United way of Greater New Bedford

Since 1953, United Way of Greater New Bedford has been a leading institution on the SouthCoast. Today it is one of over 1,800 independent, self-governing United Way organizations throughout the United States and is overseen by a local Board of Directors. We proudly serve residents throughout the SouthCoast, with a primary focus on the City of New Bedford and the towns of Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, and Wareham. **UWGNB funds organizations through various grant funding opportunities, including:** - **Community Impact Grants:** operational support for existing, high quality programs and services - **Innovation Challenge:** project support for new, innovative programs and services - **Emerging Needs Fund:** support for unexpected and time sensitive community needs - **Changemaker Grants:** small dollar grants to all-volunteer community groups across the regions **UWGNB also manages and provides services through its own programs, including:** - **Family Resource and Development Center:** services for families with children under the age of 18, including case management, parenting classes, and therapeutic interventions - **Hunger Commission:** a food rescue program that delivers donated food from local companies and grocery stores to soup kitchens and food pantries. Also serves as the sole distributor of fresh, organic produce and eggs from the Sharing the Harvest Community Farm, a program of YMCA Southcoast, Dartmouth - **Mobile Market:** a summer program that provides free, fresh produce to low-income, working families **UWGNB convenes partners through various initiatives, including:** - **New Bedford Community Connections Coalition:** an initiative focused on strategies that work to prevent child abuse and neglect, strengthen families, and build healthier communities - UWGNB also partners with **SingleCare** to provide free access to discounts on prescription drugs and Mass 211, an information and referral line that provides free-confidential information to people seeking support services. - UWGNB has teamed up with **Bright by Text** to send free activities, games, and resources right to parents’ cell phones. Messages include information on child development, language and early literacy, health and safety, behavioral tips, and more. Text GNBKIDS TO 274448 - UWGNB administers **Volunteer SouthCoast**, a volunteer matching service that connects people interested in volunteering with projects at local non-profits. Through strategic planning, UWGNB has adopted a vision statement, mission statement, and set of values to convey what the organization hopes to achieve in the region and how we hope to achieve it. ****Vision statement**** “We envision a region where all people have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.” **Mission statement** “We mobilize people, partnerships, and resources to catalyze change that strengthens the communities we serve.” **UWGNB’s values** 1. **Impact-driven**: We work strategically to strengthen the region by responding to community needs and evaluating the programs we run and support to ensure we have impact. 2. **Integrity**: We conduct our work as a funder, convener, and direct service provider openly, honestly, and fairly. 3. **Compassion**: We conduct our work with great care and empathy towards those we are serving. 4. **Inclusive**: We value the perspectives of people from different backgrounds, experiences, races, ethnicities, and cultures. 5. **Collaboration**: We work together with organizations and individuals from across the region to ensure we have the greatest impact. 6. **Innovation**: We create transformative approaches as a fundraiser, funder, convener, partner, and service provider that enable us to be increasingly effective and efficient. 7. **Leadership**: We serve as a partner on important issues and aim to aspire others to become more involved to create a stronger region.