North State Equity Fund
The North State Equity Fund (NSEF) is Now Accepting Letters of Interest for its 2023 Grant Cycle
Interested Organizations Must Submit Letters of Interest by Sunday, June 4, 2023, at 11:59 pm.
NSEF plans to invest up to $100,000 to advance racial and social equity in Northern California in 2023. NSEF is a collaboration between United Way of Northern California (UWNC), The McConnell Foundation, and S.H. Cowell Foundation. The fund is available to organizations and groups based in these nine counties: Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity.
NSEF promotes racial justice and social equity by empowering grassroots organizations in the North State. The 2023 grant cycle focuses on fostering collaboration and innovation while addressing racial justice and healing in Northern California. Grants of up to $10,000 will be given to support the general operations and needs of organizations doing this essential work.
Interested organizations should create an account through norcalunited.co/grants and submit their letter of interest by Sunday, June 4, 2023, at 11:59 pm. Selected organizations will interview via Zoom, and be notified about grant status before August 1, 2023.
NSEF encourages partnerships between organizations and the submission of joint applications where appropriate. Previous grantees can apply if they collaborate with a new organization. While 501(c)3 status is not required to receive NSEF funds, applications from for-profit entities will not be considered. The NSEF team will be available for questions at nsef@norcalunitedway.org until 3:30 pm on June 2.
Community Impact Grants
Community Impact Grants are a primary method for United Way of Northern California to support the work of nonprofit groups in our nine-county service area.
In 2022, we invested $50,000 in organizations to support wildfire mitigation and drought preparedness. Grantees received assistance for various disaster resilience measures, including drought-tolerant indigenous plant training for native youth, water tank installations in extreme fire-risk areas with depleted water sources, and purchasing equipment for volunteer fire departments. Funded organizations included: Konkau Association Corporation, Willows Volunteer Fire Department, Shasta Mutual Aid, RISE (Resources for Indian Student Education, Inc.), Manton Fire Safe Council, Orland Volunteer Fire Department, Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council, Wolfpack Clubhouse, Shasta County Fire Safe Council, and Lakehead Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.
In 2023, we are making additional investments into disaster recovery, mitigation, and preparedness in partnership with Sierra Health Foundation, California Department of Public Health, and California Office of Emergency Services. These grants are by invitation only to address specific needs of vulnerable communities and partner priorities.