Grants
Our vision is for a community that collaborates, integrates, and innovates to create a highly effective regional delivery system of human services to best meet the needs of our residents. We work toward these goals through our fundraising, grant-making, and community leadership efforts.
OUR FUNDING FOCUS AREAS
The Cape and Islands United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for all. Our focus is on education, financial stability, health and housing — the building blocks for a good quality of life and a strong community.
We partner with local nonprofit organizations to ensure a robust continuum of services and supports for all residents. Our grant-making process is centered around four main goals:
In 2018, we received nearly 80 Letters of Intent. In total, nearly $500,000 was distributed to 34 nonprofit organizations – in support of 36 programs across Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in our four priority areas. Grant awards ranged from $5,000 to $25,000.

Some of our 2019-2020 Community Impact partners (from top left): The Family Pantry of Cape Cod, Calmer Choice, A Baby Center and Homeless Prevention Council.
If you have any questions about Community Impact Grants, please call 508-775-4746 or email info@uwcapecod.org
DESIRED COMMUNITY OUTCOMES
Over the past two years, we have used the Results-Based Accountability (RBA) framework to focus on results and impact. After careful review of this framework, as well as additional work to understand the needs of our community, we established a set of Desired Community Outcomes. These outcomes are aspirational goals that organizations are working towards to improve areas of need in our community, and fall under selected strategies of our RBA framework. This refinement allows a greater focus on targeted outcomes to ensure maximum impact.
The four focus areas of Education, Financial Stability, Health and Housing each has a goal statement which is followed by information to set the context for the selection of strategies and Desired Community Outcomes. These describe the results that funded programs should be working to achieve in the community.
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Cape & Islands United Way Grants Portal: Landing page for applying to major and minor grants, or updating information
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Results Framework with Desired Community Outcomes 2020-2022: The Results Framework for 2020-2022 guides the Community Impact Grant decision-making process for the Cape and Islands United Way. Using local data to identify regional needs helped determine a set of aspirational positive outcomes for the community--Desired Community Outcomes.
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LOI Examples: How an Applicant would select Desired Community Outcomes and tie it to their program results.
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LOI Information Session Q&A: Questions and answers from the CIUW In-Person and Webinar Information Sessions about changes to the grant making process.