Grants Overview

United Way of Berks County offers several grant opportunities throughout the year. 

Rapid Response Grants, totaling $166,750, were awarded to 14 organizations in 2017. These grants are designed to provide immediate funding for health and human service nonprofit organizations experiencing unanticipated changes in financial circumstances jeopardizing a critical program's ability to be effective and causing negative consequences to clients and the community. Alternatively, funding may address a significantly increased demand for services that exceeds the organization's capacity to meet with current financial resources.

Three Venture Grants were awarded in 2018, which provide one-time funding in support of new or expanded programs responding to needs of underserved populations or geographic areas. These grants totaled $100,000 and were awarded to programs serving unaccompanied homeless youth and/or disconnected young adults.

LIVE UNITED Grants, one-time grants of up to $5,000, provided to grass-roots or community-based organizations with a yearly budget below $250,000, were awarded in 2018 to six organizations focusing on creative projects bringing people together to improve the quality of life for Berks County residents. LIVE UNITED Grants totaled $29,840.

Summer Learning Grants, one-time grants of up to $5,000 provided to Ready.Set.READ! (RSR) partner schools, Summer Learning Coalition members and other organizations serving Berks County Title 1 students, were awarded in 2018 to eight organizations to support summer programming featuring a literacy component and serving Berks County Title 1 students, up to and including 3rd grade. Summer Learning Grants totaled more than $37,000.