Local nonprofits should remain on the lookout: Out of $1.5 million invested by the Madison-based UW Credit Union, $500,000 are coming to the Milwaukee area to fund efforts for racial equity.
The money is reserved for 501(c) organizations with a primary focus on addressing racial issues in the community. It is divided into COVID relief grants, which can be rapidly processed, for up to $10,000, and funding for long-term projects that can total up to $50,000 over two years. “The larger part of the money will be to address economic and educational disparities,” says Nicole Angresano, vice president of community impact for United Way of Greater Milwaukee, which partnered with UW Credit Union to help distribute the money in the community.
“This gift from UW Credit Union is significant in terms of the amount, but also because of its flexibility,” says Angresano. “Some dollars come to United Way with a predetermined use; in this case, we are working together to decide how to best use these dollars in a way that's going to address racial equity.”
To make the application process accessible to more organizations, in particular organizations that usually cannot access grants, United Way set up a simplified and streamlined application process starting with a simple quiz. The evaluation process will be in the hands of a board composed of community members and representatives of UW Credit Union.
|
|
“Sometimes, agencies that don’t have a lot of capacity or don’t have a grant writer might have grant applications that are not as tidy or detailed, but that does not mean they’re not doing incredible work. So, we're really putting a process in place that allows us to go beyond the written application process to really understand what this agency's real capacity is,” Angresano explains. “I fully anticipate and I'm really hopeful that we're going to get some applications from agencies that I've never seen before.”
Applications open on Wednesday, March 17.
For more information, visit uwcu.org/racialequity.
