TRAVERSE CITY — Nonprofit representatives had 30 minutes to make their case.
If they wanted funding from United Way of Northwest Michigan, they had to convince a team of 13 volunteers that their program or service met a critical community need.
Then came the questions, peppered to the agencies in rapid-fire style: Do you anticipate having to return to us for future funds? What would happen if we can't give you the amount you want?
United Way's Citizen Action Team, an annual assembling of local residents, spent two days last week interviewing applicants for human-services grants. The team is United Way's grant-making body for the five-county area and decides what programs to fund.
"You can't really know what's going on in your community until you hear all these stories," said Jennifer Isbell, a graphic designer at The Copy Shop who is participating for the second time in about five years. "If you had everything they asked for, it'd be a lot easier."
About $250,000 is available for human-services projects this year, said Steve Wade, United Way's executive director. More than 25 agencies requested upwards of $530,000.
Available funding is slightly up this year from last year's $223,000, Wade said, but requests dropped in the same time frame from roughly $606,500.
United Way holds a separate grant cycle for children's programs.
In evaluating the proposals, the human-services team had to contend with the question of what defines critical need -- an emergency service or a long-term investment that reduces need later?
To Gary Aschim, priorities include food, shelter, transportation, clothing and health care.
A retired state Department of Human Services worker from Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, Aschim heard the Citizen Action Team sought participants and volunteered for the first time.
He called on his roughly 32 years of experience in the human-services field as he listened to the proposals.
"We think we know what a family's need is, but when you ask them what their need is, it might be completely different," Aschim said.
The Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency asked for $34,000 to add a part-time budget counselor.
The nonprofit has had to scale back services as federal funding, particularly stimulus dollars, have dwindled. Karen Emerson, who works with NMCAA's financial services, told United Way team members that they plan to help as many people as possible with any amount they might receive.
"Our future's really uncertain," Emerson said. "We're at risk of having the program eliminated."
