What We Do
We are fundraisers and local community builders
We engage and mobilize the community, and work with all levels of government and the broader community to find solutions to existing social issues. The funds we raise support a network of agencies whose programs and services deliver community-wide benefits. Our investments include everything from emergency food and shelter services that meet people’s basic needs; to counselling and harm reduction programs that help people live healthier lives; to mitigating the serious effects of isolation.
Impact: The Difference We Make
By targeting your donations, United Way Waterloo Region Communities strives to produce a direct and lasting impact in 3 key areas:
- Basic Needs
- Mental Health
- Isolation
In each area, we start by looking at community conditions. We then target our investments to produce the best possible outcomes based on information collected from research, community consultation, and local agencies. Lastly, we evaluate data from our funded partners to determine the impact of our investments.
Community Investment Strategy
United Way Waterloo Region Communities (United Way WRC) has recently changed its funding model. Previously, funding was allocated annually based on a Community Investment budget approved by the Board. This budget was based on campaign donations and pledges. Applications were limited to agencies that had already received United Way WRC funding.
United Way Waterloo Region Communities recognized the need to modernize our funding approach. This, coupled with the unanticipated challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, informed and galvanized the adaptation and timing of our funding model in order to be more responsive to community needs.
The new funding model is focused on immediate community need and local solutions to address those needs. There will be an open call for applications every three months to fund the most relevant programs and organizations. Applications are designed to be agile and more focused. There is an emphasis on equity and inclusion in our processes and decisions. We will be granting out money we have immediately available.