2027 Request For proposals: Investing in ALICE Households
Stronger families.
Stronger Community.
We’re seeking local solutions that remove barriers and help more families make measurable progress toward stability.
Offering one-year grants of $25,000 to $200,000 for nonprofits serving ALICE Households in Greenville County.
One thing shouldn't unravel everything.
Greenville County households earn too much for most help and too little to cover the basics.
Growth in these households since 2010, while poverty stayed largely unchanged.
What a family of four needs to cover the basics, more than double the poverty level.
Families rarely face one problem at a time. When a car breaks down, someone can lose a job. A missed shift means late rent. And finding help is its own burden, with services spread across many organizations. That’s why we’re changing how we invest: starting with ALICE Households and the results that help them become more financially stable.
What knot can you untie?
Your solution could be the connection that keeps a family steady.
Who
Eligible: 501(c)(3)s, fiscally sponsored projects, schools, colleges and inclusive faith-based groups with at least $125,000 in annual revenue. New or long-standing, and you don’t have to be funded by United Way today.
What
Solutions that resolve or reduce barriers for ALICE Households and help them become more stable, with results you can measure and track.
WHERE
Serving Greenville County residents.
WHEN
One-year grants announced in January 2027.
HOW MUCH
Grants range from $25,000 to $200,000, up to 20% of your total revenue. This funding should add to what you already have, not replace it. We want to help more families, so use it to reach more people or build a better version of your solution.
results
Families earn more, find full-time work, stay stably housed, pay down debt, build savings and credit, get reliable transportation and rise above the ALICE Threshold. The full RFP lists example outcomes.
This RFP is informed by ALICE research from United For ALICE, which tracks households who earn above the poverty level but below what it costs to live in Greenville County.
What strong proposals show
We want to invest in solutions that help ALICE Households make measurable progress toward stability.
1
Barriers removed.
A clear plan to resolve or reduce specific barriers and build stability for ALICE Households.
2
Dollars to results.
A direct line from funding to positive outcomes for the households you serve.
3
Families tracked.
A method for identifying the ALICE Households you serve and tracking their progress over time.
join the cohort
The power of coming together
A grant is the start. Every funded organization joins a cohort of partners working toward shared results for ALICE Households.
Serve ALICE Households
Use United Way funds for ALICE Households only, and confirm and record the ALICE status of every household you serve with them.
Share what we learn
Share findings with United Way and the cohort on a regular, ongoing basis to track the households you serve and the results they achieve.
Meet Monthly
Learn from other funded partners, compare what's working and build solutions none of us could build alone.
Adjust together
This is a year of learning. Tell us early if something changes, like staffing or program design, and we'll adjust together.
Full terms are included in the grant agreement each funded partner signs.
Key Dates
Oct 19
RFP released and Submittable opens
Oct 21 & 26, Nov 2
Info sessions
Nov 13
Proposals due by 11:59 PM
Nov to Dec
Review and follow-up conversations
January 2027
Awards announced
info session
Free and virtual. Can’t make it?
Register and we’ll send the recording.
Mon, Nov. 2nd • 12PM-1PM
FAQ's
ELIGIBILITY
We serve families in poverty and ALICE families. Can we apply?
Yes. United Way of Greenville County funding must be used to serve ALICE Households only. Your proposal should show how our investment will be directed to ALICE Households and how you will track those households separately from everyone else you serve.
Do we have to be located in Greenville County?
No. The requirement is serving Greenville County residents. An organization based elsewhere can apply if the households served with these funds live in Greenville County.
We're a church or faith-based organization. Are we eligible?
Yes. Faith-based organizations are eligible when funded services are open to everyone regardless of faith and taking part in any religious activity is voluntary and never a condition of receiving services. If those are true and your solution addresses a barrier ALICE Households face, grant funds can cover every part of a program participants choose, including faith-based activities. We review every proposal on the outcomes it delivers for ALICE Households.
We're a public school or school district. Are we eligible?
Yes. Public, charter and private schools, including programs they run for students and families, are eligible.
We're a government agency. Are we eligible?
No. Government agencies and entities, including city, county, state and federal offices, are not eligible to apply.
We're a new organization. Can we apply?
Yes. There is no minimum number of years in operation, but you do need at least $125,000 in total revenue. If you don’t have results yet, share the most recent data you have in the How You Measure section, including from a pilot or a related program, and say what period it covers.
We're fiscally sponsored. Whose revenue counts?
Fiscally sponsored initiatives are eligible. The 20% cap is based on the total revenue of the organization that holds the 501(c)(3). If the request is more than 20% of the project’s or initiative’s own budget, we will weigh that risk in our review. If you apply as a fiscally sponsored project, program or initiative, upload your fiscal sponsor’s documents.
We've never been a United Way partner. Are we at a disadvantage?
No. You don’t need to be a current or past United Way of Greenville County partner to apply, and every proposal is reviewed against the same criteria. If you have a strong solution for ALICE Households, we want to hear from you.
If we want funding for two separate projects, should we present them as one initiative or submit two separate proposals?
Email [email protected] with the details, including whether another organization is involved, so we can respond to your specific situation.
IDENTIFYING AND SERVING ALICE HOUSEHOLDS
How do we know if a household is ALICE?
Compare the household’s total annual income to the range for its household size and makeup in the RFP. Within the range, the household is ALICE. Below it, the household is in poverty. Above it, the household is above the ALICE Threshold. For any other household, such as a single parent or a family of three, use the ALICE Income Status Tool. The table uses 2024 data from United For ALICE. Use it as published for this RFP.
How do we verify income, and what if we’ve never tracked whether households are ALICE?
You can use the table, the tool or the income information you already collect, as long as the households you serve fall within the ALICE range. You don’t need to have tracked ALICE status before. Describe how you’ll identify ALICE Households and track their progress. A clear, practical plan is what matters.
How are you defining employment? Are you only looking at income?
We aren’t using a specific definition of employment. What we’re looking at is income. If your solution helps someone get a job, what matters is that it increases the household’s income and moves the household toward greater stability. Tell us how you’ll measure that change, from where a household starts to where it ends up.
What if a household’s income changes while we’re serving them?
A household’s income needs to be within the ALICE range when it starts. A household below the Federal Poverty Level, such as someone between jobs with little or no income, falls outside that range for these funds.
After that, progress isn’t always a straight line. If a household’s earnings rise above the ALICE Threshold, that’s an outcome we hope for (see Appendix A). If a household loses income or a job, it doesn’t become ineligible. Tell us what changed and how you’re adapting, and we’ll work through it together.
Do seniors and retirees count?
Yes, when their household income falls within the ALICE range. The RFP names older neighbors who spent a lifetime working as part of ALICE.
FUNDING, COSTS AND SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT
What is the total amount of funding available, and how many awards do you expect to make?
We’ll invest up to $2 million through this RFP. That is part of the approximately $9 million United Way of Greenville County invests in our community each year, which also supports other community initiatives, free tax assistance, direct financial assistance and community infrastructure such as 211. We don’t have a set number of awards.
How much should we ask for?
Between $25,000 and $200,000, and no more than 20% of your total revenue for the fiscal year or years in which the grant funds will be used. Size the request to what it costs you to do this work well and the additional unduplicated ALICE Households it lets you serve each year. The proposal also asks for the smallest grant that would still allow a meaningful version of your program.
If we offer less than you asked for, we’ll ask what adjustments you’d make and how they would affect households and results, or why the program can’t run on less.
Are payments made on a reimbursement basis?
No. Payments are made monthly.
Can grant funds cover direct financial assistance or one-time needs?
Yes, when it’s paired with other work you do. Paying a bill on its own, with nothing else attached, isn’t a fit for this RFP. These grants also aren’t meant to cover bills United Way already helps pay directly, such as rent or utilities.
Needs like transportation, car repairs, child care or other unexpected expenses can be part of your solution when they come with coordination, coaching, a service, training or connections to other resources. You don’t need a long-term program. You decide how your solution works and which barriers it addresses.
What does “supplement, not supplant” mean?
Our funding should help you do more or go deeper. It can’t replace money you already have to do the same work. That might mean serving more ALICE Households, such as housing more families, or offering new or expanded services to ALICE Households you already serve. Either counts. Make clear what is new or different because of this funding.
THE PROPOSAL, DATA AND OUTCOMES
What’s in the proposal, and what documents do we need?
The full proposal outline, word limits and document checklist are in the RFP and in Submittable. You can save your work in Submittable and come back to it before you submit.
How should we distinguish between the total number of ALICE Households we reach through existing services and the smaller number served through the proposed grant?
Share both. We want to learn as much as we can about how your organization serves ALICE Households, so tell us the total number you serve each year. We also understand that your request may fund a specific program or solution that reaches only some of those households. In your proposal, be clear about which solution you’re asking us to fund, how many ALICE Households it will serve and how you’ll measure their progress.
Do we have to pick outcomes from the Appendix A list?
No. Appendix A lists examples of what stability can look like. Use the outcomes that fit your work and show how they move ALICE Households toward stability.
Outputs count what you deliver, such as 120 households enrolled or 40 credit counseling sessions. Outcomes show what changed for households, such as 30 households reducing high-cost debt. The How You Measure section asks for both.
Our program is new, so we don't have results yet. Can we still apply?
Yes. There is no minimum number of years in operation. In the How You Measure section, share the most recent data you have, including from a pilot or a related program, and say what period it covers. Reviewers consider recent results where applicable.
What financial and organizational documents will you ask for?
- Board of Directors list, including each member’s full name, corporate affiliation (if applicable), board role, and term start and end dates. Include the board chair and vice-chair.
- Most recent IRS Form 990 (PDF)
- Current fiscal year organization-wide budget (PDF)
- Project budget and use of funds (PDF), showing how United Way funds will be used
- Your five largest funding sources and amounts, entered in the application
Depending on your organization’s total annual revenue, you’ll also upload financial statements: your most recent audit with management letter or an Independent Financial Review, along with current year-to-date financials.
We've never tracked whether households are ALICE. Does that hurt us?
No. The RFP asks how you will identify ALICE Households and track their progress. A clear, practical plan is what matters.
Will there be a follow-up conversation after we submit?
Possibly. If we need more information, we’ll schedule a virtual conversation that lasts about an hour. In the application, you’ll select and hold 3 time slots: December 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 or 10, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM or 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
PARTNERSHIP, REPORTING AND DATA SHARING
How does the cohort work?
Cohort meetings are monthly, beginning in February 2027. Funded partners share data with United Way of Greenville County and the cohort on an ongoing basis about the ALICE Households you serve and the results they achieve. We’ll share data back with the cohort regularly, too, so we all learn together. We’ll share more details as funding decisions are finalized.
What happens if we fall short of our targets?
This is a year of learning, and you won’t be doing it alone. Tell us early if something changes, such as staffing, program design or your ability to reach your outcomes, and we’ll adjust together.
What support can we expect after the one-year grant period?
This one-year grant covers 2027 only. We encourage every organization to plan for its own sustainability beyond the grant year. Our cohort model is designed so information flows both ways throughout the year, not only at the end. Monthly meetings and regular data sharing help you see how things are going, and they help us share opportunities and changes with you early.
United Way of Greenville County awards multi-year grants to qualified community organizations to pursue the outcomes outlined in our How We Win strategy. United Way invests in organizations providing direct services or serving as intermediaries in the areas of education, housing, childcare, and transportation.
A grant cycle is not currently open. To be notified when United Way’s next grant cycle opens in 2026, please complete the form below.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?
Click here for our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) or complete the form below to connect with a member of our team:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Greenville County Community Needs Assessment
- How to Start a Nonprofit
- Free Management Library
- The Water of Systems Change
- Connect with Greater Good Greenville
- Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy Funder Directory
- United Way Volunteer Opportunities
- Community Exchange Facebook Group
Share Your Solution
Proposals are due in Submittable by Friday, November 13.