United Way invites agencies to request funding in 2010

United Way of Winneshiek County invites eligible nonprofit agencies to submit allocation requests for funding which will be awarded after the completion of the 2010 campaign which gets under way in the fall.

After the 2009 campaign, United Way was able to fund 100 percent of the allocation requests from 17 different nonprofit agencies serving residents from throughout the county.

Funded in part by that campaign were Alternative Treatment Associates, American Red Cross, the Girl Scouts, Helping Services for Northeast Iowa, Nisse PreSchool, Northeast Iowa Community Action, Northeast Iowa RSVP, Northland Agency on Aging and Opportunity Homes.

Also funded were Ossian DeSales Day Care, Pine Bluff 4-H Camp, The Spectrum Network, Sunflower Child Care and Preschool, Toys go 'Round Lending Library, WMC Farmers Market Senior Nutrition Program, Winnebago Council Boy Scouts and Winneshiek County ARC.

Agencies eligible for United Way of Winneshiek County funding must be classified by the IRS as a 501 (c) (3) organization, and cannot be a private foundation. They must also provide an essential "human health and social service" in Winneshiek County.

Eligibility requirements also say that agencies may apply only if they have a voluntary governing body that provides direction, holds regular meetings, has a budget and keeps minutes. Such an organization cannot be organized primarily for cultural, educational, fraternal, religious or political purposes.

The following types of organizations, though they may be deserving of public support, are not eligible for United Way funding: religious institutions, animal-welfare groups, peace organizations, environmental groups, government service agencies, economic-development organizations, museum and cultural organizations and political organizations.

For more information about requesting funding, contact United Way Board Member Marcia Bullerman at mkbullerman@hotmail.com or call her at 563.419.4969.