We have compiled the following answers to frequently asked questions about the N2N LifeLine funding process.

Should you have any further questions, please contact Amy Townsley, Community Impact Coordinator, at United Way of Greater New Haven: (203) 691-4223, n2nlifeline@uwgnh.org. 

 Frequently Asked Questions
 

Why are we continuing this effort?
We know the economic downturn continues to destabilize a growing number of our neighbors throughout the region:  unemployment is on the rise, people are losing their homes through foreclosure, and families face significant uncertainty about their financial future. The need for basic services – housing and food – is growing, as more and more people find themselves in difficult financial situations. As we work together as a community, as a state, and as a nation to develop long-term solutions to this crisis, United Way of Greater New Haven and The Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven wanted to make sure that our neighbors stay housed and fed during the cold winter months ahead. 

Why are United Way of Greater New Haven and The Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven undertaking this effort together?
In 2010, we will collaborate on Neighbor-to-Neighbor LifeLine because of our shared values and because we feel strongly that our work together has helped and will continue to help more individuals and families in crisis. Both organizations provide leadership around social services and community needs. We are both committed to helping others, particularly those who are less fortunate. Both organizations have a shared desire to promote the common good and to make this community a better place for all of us. In addition, both organizations are strong fundraisers; and together we can be more successful in raising funds to meet urgent needs in our region. 

Who will benefit from the money raised?
The funds will benefit individuals and families through agencies that can provide  immediate emergency assistance with housing, food, and relief funds.

How will the money be distributed?
Funds will be distributed through a competitive application process open to non-profits, faith organizations, and municipalities that meet the eligibility criteria. The application materials will be posted on this website on January 25, 2010. A volunteer committee comprised of community members with expertise about the needs in our region will review grant applications and make decisions about how to distribute the funds. Funds will be distributed as dollars are raised so that agencies can use these additional resources to help more people this winter. Both United Way and The Jewish Federation will have representation on the committee.

Are we going to be giving money directly to people?
Funds will be distributed to programs and agencies, which in turn will provide direct services in the areas of housing, food and relief funds to individuals and families.  Cash payments will not be provided to individuals. Successful applicants for N2N LifeLine grants will clearly demonstrate how the requested funding will help organizations serve more people in crisis, or provide more enhanced or additional services to people already being served.   

Does an organization need to be a Member Agency to apply?
No. In the past, United Way of Greater New Haven’s grants were available only to its selected Member Agencies. United Way now works in partnership with local non-profit organizations to improve lives and change community conditions in the areas of education, income, and health through initiatives as well as competitive and open investment opportunities.  

Is this the same funding opportunity as the Emergency Food and Shelter Program?
The Neighbor-to-Neighbor Lifeline and Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) are different funding opportunities with different eligibility requirements. Please note the application process for EFSP, a competitive application process for federal funding administered by United Way of Greater New Haven, is closed.  

Is my organization eligible to apply?
Applicants must certify that they meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Serve individuals and families in the greater New Haven region, including the towns of Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, Chester, Clinton, Deep River, East Haven, Essex, Guilford, Hamden, Killingworth, Madison, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven, Westbrook, and Woodbridge.
• Be a nonprofit , government institution, or faith-based organization.
• Have a volunteer board, if a private not-for-profit.
• Practice non-discrimination in the provision of services and in employment practices consistent with applicable Connecticut statutes, including, but not limited to Connecticut General Statutes Section 46a-60.
• Have the capacity to deliver food, housing, and/or emergency relief services.
• Agree to use funds to supplement and extend existing resources and not utilize N2N LifeLine funds in support of existing programs and services.

Can agencies collaborate  for this funding opportunity? 
 Yes, we encourage agencies to collaborate for N2N LifeLine funding.  

Can I submit more than one application?

N2N LifeLine is accepting applications in the areas of emergency food, housing, and relief funds.  Agencies may submit multiple applications within a funding area, or across funding areas.  Applications that combine services from multiple funding areas in one application will not be accepted (e.g. one application cannot include food and emergency relief fund services).

What if I am having difficulty completing or saving the application?

Before you start filling out the application, click File>Save Page As, save the document to your computer, then begin filling out the application to ensure you maintain all of your information.

 Please make sure you have Adobe Reader installed on your computer. Although the file has been created to be viewed on older versions of Adobe, it is still recommended that users have the most up to date version of the Adobe Reader (which is free). Versions 8 and 9 are the most update to date recommended versions. You can update or download Adobe at www.adobe.com.

What are some examples of services eligible for funding?

The following list provides examples of services that would be eligible for funding through N2N LifeLine.  Please note that the list is not exhaustive but rather provides examples around food, housing, and emergency relief.

Emergency food

• Purchase of food
• Purchase and distribution of supermarket gift certificates/vouchers/cards
• Increased costs for your organization associated with procuring, storing and/or delivering emergency food
• Purchase of equipment to store, transport, or deliver food
• Costs associated with training volunteers or to reimbursing volunteers for travel expenses to deliver food

Emergency housing
• Additional shelter-based or supportive housing beds for individuals and/or families
• Foreclosure intervention services such as financial counseling and/or emergency mortgage payments
• Security deposits
• Emergency rental assistance
• Increased costs for your organization associated with providing additional emergency housing, shelter, foreclosure intervention, security deposit and emergency rental assistance services

Emergency relief funds
• In situations in which there is no other source of payment, and failure to intervene will place an individual or family in crisis, such as loss of job, utility shut-off, loss of transportation, or loss of child care, purchase of goods and/or services necessary to prevent the crisis

What does a successful application look like?

Competitive application will demonstrate the following:
• A clear plan for expanding or enhancing services with strong estimates on who will be served and how they will be served
• A demonstrated history of providing services, capacity to provide services, and relationship with the population to be served
• The ability to start-up or expand services in a very short timeframe
• The ability to provide wrap-around/support services to connect people with other needed services
• The ability to leverage dollars, such as working with volunteers or partners, matching funds, etc.,

N2N LifeLine is particularly interested in receiving applications that include one or several of the following elements:
• Services that assist individuals/families residing in a catchment area, regardless of their affiliation with your organization
• Services that prevent individuals/families from entering crisis
• Increased coordination or collaboration among service providers

What constitutes overhead?

For N2N 2010, program expenses are considered the costs to an organization to deliver more or enhanced services in the areas of emergency food, housing and/or relief.  Overhead expenses are the costs of maintaining an organization.  No more than 10% of the grant may be used for overhead (administrative) expenses. Examples of overhead expenses include:
•payment of rent on the office space a business occupies
•cost of electricity for the office lights
•Wages/salaries for personnel who are not directly working to deliver the services described in your application for funding
There is no limit on program expenses, but grant requests should be from $1,000 to $50,000.

How do I submit an application for funding?
The N2N LifeLine grant application will be available on January 25, 1010 on this website.  It will be an electronic application; no hardcopy applications will be accepted.   To learn more about the application process, please visit http://www.n2nlifeline.org/agencies-apply-online.

When is the application due?
There are three application deadlines this year, one for each funding category (Food, Housing , and Emergency Relief).
Food Deadline:          February 12, 2010 at noon
Housing Deadline:     February 26, 2010 at noon
Emergency Relief:      March 12, 2010 at noon

Does this grant provide funding for utility assistance? 
The purpose of the N2N Lifeline is to help meet unmet emergency needs in the areas of housing, food, and relief funds.  Emergency Relief Funds one-time expenses that threaten to put a family or individual in a crisis situation.  Agencies receiving awards in this category may use this funding for utility assistance; provided that the funds are used in compliance with the conditions of the grant and that all other available municipal, state, and federal programs/benefits for which clients are eligible are exhausted. Information on existing utility resources is available on our website at http://n2nlifeline.org/get-help.

Who is reviewing applications?
A volunteer committee comprised of community members with expertise about the needs in our region will review grant applications and make decisions about how to distribute the funds. Funds will be distributed as dollars are raised so that agencies can use these additional resources to help more people this winter. Both United Way and The Jewish Federation will have representation on the committee. 

What are the reporting expectation?

United Way will contact N2N LifeLine grantees periodically during the grant period to gather program statistics and stories. Grantees will be required to post two stories about the impact of the grant on the individuals and families they serve on the N2N LifeLine website.  The first story should be posted within the first month after receiving the grant award; the second story should be posted during the subsequent month.

A final report will be required at the close of the grant period. Failure to comply with the reporting requirements may jeopardize future funding.  Please note that no expenditure documentation is required.

What financial documents are required?
Upon notification of award, funded entities must provide to United Way of Greater New Haven (“UWGNH”) within five business days: 1) a copy of the organization’s current operating budget 2) a copy of the organization’s 501(c)3 determination letter (if applicable) 3) organizations with revenue of $100,000 or more must provide a copy of their most recent audit or review by an independent auditor and 4) organizations with revenues of $100,000 or less must provide a financial report for the most recent fiscal year.

Applicants must: 
• Agree to expend grant funds only on costs associated with delivery of services detailed in the application for funding.
• Agree not to provide cash payments to clients.
• Agree to expend all funds by December 31, 2010 and to return any unused funds to UWGNH.

What are some other ways we can help to provide support to our community?
There are many ways to help your neighbor. If your agency is not eligible to apply or looking to provide additional support to our community during this difficult time, we invite you to lend a helping hand to one and influence the condition of all.
One way to make a difference is to utilize United Way’s 2-1-1 information line, which collects comprehensive health and human services information and makes it accessible in several formats; including 24/7 phone access (by calling 2-1-1) as well as free internet access (http://211ct.org/) to the online databases.

In addition, volunteer opportunities can be found on the United Way of Greater New Haven website at http://uwgnh.org/volunteer. You can post volunteer opportunities online at the United Way website. Volunteer opportunities that are aligned with N2N LifeLine will automatically be posted at n2nlifelife.org. Questions regarding posting volunteer opportunities should be forwarded to Cecily Jones, United Way Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, (203) 691-4211, cjones@uwgnh.org.