Three nonprofits take home top prizes at United Way pitch contest
Jonathan Jones of United Way (from left), Tamise Cross of P30, Matt Fultz of Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis and Ariana Beedie of Mirror Indy pose for a photo with their checks upon winning Propel March 8, 2025, at Salesforce Tower in Indianapolis. (Photo by United Way of Central Indiana)
INDIANAPOLIS – Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis, Mirror Indy and P30 took home the top prizes Thursday night at United Way of Central Indiana’s pitch competition, Propel.
A $40,000 prize, presented by United Way and selected by a panel of judges, was awarded to Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis. Family Promise provides services and resources to families with children experiencing homelessness in Central Indiana. Funding will support the nonprofit’s Apartment Shelter Program, which houses families in 21 apartment units while they work with a case manager to conquer the barriers that led to homelessness.
Event sponsor and media company audiochuck awarded two $20,000 prizes, one each to Mirror Indy and P30.
Mirror Indy is a nonprofit newsroom with a mission to provide community-based journalism that informs and empowers Indianapolis residents to shape their city for the better. Funding will support the Indy Documenters program, which trains and pays people to document local government meetings.
P30 is a co-working space with a vision to launch 300 sustainable businesses that would create 3,000 employment opportunities and generate $30 million of wealth disbursed back into the Far Eastside of Indianapolis by 2032.
Members of the public voted for the People’s Choice Award, awarding $19,994.95 to Mirror Indy.
Coburn Place Safe Haven, Deeply Ingrained and Pink-4-Ever Ending Disparities also pitched live Thursday at Propel, held at Salesforce Tower in Indianapolis. About 100 people attended the event, which was also livestreamed.
For a fourth year, the event was presented by audiochuck.
This was United Way’s fourth Propel, a pitch competition that seeks to advance new ideas that lead to better outcomes for those most in need. In the event’s inaugural year in 2022, five organizations pitched their ideas, winning $45,000. The competition has grown each year since, and in all, more than $350,000 has been awarded through the event.
Propel was made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from J.C. Hart Company, Resultant and UNITY Tek Systems.