WU Grant Awards Program

Women United of United Way of Lake County Grant Awards Program

The goal of Women United of United Way of Lake County is to positively impact the lives of women and girls in Lake County. One of the ways we work toward this is through the support of 501(c)(3) and non-profit organizations in Lake County, with programs that align with our mission of uplifting women and girls. 

WU began its first annual grant awards program in 2015. A panel of WU volunteers review grant applications from nonprofit agencies and organizations for programs that directly impact the lives of women, girls, and children in Lake County. After careful review of these, visits and interviews with the nonprofit agencies and organizations are conducted by volunteers who ultimately decide which programs will be awarded funds. Over the last 10 years, WU has proudly awarded grants totaling over $422,000.

 

2024 Allocation Award Recipients

Women United awarded grants totaling $96,000 as part of United Way of Lake County's Community Investment Volunteer Committee. The allocations were announced during late May 2024. Below is a list of the agency programs funded.

$12,000  Birthright: $12,000, Baby Formula Program
$12,000  Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Services for Lake County Survivors
$12,000  Fine Arts Association, Creative Arts Therapies
$12,000  Forbes House, Domestic Violence Shelter
$12,000  Lake County YMCA, Summer Learning Loss Program
$12,000  Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers, Residential Childcare
$12,000  Lifeline, Dolly Parton Imagination Library
$12,000  The Salvation Army Corps Community Center, Youth Learning Zone

 


2023 Allocation Award Recipients

Women United awarded grants totalling $60,000 as part of United Way of Lake County's Community Impact volunteer committee. The allocations were announced during mid-June 2023. Below is a list of the agency programs funded.

Birthright: $12,700
Baby Formula

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center: $10,000
Services for Rape and Sexual Abuse Survivors from Lake County

Forbes House: $10,000
Domestic Violence Shelter

Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers: $20,100
Outpatient Treatment Program

Starting Point: $7,200
Childcare Training

 


2022 Allocation Award Recipients

Women United awarded grants totalling $61,200 as part of United Way of Lake County's Community Impact volunteer committee. The allocations were announced during mid-June 2022. Below is a list of the agency programs funded.

Birthright: $7,700
Baby Formula 

Cleveland Rape Crises Center:  $9,000

Services for Rape and Sexual Abuse Survivors from Lake County

Fine Arts Association: $8,100
Creative Arts Therapies Program for Girls

Fine Arts Association: $3,000
Reading Readiness 

Forbes House: $10,600

Domestic Violence Shelter 

Lake County YMCA: $8,000
Childcare Financial Assistance for Girls

Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers' Oak House: $1,200
Holiday 2022 Gifts/Cheer for Oak House clients

Lifeline: $3,000
Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program (Free Reading Program for Pre-K Children)

Project Hope for the Homeless: $10,600
Homeless Shelter


2021 Allocation Award Recipients

Women United awarded grants totalling $50,000 as part of United Way of Lake County's Community Impact volunteer committee. The allocations were announced during the final week of June 2020. Below is a list of the agency programs funded

Fine Arts Association: $4,400
Creative Arts Therapies Program for Girls

Birthright: $8,000
Baby Formula Program

Cleveland Rape Crises Center:  $8,000
Services for Rape and Sexual Abuse Survivors from Lake County

Forbes House: $8,000
Domestic Violence Shelter - Shelter and Care for Women Survivors

Lake County YMCA: $8,000
Financial Assistance for Girls and Women

Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers:  $4,400
In-Patient Treatment for Women at the Centers' Oak Housee

Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers' Oak House: $1,200
Holiday 2021 Gifts/Cheer for Oak House clients

Project Hope for the Homeless: $8,000
Homeless Shelter


2020 Allocation Award Recipients

Women United awarded grants totaling $40,000 as part of United Way of Lake County's Community Impact volunteer committee. The allocations were announced during the final week of June 2020. Below is a list of the agency programs funded

Cleveland Rape Crises Center:  $10,000
Services for Lake County Survivors

Forbes House: $10,000
Domestic Violence Shelter - Shelter and Care for Women Survivors

Lake County YMCA: $7,000
Financial Assistance for Girls and Women

Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers:  $10,000
In-Patient Treatment for Women at the Centers' Oak House

 


2019 Grant Award Recipients

Women United hosted a grant awards ceremony  the evening of June 20, 2019 where they awarded a total of 18 grants totaling $29,982 to the following non-profit programs:

Auburn Career Center:  $1,900
Need Based Scholarships: For women in traditional and non-traditional fields

Cleveland Rape Crisis Centers:  $1,300
Outreach in Lake County: Advertising to spread the word about the availability of services in Lake County

Deepwood Foundation:  $1,350
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Music and dance program designed to increase social skills for girls

Fine Arts Association:  $1,500
Girl Power: Music, dance and art scholarships for girls

Forbes House: $1,453
Children’s Counseling: Update counseling office with books and furniture

Hannah’s Home:  $710
Earn While You Learn: Upgrade DVDs for healthy living and eating for new mothers & children

Hospice of the Western Reserve:  $991
Comfort Care: 12 Manuals and stools for volunteers to provide Comfort Care to patients

           Lake County Community Network: $2,500
           Emergency Assistance: Rent, utilities, food, etc. for women

Lake County Educational Service Center:  $1,567
SALES Program: Meetings and a service learning project in Virginia for Lake County girls

Lake County Free Clinic:  $2,000
Lab Tests:  4 types of lab tests for women’s health

Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers:  $1,200
Giving Back: Supplies for making blankets for others

Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers Oak House: $1,000
A WLC Christmas for Oak House Clients

Madison Local School District:  $1,000
STEM and Making:  Supplies for low & high tech afterschool activities for 4th & 5th grade girls

Painesville Community Theater: $1,500
Summer Theater:  6-8 week summer theater camp and performance for girls

Project Hope for the Homeless: $3,011
Families Moving Forward: 77 Shelter nights for mothers and children

The Hope Chest:  $3,000
School Clothing:  New shoes, socks and underwear for girls

Salvation Army:  $2,500
Back to School Bash: Socks, underwear and backpacks for girls

Women Safe: $1,500
Shelter for Lake County Women:  33 Nights of shelter for victims of domestic violence in Lake County

 


2018 Grant Award Recipients

On the evening of June 13, 2018 our Women's Leadership Council (now known as Women United) proudly awarded grants totaling $28,048 in support of the following programs which work to support women and girls:

Lake County Community Network:  $5,000
Funding provided for emergency assistance for women in need of monetary assistance with rent and utilities.

Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers:  $4,000
Funding provided to help furnish their new Women’s Recovery House.

Project Hope for the Homeless:  $3,011
Funding provided to cover 77 nights of shelter and care for women and girls.

Fine Arts Association:  $3,000
Funding provided to help with Girl Power Scholarships for low-income families of girls.

The Salvation Army:  $2,500
Funds provided in support of their S.S. Kids Project.

Crossroads:  $2,400
Funding provided for Crossroads Girls on the Run program.

Lake County Juvenile Court:  $2,360
Funding provided in support of their New Voices for Girls program which works to address low self-esteem in young women involved in the juvenile justice system. The program focuses on teaching girls to use their voices to speak for themselves and to recognize that they can make positive choices in their lives.

Lake County Educational Service Center:  $1,500
Funding provided to cover scholarships for 6 girls to attend their Service & Leadership Engagement program.

Painesville Community Theater:  $1,500
Funding provided to cover approximately 8 theater camp scholarships for girls.

Hospice of the Western Reserve:   $1,200
Funding provided for girls to attend their children’s bereavement program at Red Oak Camp this summer. 

Hannah’s Home:  $870
Funding provided for First Step Kits for mothers in their Maternity Program who are planning to transition into independent living.

Western Reserve Community Development:  $706
Funds to help support their “Create a Healthy and Balanced You” program for women in the New Directions for living program.

 


2017 Grant Award Recipients

Our Women's Leadership Council (now known as Women United) proudly awarded grants totaling $18,462 to the following 9 recipients on June 5, 2017:

  • Girl Scouts
  • Hope Chest
  • Family Planning Association
  • Fine Arts Association
  • Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Deepwood
  • Lake County Community Network
  • Lake Geauga Recovery Centers
  • Painesville Community Theater
  • Project Hope for the Homeless

 


 

2016 Grant Award Recipients

 

Our 2016 grants were proudly awarded on June 13, 2016 by members of our Women's Leadership Council (now known as Women United) grant commitee. Grants totaling $19,930 were awarded to the following 9 nonprofit agencies and organizations:

  • Beacon Health
  • Big Brothers/Big Sisters of NEO                            
  • Birthright Lake    
  • Family Planning of NEO  
  • Fine Arts Association                                                              
  • Lake/Geauga Educational Assistance Foundation                                                                     
  • Lake Health Foundation
  • New Directions for Living                                                       
  • Western Reserve Counseling Centers 

2015 Grant Award Recipients

In June of 2015 grants totalling $18,597 were awarded to the nonprofit agencies listed below:
 

  • Crossroads
  • Forbes House
  • Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers
  • Lake Health Foundation
  • New Directions for Living
  • Suit Yourself
  • WomenSafe