Community Impact Projects and Collaborations
AmeriCorps VISTA | VISTA (Volunteer In Service To America) is a national program of AmeriCorps created more than 50 years ago to foster a spirit of national service. UWNI is the sponsor of a statewide impact project with a goal of alleviating poverty through economic opportunity and education initiatives. We believe safe, well-resourced communities give everyone the opportunity to reach their full potential. Our current partner sites include Human Rights Education Institute, Coeur d'Alene School District Hope on the Homefront, Gizmo-CDA, Lincoln County Youth Center, Family Promise of the Palouse, United Way of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County, and United Way of Southeastern Idaho. Find out more about our Best Futures for Idaho Youth project here.
CDA 2030 | CDA 2030 is a community visioning project created to ensure our community is working towards long-term improvement and impact. UWNI is listed on several CDA 2030 Action Items and shares many common goals to improve lives in Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding areas.
Idaho Gives Day | UWNI participates in Idaho Gives Day as a way to raise awareness and funds to support our projects. We also help the Idaho Nonprofit Center in encouraging local nonprofits to participate.
Foundation Directory Online | In partnership with the Coeur d’Alene Library, UWNI provides this free resource for nonprofit organizations to research potential grant funders from a national database to support their impact work. This service can only be accessed by being physically present at the Library with your library card information in hand.
Education:
READY! for Kindergarten | UWNI’s only direct service program, READY! for Kindergarten's impact is providing parents and caregivers the tools and knowledge to prepare their children for school. This program is primarily funded by a corporate match from Alliance Data. READY! classes operate in the Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene, and Lakeland School Districts through administration partnerships.
Reading Wagon | Book drives and small grants drive impact by helping fill the shelves of the United Way Children’s Book Bank. The Reading Wagon then travels to daycares, schools, and community events to deliver new and gently-used literature to children of all ages.
Born Learning Trail | The Born Learning Trail is a series of 10 interactive signs that offer fun, active learning activities for young children and their families. Funding from Kiwanis brought the first Born Learning Trail to North Idaho in the spring of 2018, located in Shadduck Lane Park.
The Coeur d’Alene Early Reading Project | In partnership with Opening Books Opening Doors, the University of Idaho – CdA, and the Coeur d’Alene School District, UWNI is one of several community partners focused on increasing 3rd grade reading proficiency in our community. This program is funded by the Innovia Foundation.
North Idaho Education Partnership | As part of the Educate Idaho Network, the goal of NIEP is to increase go-on rates of Idahoans ages 21-34. Read more about this partnership and its members, here.
Financial Stability:
ALICE | A United Way acronym which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. In partnership with the Dept. of Labor Workforce Development Task Force, several ALICE subcommittees have developed.
Child Care Committee | As the single highest item on a family budget, child care is something that is often unattainable due to demand and cost. If child care for ALICE families can be obtained, it is often lacking in key items such as quality educational curriculum or healthy food items.
Transportation| UWNI is represented in an existing regional transportation committee where ALICE information is shared and the nonprofit sector can have an additional voice.
Health:
FamilyWize | FamilyWize is a discount prescription card made possible by national partnerships, and saves individuals an average of 43% on medications.
Strengthening Families | A research-informed community framework to increase family strengths, enhance child development, and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. Through this partnership, United Way assisted in the development and launch of strengtheningfamiliesni.com which steers parents, families, and caregivers to programs that help with education, finances, stress, nutrition, and housing assistance, to name a few.
2-1-1 | A national help line mandated following the September 11th attacks, 2-1-1 is a simple number for individuals to find local resources.