Heart of Indiana United Way (HIUW) in partnership with local Community Foundations serving Delaware, Henry, Madison,  South Madison and Randolph counties announces the creation and launch of a new Equity Advancement Fund. The new mini-grants program is designed to help strengthen and advance equity locally.

“In looking at the organizations we have historically funded, we found a lack of grant applications from programs led by or serving the underrepresented and under-resourced in our community. These are programs working on the front lines to serve our minority communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, those with disabilities, non-English speaking, multi-lingual speakers and so many more. Many of these programs are grassroots, volunteer-directed, and very impactful but challenged by our current application process,” said Jenni Marsh, President and CEO of Heart of Indiana United Way.

These findings drove Heart of Indiana United Way to explore the creation of an Equity Advancement Fund and to reach out to Community Foundations as partners in the effort. The goal was to create an entry-level grants opportunity to help small, grassroots organizations that are led by or serve underrepresented communities but have not applied for funding in the past to easily enter the granting process and build relationships for future funding and capacity-building opportunities.

As part of the new fund’s launch, local community foundations have provided matching dollars to encourage donors to give and maximize the dollars available for equity advancement fund mini-grants. Heart of Indiana United Way is leading the fundraising effort in all 5 counties it serves.

“The more we can raise to support the fund, the more that will be available for local grants. This is a wonderful opportunity for individuals and businesses to support an effort dedicated to addressing the disparities in community needs,” shared Kim Williams, VP of Resource Development and Marketing for Heart of Indiana United Way. “Once the fund reaches its initial goal of $20,000, we will open a rolling grants cycle for grant requests.”

To donate to the Equity Advancement Fund, visit www.heartofindiana.org/equityfund or text “equityfund” to 41444.

For those interested in being notified once the fund is open for grant requests, visit www.heartofindiana.org/equityadvancementfund and provide your contact information on the link to receive updates.

For any questions or if you are interested in learning more about the Equity Advancement Fund, please contact Heart of Indiana United Way at 765-288-5586.