Ep 17: The United Way You've Never Heard Of: Inside Jamaica's Grant Economy | Grants Explained Around the World

Welcome to a brand-new era of Federal Grants Explained. In this premiere episode of our "Grants Explained Around the World" series, host Patrice Davis (CEO of GrantWin Consulting) takes a brief detour from the US federal grant system and heads to Jamaica—an upper-middle-income Caribbean powerhouse in culture and business. Jamaica isn't just reggae, beaches, and Usain Bolt — it's home to a sophisticated grant ecosystem moving millions in EU, IDB, and bilateral funding into innovation, social impact, and small business growth. But here's the twist: We're not just talking about grants in Jamaica. We're talking to the woman running a transparent, accountable, and impact-driven grant organization. Meet Kerry-Lee Lynch, CEO of the United Way of Jamaica (UWJ). In this episode, you'll discover: • How UWJ acts as both a grant recipient AND a subgrantor to local organizations • Their Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) framework and how it differs from—and stands alongside—global best practices • How they've diversified revenue streams beyond traditional fundraising • Real disaster response frameworks for farmers, fisherfolk, and youth • The IGNITE Grant for agritech, software, and climate innovation • The Innovation Grant Fund (IGF) • The Rehabilitation Assistance Grant WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS: If you've only studied US federal grants (NOFOs, Uniform Guidance, compliance), you're missing half the global picture. This episode proves that grant ecosystems outside the US are equally sophisticated, differently structured, and absolutely fundable. UNITED WAY OF JAMAICA: Website: https://www.unitedwayofjamaica.org/ Donate: https://www.unitedwayofjamaica.org/donate/ Support UWJ's Hurricane Melissa Disaster Restoration & Rehabilitation Fund: https://bit.ly/4f2bosr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitedwayofjamaica/ SHOULD WE CHANGE THE NAME OF THE PODCAST? VOTE HERE: https://grantwin.typeform.com/to/TlRt0IhT LEARN ABOUT GRANTWIN'S NEXT COHORT: https://grantwinconsulting.com/cohort-based-training/ RESOURCES: United Way of Jamaica: https://www.unitedwayofjamaica.org/ Planning Institute of Jamaica report: https://www.pioj.gov.jm/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/FCG-AF-CON-10-0\_National-Services-Policy\_TOR\_FINAL.pdf IGNITE grant information: https://thinkbigee.com/ignite/ INNOVATION Grant Fund: https://thinkbigee.com/innovation-grant-fund-igf/ Rehabilitation Assistance Fund: https://www.mlss.gov.jm/departments/rehabilitation/ ABOUT ME: I'm the founder and CEO of GrantWin™️ Consulting (formerly Grants Works) and the lead trainer for GrantWin Academy. I have over 18 years of federal grants experience. Before starting the firm, I obtained and managed multimillion dollar federal and other government grants for nonprofits and managed grants as a research program manager at a top research university. I'm also a former CDC employee who worked with grantees. I'm one of approximately 313 Certified Grants Management Specialists (CGMS) in the US, a member of the Thompson Grants Expert Panel, and the creator of a 4.7 out of 5 star rated federal grant management training series for a federal agency. I'm a mom of three who enjoys international fiction and foreign films, and I'm a world travel enthusiast. ABOUT GRANTWIN: GrantWin is a grant consulting and training firm based in Atlanta, GA that provides pre- and post-award services to support our clients as they find, obtain, manage and comply with federal grants.. LINKS: Consulting Firm: https://grantwinconsulting.com/ Case Studies: https://grantwinconsulting.com/case-studies/ Academy: https://www.grantsworksacademy.com/ Book Me As Your Next Speaker: https://grantwinconsulting.com/speaking-and-media/