Financial Security
Give Alaskans stability today and
opportunities tomorrow by
ensuring that they have steady
housing, jobs, and resources.
Our funding process ensures collaboration and innovation.
Meaningful, lasting change happens when Alaskans work together. A single nonprofit or organization can’t solve complex challenges alone. To help build solutions, United Way Anchorage offers flexible funding to Alaska nonprofits. Our support can be used for pilot programs, rapid-cycle testing, new ventures, and expanded offerings. When we give funds to these nonprofits, we’re using what our donors have entrusted us with to help more community members thrive. Our strategic investments have relied on different funding models over the years, but they’ve always generated the same result: Empower nonprofits to serve more Alaskans, make bigger impacts, and identify more ways to help our community. Thanks to our generous donors, made up of both caring people and dedicated businesses, since 1956, United Way’s funding has fueled incredible achievements statewide.
ACCELERATE
CHANGE
Community-wide
improvements happen
when we work together
CONNECT
PEOPLE
Alaskans facing
challenges need support
from many nonprofits
BUILD
CAPACITY
Programs and responses
can expand their reach,
clients, and services
STRENGTHEN
IMPACT
Flexible funding
supports scalable solutions
and focused initiatives
Strategic Investments
in early 2026, we updated our strategic investment funding model, which is why we rolled out a new grantmaking strategy. We're offering grants up to $15,000 to 501c(3) nonprofits registered in the State of Alaska and classified as public charities that will use our funding to serve people who live in Anchorage. Our United Fund can be used to perform short-term work related to United Way’s impact areas: Financial Security, Healthy Community, and Youth Opportunity. We select recipients with compelling, community-responsive projects that align with our mission, vision, values, strategic priorities, and goals and further opportunities for people in Anchorage to thrive. Requests can vary greatly, and successful applicants will have identified a single, short-term project in Anchorage that accomplishes one or more of:
- Responding to current Anchorage needs.
- Piloting or rapid-cycle testing innovative solutions.
- Furthering cross-agency collaborations.
- Expanding or enhancing ongoing programs.
Image
Image
Healthy Community
Empower Alaskans to access
quality, affordable care
so that they lead healthier,
more secure lives.
Image
Youth Opportunity
Provide young Alaskans with
learning opportunities and
skills development so they
can achieve lifelong success.
Funding Cycles
Our United Fund began accepted grant applications for financial support during fiscal year 2026, and we had two rounds of funding. As our United Fund continues to evolve, you can find updated information on this webpage, which we encourage you to check frequently. We require selected grant recipients to return their completed grant memorandum of agreement (MOA) before disbursing funds or making public announcements about awards.
Application Period
We're excited to announce the dates for our next United Fund grant application period: It opens on Sept. 21, 2026. The submission deadline is Oct. 21, 2026. Our application review committee conducts their evaluation between Oct. 22 and Nov. 13, 2026. Grant recipients can expect to be notified of their awards by Nov. 23, 2026 and must complete and return their required grant award forms to United Way by Dec. 4, 2026. We will disburse grant funds around Dec. 15, 2026.
[space filler]
Q: What type of projects does the United Fund support?
A: United Way funds single, short-term projects that align with our impact areas (Financial Security, Healthy Community, Youth Opportunity) and accomplish one or more of the following:
- Respond to current Anchorage needs.
- Pilot or rapid-cycle test innovative solutions.
- Further cross-agency collaborations.
- Expand or enhance ongoing programs.
Q: Am I eligible to apply for a United Fund grant?
A: If you represent a 501c(3) nonprofit registered in the State of Alaska and classified as a public charity (not a private foundation), then you may be eligible to apply when the following conditions are true:
- Your nonprofit has an Alaska business license in good standing.
- Your nonprofit serves people who live in Anchorage.
- Your nonprofit has a completed audit if it has a budget over $750,000.
Q: When is United Way accepting applications for the next round of funding?
A: Applications can be submitted via the online grant portal between Sept. 21, 2026 and Oct. 21, 2026.
Q: What is the timeline for applications?
A: For the current grant application period, applications are being accepted from Sept. 21, 2026, until 11:59 p.m. Oct. 21, 2026. Reviews will be completed by Nov. 13, 2026, with awards announced beginning on Nov. 23, 2026. When we determine the next funding cycle, we will update this webpage. Other funding opportunities may be announced later.
Q: How much funding may I request from the United Fund?
A: You can request up to $15,000 for a single, short-term project.
Q: The United Fund grant announcement and application refer several times to “short-term projects,” but they do not state an expenditure deadline. By when should I expect to use all funds if I am named a recipient of a United Fund grant?
A: We have not set a concrete deadline for grant fund expenditures to maximize flexibility. However, we recommend that you define a timeline in the project description of your application and include a deadline for the use of grant funds in accordance with your timeline.
Q. When will grant awards be disbursed?
A. United Fund grant awards will be disbursed to the grant recipients around Dec. 15, 2026.
Q: Where can I get more information or ask questions?
A: For questions about the United Fund or its grants, application process, review, and requirements please email grants@ak.org. For questions about volunteering as a United Fund grant reviewer, please also email grants@ak.org.
Q: Am I able to register for an account in the grant portal between application periods?
A: Yes, you can register for an account in the grant portal between application periods. However, you won't be able to work on the next period of grant applications until we open them.
Q: May I submit more than one application in an application period?
A: Yes, you can submit more one than one application if you have more than one single, short-term project. You must submit separate applications for each single, short-term project.
Q: Will the answers that I provide have character limits?
A: Yes, most of the questions you will be asked to answer will have character-count limits. In most cases, we have allowed for high character counts. This allows you the most flexibility to answer the questions. It is not intended to set expecations that you fill all the space provided.
Q: Can I edit the answers in my application?
A: Yes, you can edit your answers as many times as you'd like before you submit your application. Once you have submitted your application, you are unable to edit your answers.
Q: Can I save my answers and return at a later time to complete my application?
A: Yes, you can save and return to your application.
Q: How will I know if my application is successful?
A: You will be notified of your application status via emails from the grant portal. Upon submission, the first email that you receive will confirm that your application has been received. Successful recipients for this current grant application period will receive a memorandum of understanding by Dec. 4, 2026. United Fund grant recipients will be publicly announced around Dec. 15, 2026.
Q: When will the selected grant recipients be notified of an award?
A: Selected finalists will be notified by Nov. 23, 2026. Following notification, they must complete and return required grant award forms to United Way by Dec. 4, 2026.
Q: Can I be denied a grant based on my response to the Workplace Campaign participation prompt?
A: It is possible, though unlikely. This response is not scored, but it still should be completed in your application as it is considered when we select grant recipients.
You should determine what you think is a reasonable means of engaging with us for our Community Campaign. We request that your effort is commensurate with your capacity and resources. If your response proposes something different than we’re anticipating, we will get in touch with you to ask about it and collaboratively modify your proposal before issuing a memorandum of understanding.
A refusal to participate in our Community Campaign via a workplace campaign would result in your grant being denied. A failure to complete your Community Campaign participation, per the terms of your memorandum of understanding, could result in funding loss (withholding or repayment), grant suspension, or grant termination.
Q: How are applications reviewed?
A: Applications go through a two-step review process. First, a financial and operational review determines the eligibility of the applying 501c(3) nonprofit. Second, if eligible, the application is reviewed by at least one United Way staff member and at least one trained volunteer, using evaluation criteria that has a point-based rubric. The reviewers’ scores are averaged. Our Community Impact team must approve all awards.
Q: When will applications be reviewed for the current grant application period?
A: Applications will be evaluated between Oct. 10, 2026 and Nov. 13, 2026.
Q: What is the evaluation criteria?
A: The evaluation criteria have six factors that measure applications, assigning each with a point value. They include:
- Project Description
- Goals and Measures of Success
- Alignment with United Way Impact Areas
- Affected Populations
- Community Engagement
- Sustainability
Q: Are there restrictions on the use of funds from a United Fund grant?
A: Yes, we have some restrictions. We do not generally intend our United Fund grants to be used for capital expenses or purchases of large durable goods, e.g., vehicles. You should outline your project’s costs in your application and spend your grant funding accordingly.
Q: What are my requirements if my project is funded?
A: 501c(3) nonprofits that United Way supports with our United Fund must agree to:
- Publicly acknowledge United Way's grant award using guidelines that United Way provides to you.
- Participate in United Way's Community Campaign (a workplace campaign) through fundraising, volunteerism, or other mutually agreeable means.
- Complete a mid-project report or participate in a virtual meeting with United Way to review progress toward project goals.
- Submit a final summary report to United Way, including measures of success, impact stories, photos (if applicable), and lessons learned.
- Provide feedback on United Way's grantmaking process.
- Be listed in the Alaska 211 database, if applicable.
Q: I worked on an application. Can I access it again or see its status?
A: Yes, you can access your application and see its status from our grant portal. Whether you submitted it for us to review or left it unsubmitted as a draft, you can find it by signing into your account.
Grant Recipients
United Way announced our United Fund fiscal year 2026 awardees on March 27, 2026 and July 14, 2026. Now, we've disbursed $250,000 to 14 nonprofits that support people in Anchorage and our community. Most received $15,000 to complete single, short-term, community-responsive projects whereas three received $30,000 and one received $10,000. Of the 73 proposals that were submitted, these 17 projects were exemplary and rated the highest, though every proposal that we reviewed was compelling. If you represent an Anchorage-area nonprofit, please consider developing or re-submitting proposals for our next round of United Fund grantmaking.