United Way of Greater Cincinnati is investing $2.25 million in targeted, time-limited efforts that address three emerging challenges affecting family stability and progress. Funding will support focused work that builds on organizations’ existing services while helping our community learn which responses are most effective.
United Way identified the fund’s priorities using insights from community partners and local data. Within each priority, United Way will select a portfolio of investments that collectively addresses immediate needs while improving service effectiveness, strengthening organizational capacity and supporting greater coordination.
Educational Success: Strengthen the ability of early education providers serving children from birth through age 5 to respond to increasing behavioral and social-emotional needs. Approaches may include educator training, coaching or consultation; behavioral health or clinical services; and tools, practices or partnerships that improve provider response.
Financial Empowerment: Strengthen the local food ecosystem’s ability to respond to increasing food needs and costs. Investments may help meet immediate food needs, make existing resources go further or improve coordination through approaches such as expanded procurement, food rescue, storage and distribution capacity, infrastructure, operational improvements or partnerships.
Housing Security: Help individuals and families overcome housing challenges so they can stay engaged in programs that build long-term stability, such as job training, education or financial coaching. Assistance may include rent or utility arrears, deposits, temporary lodging, moving expenses, housing navigation or time-limited rental assistance.
Funded partners will also contribute to shared learning about emerging needs, effective approaches and opportunities to strengthen the community’s response.
Organizations interested in applying should review the complete Request for Proposals and the detailed guidance for their selected priority before beginning the application.
Applicants must first complete an eligibility screener in United Way’s grant management system, Foundant. Organizations that meet the eligibility requirements may proceed to the full application; eligibility does not guarantee funding.
Eligible applicants must:
This funding is designed to support expenses directly tied to the proposed response rather than general program expansion or ongoing operations.
Eligible applications will be reviewed competitively within their selected priority. United Way will consider both the strength of each proposal and how the selected projects collectively advance the goals of the priority.
Applications are due Nov. 23, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Late applications will not be accepted.
Final report due upon completion, no later than January 2028.
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