Welcome to Propel.
By centering innovation in our community, we can improve access to the building blocks of opportunity: education, income and health.
Now in its fourth year, Propel is a United Way of Central Indiana pitch competition that seeks to advance new ideas that lead to better outcomes for those most in need. In May, human services organizations will pitch their innovative ideas on how to reduce barriers for those from under-resourced communities or asset-limited backgrounds.
Applications are open Feb. 10-28, 2025, for nonprofits interested in winning funding by showcasing their innovative ideas during this live event on May 8, 2025, at Salesforce in Indianapolis.
Interested nonprofits are invited to apply by submitting a five-minute video pitch of their idea. The event is open to nonprofits serving residents in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties. Applicants do not need to be accredited with United Way to participate.
Grants will be awarded when finalists make their pitches live May 8, during a night of big ideas and game-changing investments.
To attack economic instability at its core, the time is now to be bold in our thinking, strategy, collaboration and creativity.
United Way of Central Indiana launched Propel in 2022. In the event's inaugural year, five organizations pitched their ideas, winning $45,000.
The competition has grown each year since, with more than $100,000 awarded at last year’s Propel.
In the spring of 2022, three leaders of Martindale Brightwood Community Development Corporation walked the sidewalks of the neighborhood and pressed record on a video.
In the five-minute recording, they explained the vision for their project.
With Jumpstart Martindale Brightwood, they hoped to launch a program to train and mentor emerging minority real estate developers interested in improving and investing in the neighborhood.
Click here to read the full story about the impact of United Way’s first Propel event in 2022.
Interested in opportunities to sponsor this event or an award?
Reach out to letspartner@uwci.org to discuss further.