2012 RFP Process Update

As a result of a decision by our Board of Directors, United Way of Rhode Island is holding the release of the Request for Proposal (RFP) in 2012 until our Community Investment Advisory Committee (CIAC) completes their deliberation of how best to utilize UWRI’s resources in achieving the organization’s strategic goals. As part of the deliberation process, UWRI would like to make it clear that our areas of investment will not change. We will continue to fund initiatives aligned with our focus areas of Education, Income, Housing, and Safety Net.

The primary role of the CIAC is to work in conjunction with UWRI’s Board of Directors, staff, community volunteers, and partners to identify community needs and set overall direction to create and implement community impact strategies consistent with the organization’s priorities. Toward that end, the Community Investment Department is presently completing contract renewals for the 3rd and final year of the current grant cycle. UWRI’s 2010-2011 Annual Campaign returns enabled us to maintain grants at 2011 funding levels.

For several years, we have been evolving our approach to community change, with the Board and CIAC identifying UWRI’s role as one of a “social change agent” as compared to a grant-making organization. Given the challenges faced by the CIAC in its planning for the next grant cycle, it was determined that we would benefit from a thorough review of our grant distribution system before moving forward. Lingering issues concerning Rhode Island’s economy, high rate of unemployment, and the projected structural deficit that further threaten resources available to help those in need were among the primary concerns identified in making this decision.

The CIAC will continue to review and revise the United Way allocations system, reporting back to the Board of Directors in the spring of 2012 with its findings. Once a decision is made, we will update our grantee and non-grantee organizations as to when and how UWRI will fund community-based programs and systems initiatives in the future. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Carmen Ferguson at (401) 444-0640 or via email at carmen.ferguson@uwri.org.