NEW ORLEANS – United Way of Southeast Louisiana has opened its request for proposals (RFP) process for nonprofit partners as part of a new investment strategy designed to advance the organization’s new Bold Goal: placing 100,000 individuals living below the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Threshold on a pathway to prosperity by 2035.
“ALICE households are the backbone of Southeast Louisiana,” said Michael Williamson, UWSELA’s President and CEO. “They are working families who contribute every day to our economy and our communities, yet still struggle to afford the basic cost of living. Our Bold Goal gives us a clear, focused direction for how we invest, partner and lead so we can move the needle on poverty in a measurable, lasting way.”
ALICE refers to working households that earn more than the federal poverty level but do not make enough to afford the basic cost of living, including housing, childcare, food, transportation and healthcare. In Southeast Louisiana, nearly half of households fall below the ALICE Threshold, meaning they either live in poverty or earn too little to cover the basics in their communities and are one emergency away from financial crisis.
United Way Advancing the ALICE Pathway to Prosperity
The ALICE Pathway to Prosperity RFP marks the first major funding opportunity aligned with UWSELA’s newly launched 2025–2027 Strategic Plan. The initiative will support nonprofit organizations serving ALICE households across UWSELA’s seven-parish region, including Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes.
UWSELA designed the grant opportunity to fund organizations that advance progress along the ALICE Pathway to Prosperity, a continuum of coordinated services that supports individuals and families as they move from crisis to stability and toward long-term economic mobility. Funding will prioritize organizations that center on case management, collaborate with other service providers, share data and contribute to a coordinated, regionwide ecosystem of support.
“This work requires coordination,” said Mary Ambrose, UWSELA’s Chief Impact Officer. “When services operate in silos, families get stuck cycling through the same crises. Case management and coordinated care allow us to address the most persistent symptoms of poverty by helping individuals navigate systems, remove barriers and access the right support at the right time.”
Grant funding will be awarded as program support through a 12-month grant cycle, with the potential for multiyear renewal. Funded partners will participate in collective impact activities, including shared measurement, learning sessions and coordinated referrals.
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that serve households living under the ALICE Threshold in one or more of UWSELA’s seven parishes, including Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes. Organizations must have a case management system in place or a formal partnership that provides case management, demonstrate a commitment to collaboration and be willing to share client data through UWSELA’s secure data systems.
The RFP reflects UWSELA’s broader effort to revamp its grantmaking approach to better align funding with community needs, organizational values and strategies that drive systemic change. The updated process integrates principles of collective impact and trust-based philanthropy to support stronger partnerships and deeper, more sustainable outcomes.
“Our strategic plan calls us to do what works and do it better,” Williamson said. “This funding opportunity is an invitation to our partners and the broader nonprofit community to work alongside us in a more coordinated way as we pursue a shared vision of prosperity for Southeast Louisiana.”
The application portal opens Monday, Jan. 12, with applications due Friday, Feb. 6. Interested organizations can access the full RFP and application materials at UnitedWaySELA.org/ALICERFP.
