to increase the success rate when starting a business.

Accelerator Entrepreneurship Program

La Fuente’s Entrepreneurship Program sets business owners up to launch and operate a financially sustainable and success business.

Workforce Education & Innovation

Workforce Education and Innovation strengthens Omaha’s bilingual and Latino workforce through educational initiatives and on the job training.

Pathways to Success: Improving Attendance, Graduation Rates, and Career Readiness for Latino Students

Pathways to Success cultivates leadership potential and transformative skills in students by improving school attendance, fostering pro-social interactions, and reestablishing family engagement.

Family & Community Well-Being: Food security and Community Health in South Omaha

Family & Community Well-Being empowers clients to live healthy, self-sufficient, and fulfilling lives through physical and mental wellness programs, strong healthcare partnerships, and advancing intergenerational well-being.

Housing Justice Project

Legal Aid of Nebraska works to prevent evictions and foreclosures, enforcing the right to safe and habitable housing, and preseving the right to housing.

Extended Case Management

LFS programs provide high-quality direct support services for refugees, immigrants, asylees, and victims of international human trafficking.

Behavioral Health Programs

LFS’ Behavioral Health Services Programs support both adults and childrne with a variety of therapeutic and evidence-based treatment options.

MICAH House Emergency Shelter & Support Services

MICAH House (MH) proved a safe haven for those facing the crisis of homelessness.

Millard Public Schools

The Millard Home Visiting Program is a free, early childhood initiative in Millard Public Schools designed for families with children from birth to 3 years old focused on improving school readiness and promoting healthy brain development for children facing risk factors that can impact kindergarten achievement.

Trades Offer Opportunties that Lead to Success (T.O.O.L.S.)

Trades Offer Opportunties that Lead to Success (T.O.O.L.S.) is a collaborative program geared towards seventh through twelfth graders that provides year-round career exploration activities in the skilled trades.

Changing Diapers, Changing Lives: Greater Omaha Area

Nebraska Diaper Bank provides diapers through collaborative partnership to change lives & empower families in need.

Raising Business Acumen for SEDI Business Owners

MICAH House (MH) proved a safe haven for those facing the crisis of homelessness.

Client Outlay Program

Serving the Greater Sarpy County & Ralston community by providing food, hygiene products, paper products, pet supplies, and more to our neighbors in need.

NVHS Shelter and Street Outreach

NVHS 24-hour emergency shelter meets the needs of men experiencing homelessness in and around the Council Bluffs and Omaha area. The NVHS team regularly visits street outreach sites around Council Bluffs and provides street outreach casework services for many nonprofit partners in the community.

NVHS Veteran’s Comprehensive Services

No More Empty Pots

Community Harvest is a local food subscription service. CSA produce boxes are offered, along with in-house prepared meals, and locally-sourced pantry staples.

Supported Employment

Supported Employment provides the opportunity for participants to work in integrated settings, which improves their self-confidence and decreases social isolation.

OHB School

The OHB School operates year-round and is designed to help students improve their academic performance, reduce absenteeism, and move youth closer to grade-level expectations.

Branching Out Independent Living

OHB’s Branching Out Independent Living Program is a skill building program that helps young adults develop the tools needed to be self-sufficiency.

Jacobs’ Place Transitional Living

Jacobs’ Place is OHB’s Transitional Living Program that helps young adults who struggle with a safe place to live, education, employment and basic life skills.

Addressing Social Determinants of Health

OneWorld staff help patients with goal-setting and social determinants of health screening.

Pediatric Mobile Medical Clinic

OneWorld’s Medical Mobile Clinic brings quality medical and behavioral health care to area schools.

Access to Behavioral Health Care

OneWorld’s Behavioral Health services cover a variety of conditions and circumstances and include mental health care, assessment, counseling and therapy.

Access to Medical Care for the Uninsured

OneWorld Community Health Centers’ Access to Health Care for Uninsured Patients program ensures that everyone in the community-regardless of insurance status, income, or background-can receive high-quality, compassionate health care.

Partnership 4 Kids Book Buddy Program

Through the Book Buddy program the team works to inspire young learners with literacy and ambitious goals to emphasize the importance of education.

Postsecondary & Workforce Development Program

Postsecondary exposes students to diverse career opportunities and fosters a clear vision of their academic goals.

College & Career Readiness Program (CCRP)

The high-school program curriculum centers on critical thinking, problem-solving, career interests, leadership, financial vitality, community service, postsecondary preparation, and job readiness.

Home Refugee Education Program

The Welcome Home Program is one-of-a-kind where family educators who are former refugees, go into family homes and teach critical home skills.

RISE Reentry Programming

RISE Reentry Services are available to RISE In-Prison Program graduates to empower gradautes to work towards personalized goals of self-sufficiency.

Santa Monica House Continuum of Care

Through structured programming and multiple approaches, Santa Monica House helps women develop healthier behavior pattersn while addressing their physical and psychological traumas.

Nourishing People, Nuturing the Planet

Saving Grace provides food to people in need by connecting excess perishable food donated by local food vendors to organizations that serve people experiencing food insecurity, providing Omaha’s only dedicated perishable food rescue service, operating a fleet of refrigerated vehicles with professional food ambassadors/drivers, picking up food five days a week from local food vendors, delivering it the same-day, free-of-charge, to local nonprofit partner agencies

Shine Bright

Shine Bright is an annual summer event where volunteers assemble thousands of hygiene kits for local students returning to school.

Case Management

Case management wraps supportive services around those experiencing homelessness and connects them to mainstream benefits and other community supports, promoting our ultimate goal of assisting guests to become rehoused out in the community, as quickly as possible.

Meals Program

The Meal program provides breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and serves individuals receiving services on the Siena Francis campus, as well as any food insecure person in the Omaha community who requests a meal, thorugh the “curbside meal’ program, distributed on-site to any metro area resident in need.

Emergency Shelter

Nebraska’s only provider of low-barrier emergency shelter services for adults 19 or older.

Pettigrew Emergency Shelter

Stephen Center provides a safe and sober shelter for men, women, and families on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Salvation Army North Corps Kitchen

The North Corps’ Community Care Kitchen serves approximately 250 hot, nutritious lunches each weekday to low-income and homeless individuals and families.

Material Assistance

The material assistance programs provide fresh and canned food, clothing and household items, and assistance paying for prescription medications and utilities bills.

Community Counseling Center and Wellspring Program

The Community Counseling Center offers free, trauma-informed individual and group therapy to those who are often overlooked for treatment in the metro area. Wellspring serves adults who are currently involved in or have a history of sex trafficking, prostitution, exotic dancing or survival sex.

The Simple Foundation (TSF)

The Simple Foundation offers free, effective programs designed to empower youth and provide opportunities for success.

Head-to-Heart

Head to Heart is a program that advocates for mental wellness through Black-owned barbershops and salons.

Nourish Program

Nourish provides comprehensive support to individuals and families in need, ensuring they have access to vital nurtition assistance programs like SNAP and WIC.

Horizons Housing Program

Horizons offers 1:1 case management, financial assistance, resource navigation, and wraparound services to help aprticipants secure the assistance they need to remain safely housed, or to find a new, permanent home for those who have been living on the streets, in vehicles, or at emergency shelters

Financial Empowerment Center (FEC)

The Financial Empowerment Center is a safe, supportive space dedicated to helping individuals and families build confidence, stability, and long-term financial success.

Shelter Nursing (formerly part of Bringing Health Care Home)

VNA ensures that homeless individuals and families have access to health care, social services, and community resources to meet their individual needs.

Parenting Support (formerly part of Home-Based Visitation)

VNA offers home visitation programs for at-risk families with infants or small childrne with the goal of empowering parents to maintain self-sufficient, healthy, happy families.

Emergency Food Production and Delivery Program

Whispering Roots uses Aquaculture, Hydroponics, Aquaponics and Urban Agriculture to grow healthy food and expose children and families to great tasting nutritious food options through “hands on” experiential learning and growing activities. They work to deliver food to the most vulnerable including the elderly, immunocompromised, quarantined, disabled, and families or individuals who lack access to transportation, traditional emergency food outlets and the like, though our nonprofit efforts.

Client Assistance Program

Provides direct emergency material and financial support to survivors and their families as they begin rebuilding their lives.

Housing Program

Helps survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and stalking secure and maintain safe, stable housing.

Safety Services Program

24/7 hotline, expert accompaniment and navigation through systems, counseling and legal aid.

Self-Sufficiency Program

Financial training, career services and ongoing support.

YMCA Out of School Time

Facilities provide a safe and fun environment for children on their day away from school–includes before and after care.

YMCA Early Learning Centers

YMCA Early Childhood Education offers early childhood development and growth, fun child development activities for children of all ages, pre-school literacy and skills programs.

YMCA Healthy Living Center

The YMCA Healthy Living Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa is a facility dedicated to the needs of older adults. There is a wide range of programming including group fitness classes tailored to the active older adult and social clubs where you can make nre friends, try out a new hobby or play games.

Youth Emergency Services Drop in Center

The Drop-In Center is a space where youth can enjoy a meal, take a shower, do laundry or select clothes from the clothing boutique, meet with health care professionals, access sexual health testing for STDs and pregnancy, get help renewing a driver’s license or other form of identification

Make a 180 Against Violence

YouTurn is a community-based movement committed to ending violence. YouTurn works one-on-one with highest risk adolescents and young adults, ages 12 to 25+ that are negatively impacted by violence in our community.

2024 - 2026 investments

Through the CIF’s 2024-2026 investment cycle, UWM is investing $6.4 million into more than 120 unique programs across the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro.

A majority of CIF investments provide multi-year funding. These programs support UWM’s goal of delivering 10 million services during the ’24-’25 one-year period.

This cycle saw the addition of a letter of intent requirement, as well as a due diligence meeting, allowing each program applying for funding to connect with UWM staff to receive feedback and seek clarity prior to the application.