United Way Perth-Huron accepting expressions of interest for three-year impact funding

Kristin Crane, director of community impact and research at United Way Perth-Huron.

The United Way Perth-Huron (UWPH) is aiming to provide funding for organizations that align with their values to ensure future impact on the fight against poverty. 

The application process for organizations of the Perth-Huron community to receive funding closes on March 12. The funding cycle will begin in April 2026 and run until March 2029 following a two-stage application process to ensure applicants are a good match with the United Way’s organizational values. 

For the next funding cycle, UWPH aims to address the crisis of poverty and homelessness by supporting community members struggling to get by due to the high cost of living on lower wages. 

“Starting with an expression of interest (EOI), this will remain open until March 12. All EOIs are reviewed and if people are eligible, we will then invite them to continue through the process with an application which will be next stage and that will open on the week of April 16 and will last for about a month as well,” said Kristin Crane, director of community impact and research at UWPH. 

Crane said the ideal candidates to receive funding are grassroots organizations new to the community that provide services and programs that support equity denied groups. She encouraged those types of organizations to apply and reach out to UWPH first so they can assist them in navigating the process.

Crane said the United Way is also willing to support larger organizations that may have received UWPH funding in the past and encourages them to reapply. Crane is anticipating a large response to the UWPH’s call-out for applications.

“We are looking forward to the new ways to address homelessness and I think as an organization, we have been on a good path for the last three years,” said Crane. “I don't think we are going to see any drastic shifts anytime soon, but it's essential to know who we are serving in the community. We are hoping through this next phase we have better data and evidence that we can apply to future efforts moving forward to better serve the community.” 

Crane said the United Way recognizes community programs and services are making impactful efforts towards addressing poverty and looks forward to seeing change develop within the community. 

“It’s a part of that collective impact; if we are able to provide that focus with our funding to these different organizations then we are able to provide all the different kinds of programs and services that we are financially supporting for.” 

For more information on impact funding, visit perthhuron.unitedway.ca or call 519-271-7730.