Investing For Impact
Agency Certification
Agencies must submit all required documentation for certification and receive approval after the United Way Review Team completes the fiscal review process to be eligible for Impact funding.
How Community Impact Investments Work
Heart of Missouri United Way invests in programs at nonprofit organizations in the impact areas of health and basic needs, education, and financial stability. Our investments reach individuals and families in Boone, Cooper, and Howard Counties. Through a volunteer-led decision-making process, community investments are funded in staggered three-year intervals.
Community Impact Data/Reports
Community Impact Return on Investments
Community Impact Investment Portfolio 2022
More Resources
Health & Basic Needs
FUNDING CYCLE: JANUARY 2021- DECEMBER 2023
United Way funds services that strengthen the health and well-being of individuals and families who are most vulnerable. In alignment with the community, United Way recognizes four programmatic areas necessary to achieve health and well-being: (1) Basic Needs, (2) Safe, Healthy, Affordable Housing, (3) Mental Health care, and (4) Medical and Dental care.
We address the community’s health needs by targeting programs that demonstrate the following client and/or community outcomes:
- Progress toward stability including but not limited to obtaining access to healthcare, benefits/entitlements enrollment, securing or maintaining safe shelter/housing
- Healthy behavior, based on client goals, including but not limited to increases and maintenance of nutritious food intake and physical activity.
- Decreases in negative health behavior, based on client goals, including but not limited to substance misuse and high-risk sexual activity
- Measurable health improvements including but not limited to, improved and maintained blood sugar, decreased stress level, improved and maintained blood pressure, and decrease in depression.
Education
United Way funds services that ensure young people have equitable access to gain the knowledge, skills and credentials so they are prepared for the workforce and able to obtain family sustaining employment. We recognize community investments are crucial from early childhood through transition to young adulthood (age 0-26).
We remove educational barriers for young people and their families by investing in programs that demonstrate the following client age-appropriate outcomes:
- Meet or exceed age-appropriate developmental milestones
- Gain positive parenting/co-parenting skills
- Improve kindergarten readiness
- Increase social connectedness
- Increase prosocial behaviors
- Develop positive values, social competencies, and positive identities
- Improve or maintain academic performance
- Graduate from high school on time, and/or earn HiSET, and/or earn credentials, based on client goals
- Gain further education, vocational skills, and/or job readiness skills, based on client goals
Financial Stability
FUNDING CYCLE: JULY 2019-JUNE 2022
United Way funds services that strengthen the financial stability and economic mobility of individuals and families who are financially vulnerable.
We address the community’s financial stability needs by targeting programs that demonstrate the following client and/or community outcomes:
- Gains in skills and/or credentials needed for employment and/or increased wages.
- Gain and sustain employment and/or increase income.
- Increase disposable income by increasing financial literacy and/or reducing costs and/or accessing benefits.
