IMPACT Grant for Self-Sufficiency
United Way’s IMPACT Grant for Self-Sufficiency provided funding for programs that assisted struggling, working individuals and families in moving towards self-sufficiency. The IMPACT Grant was the first step in broadening United Way’s reach in Southwestern Indiana, by encouraging collaboration and working towards lasting community change. United Way introduced the IMPACT Grant in 2017.
Programs considered for United Way’s 2018 IMPACT Grant for Self-Sufficiency were required to provide services to working families in Spencer, Warrick or Vanderburgh Counties, and include at least one of the following strategies:
- Job Training and/or Educational Assistance
- Financial Literacy and Counseling
- Sustainable and Affordable Housing
- Transportation for Education and/or Employment
Fourteen nonprofit organizations submitted Request for Proposals (RFPs) and of those submitted, three (3) programs were selected to submit formal applications. United Way’s Self-Sufficiency Committee reviewed both the RFPs and the applications, ultimately selecting two programs to receive 2018 IMPACT Grant funding worth a total of $100,000.
2018 IMPACT Grant Recipients:
- New Hope Community Development Corporation
Bridge Builders Transportation Service - Catholic Charities of Evansville
Handy Helpers Job Training Program
New Hope Community Development Corporation – Bridge Builders Transportation Program
The Bridge BuildersTransportation program seeks to prevent the lack of transportation from being an obstacle for residents seeking full-time employment. Bridge Builders Transportation provides round-trip transportation to higher paying employer locations that are not accessible via METS. This service expands job seekers’ options and increases job opportunities.
Catholic Charities of Evansville – Handy Helpers Home Repair Training Program
Handy Helpers Home Repair is a job training business owned and operated by Catholic Charities Diocese of Evansville. Through revenue-generating work and a customized case management plan, at-risk employees can gain work and life skills to enable them to acquire and maintain stable and self-sustaining employment. during six-months of full-time paid employment, employees (technicians) spend 32 hours each week doing revenue-generating repair and maintenance services for home and small commercial property owners. They will dedicate eight hours each week implementing a customized personal development plan under the guidance of a caseworker, and will also meet with a trained volunteer mentor.

2017 IMPACT Grant Recipients:
- Evansville Christian Life Center
Closing the Gap through Getting Ahead program (GAIN Initiative) - Public Education Foundation Evansville
Academy of Innovative Studies (AIS) First Avenue Campus – CNA Training Program - United Methodist Youth Home
Independent Living Skills program - Youth First – Strengthening Youth and Families Program
