United Way Peterborough & District (UWP), as the Community Entity responsible for administering the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy locally, is pleased to announce that it has created new and targeted opportunities within Reaching Home funding for Indigenous initiatives. This work will include the development of a strengths-based application process specifically designed for Indigenous-led initiatives and Indigenous partnerships, informed by Indigenous leadership and community engagement.
Purpose
The purpose of this guide is to support organizations as they develop strong, culturally grounded proposals. This application guide provides information to know before applying (such as what kinds of programs are eligible), how to develop your application, and what comes after being approved for funding.
Funding applications will be reviewed for their alignment to the community priority that had been identified based on consultations with the CAB, the community, and RH-funded agencies, specifically:
Projects that aim to create, preserve and enable equitable access to housing stock in the community are seen to result in lasting benefits to the individuals being served and a strengthened response to homelessness by the homeless-serving agencies.
This could include but is not limited to:
Support vulnerable Indigenous Peoples, families, youth, seniors, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2 communities, women fleeing violence, veterans, and racialized communities.
Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding to communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.
Reaching Home supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy, in particular, to support the most vulnerable Canadians in maintaining safe, stable and affordable housing and to reduce chronic homelessness nationally by 50% by fiscal year 2027 to 2028.
After the release of the 2026 Point in Time Report, United Way Peterborough has recognized the need to create Indigenous specific funding and programing for those experiencing homelessness. 27% of those surveyed for the report identified as Indigenous, which is an overrepresentation with only 5% of the Peterborough population.
To ensure the funding support meets the Indigenous community’s needs, United Way has created an Indigenous-specific funding stream.
Reaching Home operates through a model known as Coordinated Access (CA). Coordinated Access supports communities in prioritizing individuals who are in most need of assistance and then matching them to appropriate housing and services. This system aims to ensure fairness while streamlining access to housing and services.
All housing and homelessness agencies must participate in Coordinated Access. The ways that each specific agency functions within Coordinated Access will differ depending on the nature of their project and will be described within the funding agreement. An overview of the roles and responsibilities within Coordinated Access have been included below.
Reaching Home-Funded Agencies are required to:
The Coordinated Access system is supported by UWP as the Community Entity and the City of Peterborough as the Systems Manager. Their responsibilities include:
United Way Peterborough & District – Community Entity
City of Peterborough – Systems Manager
Year 1: Funds available for use between July 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027: $395,200
Year 2: Funds available for use between April 1, 2027, and March 31, 2028: $378,132
• Funding Period July 1, 2026, to March 31, 2028
• There is no restriction or maximum limit on the amount of funding an applicant may request.
• The quantity and quality of proposals received will determine the number of projects funded and the amount of funding each project receives.
Eligible Organizations
There are three categories of organizations that should be considered for the Indigenous Initiatives funding stream:
Indigenous-Led Organizations – Organizations that have Indigenous leadership, an Indigenous Board of Directors, and their staff is either Indigenous or is trained to work with Indigenous people and communities.
Small Indigenous organizations with limited staff and capacity may submit a collective application. Collectives have authority over program design and delivery.
Non-Indigenous Organizations – This category includes non-Indigenous organizations that do not have Indigenous initiatives or Teams but are wishing to partner with local Indigenous organizations or community. In order to be eligible for funding, these non-Indigenous organizations must partner with local Indigenous organizations/community and demonstrate that RH Indigenous organizations will be Indigenous-led.
Non-Indigenous Organizations with Dedicated Indigenous Programs and Positions – These are often organizations that are not Indigenous-specific but still provide Indigenous programs and positions.
Program Eligibility Requirements
Eligible and Ineligible Activities
1 The Eligibility of activities is not based on service location the service may be local or require travel to a non-local Indigenous community
Reaching Home-Funded agencies are required to participate in the following:
Proposals that are complete and submitted on or before the deadline will be evaluated by the Community Advisory Board (CAB). Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will only be reviewed once all other applications are processed.
Funding applications are reviewed by United Way Peterborough & District’s Indigenous Advisory Group and given final approval by the Board of Directors. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria
For your application to be considered complete and to proceed through the review process, please ensure that the following documents are included in the emailed submission:
Email your completed application form and additional documents to: reachinghome@uwpeterborough.ca
IMPORTANT:
UWP reserves the right to ask for additional information as the review process moves forward.
If you have other questions about the funding application or budget form, please refer to the REACHING HOME APPLICATION AND BUDGET GUIDE first. All additional questions regarding this RFP should be directed to: reachinghome@uwpeterborough.ca
Coaching appointments are available upon request and encouraged. Questions will be responded to as soon as possible and applicants are encouraged to ask questions early in the application period. It is not guaranteed that UWP will be available to answer your questions on the day that the applications are due.
Important clarification:
This initiative will not affect the current Reaching Home application process. Organizations are strongly encouraged to continue identifying Indigenous partners, collaborations, and Indigenous-focused initiatives within existing and future Reaching Home applications. Applicants should not be dissuaded from including Indigenous partnerships or Indigenous-serving work while this new process is under development.
Reaching Home Funding Opportunities: www.uwpeterborough.ca/funding
Community Homelessness Reports: www.uwpeterborough.ca/reports
Reaching Home – Peterborough Community Plan 2024-28: www.uwpeterborough.ca/reports
The end of another school year is drawing near, and we’re feeling oh so grateful for all of the incredible educators in our community! 🙏🍎
We want to help you say “thank you” to an educator who’s made a difference in your life this year with a United Way “Good Apple Award”. Every certificate purchased directly supports United Way’s Backpacks for Success initiative, supplying students in Peterborough & County with the materials they need to be successful in the 2026/27 school year.
🔗 Visit the link in our bio to get your certificate today!
Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day.
We celebrate the diverse cultures, histories, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.
Let’s continue learning and reflecting together
Happy Father’s Day 💙
Your love and guidance help build stronger communities.
Today, United Way Peterborough & District is announcing an important leadership transition.
As Jim Russell prepares to retire after nearly 15 years as Chief Executive Officer, we extend our deepest gratitude for his leadership, dedication, and commitment to building a stronger community. Jim`s impact on this organization and the people we serve will be felt for years to come.
At the same time, we are pleased to welcome Jason Seguya as our next Chief Executive Officer, effective July 6, 2026. Jason brings experience leading mission-driven organizations and a strong commitment to collaboration, community engagement, and positive social impact.
As we look ahead to our 85th year of serving Peterborough & County, we are excited for the future and confident in the leadership that will guide us into this next chapter.
Please join us in thanking Jim for his years of service and welcoming Jason to the United Way movement.
Read more at the link in our bio.
After nearly nine years with United Way Peterborough & District, we’re saying goodbye (but not really goodbye) to Rhonda Gilchrist as she begins an exciting new chapter as Executive Director of The Mount Community Centre. Rhonda has been a steady hand, a fierce advocate, a problem solver, and a champion for this community in every sense of the word.
For those of us lucky enough to work alongside her, we’ll miss her wisdom, her humour, the stories of her beloved pets, her unwavering dedication, and her ability to somehow make even the most challenging days feel manageable.
While we’re sad to see her go, we couldn’t be happier to see her step into a role that aligns so perfectly with her passion for building a stronger, more connected community.
Thank you, Rhonda, for everything you’ve given to United Way, to our team, and to Peterborough. We can’t wait to see all the incredible things you’ll accomplish next. Please join us in congratulating Rhonda!
This #ThankfulThursday, we`re sending a huge shoutout to all our Day of Caring sponsors! 📣✨
These incredible businesses are helping make #Peterborough and County a better place to live and we couldn`t be more grateful for their partnership.
➡️ Interested in being part of Day of Caring? Send us a message to dayofcaring@uwpeterborough.ca to learn how you can get involved!
🍎 THEY’RE BACK! 🍎
A great educator can change the course of a life.
They stay after class. They cheer students on. They build confidence, spark curiosity, and help young people discover what they’re capable of.
This year, say “thank you” in a way that gives back.
Our Thank an Educator certificates are back and available now! When you make a $25 donation to United Way Peterborough & District’s Backpacks for Success program, we’ll send a personalized digital certificate (you get to choose from 4 options) for an educator of your choice, letting them know they’ve been honoured in recognition of the difference they’ve made in local students lives.
It’s a meaningful way to celebrate a teacher, EA, principal, ECE, coach, or mentor while helping local students head back to school with the supplies they need to succeed.
✨ Honour an educator
🎒 Support local students
❤️ Create a lasting impact
Because the people who help students succeed deserve to be celebrated.
Link in bio!
#ThankAnEducator #BackpacksForSuccess
[Part 3/3] If you`ve been following along, here are the remaining agencies supported through our Agency Capacity Fund! 🌟
➡️ From 2026–2029, 20 funded partners will receive a total of $75,000 over three years. This annual investment of $500,000 into local social service organizations provides flexible operational funding, improving stability within the non-profit sector.
The Agency Capacity Fund is the largest funding stream within our new impact model, supporting organizations that are making a difference across #Peterborough and county every day.
Stay up to date on United Way Peterborough & District`s work and upcoming funding opportunities by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
🤳 Visit uwpeterborough.ca/partner-agencies/ for the full list
[Part 2/3] 📣 United Way Peterborough & District is proud to support 20 agencies through our Agency Capacity Fund! Funded partners will receive a total of $75,000 over three years from 2026-2029. This annual investment of $500,000 into local social service organizations provides flexible operational funding, improving stability within the non-profit sector.
🔗 To see our full list of partner agencies, please visit: uwpeterborough.ca/partner-agencies/
June is National Indigenous History Month.
We honour First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples: their histories, cultures, and ongoing leadership.
As a network, we have deepened our engagement by inviting network-wide individual and collective reflection, and we continue to reflect on our commitment to reconciliation.
#IndigenousHistoryMonth
[Part 1/3] United Way Peterborough & District is proud to support 20 agencies through our Agency Capacity Fund! ✨️Funded partners will receive a total of $75,000 over three years from 2026-2029.✨️ This annual investment of $500,000 into local social service organizations provides flexible operational funding, improving stability within the non-profit sector.
👉️ The Agency Capacity Fund is the largest stream within our new Impact Model. Stay tuned for updates on how we will allocate up to $300,000 for the first cycle of our Priority Issues Fund, which will support the advancement of Reconciliation, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion (READI) work across the community. We’ll also be announcing the recipients of our Neighbourhood Fund early this summer, and in the fall, we’ll be working to determine our research and social planning agenda.
📲 Find our full list of partner agencies on our website: uwpeterborough.ca/partner-agencies/
💌 YOU`RE INVITED! 💌
Day of Caring is Friday, June 26, and we`re looking for volunteers ready to roll up their sleeves and make a meaningful difference for local agencies across our community.
Will it be a day of hard work? Absolutely.
Will it make a lasting impact for the organizations and people who rely on these agencies every day? Without a doubt. 💯
Volunteer projects include gardening, landscaping, painting, outdoor maintenance, and assisting in an event day of. Whether you`re a seasoned volunteer or looking for a new way to give back, there`s a role for you!
📲 Interested in volunteering? Send us a DM or email dayofcaring@uwpeterborough.ca to learn more and sign up.
