Search Through Grants for Environmental Conservation in Oregon in the U.S.

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Statement of Objectives

Idaho Power Company (IPC) does not believe that its responsibility ends with the delivery of reliable, affordable, and clean energy to its customers. As a corporate citizen, IPC believes that its responsibility extends to supporting and participating in activities and organizations that help maintain and improve the quality of life within the communities we serve. Serving those who depend on us is at the center of everything we do. We all prosper by committing to the needs, safety, and success of our customers, communities, employees, and shareholders.

IPC’s contributions of financial and non-financial or “in-kind” support are investments in the economic and social viability of the communities we serve. But the benefits to the community and IPC are not always measurable, and subjectivity is a part of every contribution decision. It is the intent of IPC that its contributions strike a reasonable balance between the need to be accountable and responsible to our shareowners and customers and the desire to contribute to the economic and social needs within communities we serve. 

At IPC, we continually strive to lead with our values and beliefs. Idaho Power is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. Our community comes from all walks of life and so do we. All contribution decisions will be made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age. 

 Community Contributions

Community contributions range from support for capital fund drives to sponsorship of nonprofit fundraising events to non-cash donations like awarding retired company vehicles to emergency-response organizations.

IPC has established five general categories of contributions.

These categories are:

• Health and Human Services:
• To assure the availability of adequate health care and human service support for employees and other members of the public and to promote the development of new, workable responses to health and human services needs, this category includes:
  • Support of organizations dedicated to this cause, and other federated campaigns.
  • Hospitals and other health care facilities.
  • Agencies for senior citizens and the elderly.
  • Youth agencies.
  • Local health and human service organizations.
• Agencies receiving primary funding from federated drives (e.g., Unites Way) to which IPC separately contributes are generally not eligible for additional health and human services operating funds. Exceptions may exist in the case of capital fund drives.

• Education:
  • Priority is given to education to ensure the continued availability of highly skilled, educated men and women to enrich local communities and from among whom IPC may draw employees, to encourage continuing research and development in academic areas relevant to IPC, and to promote standards of educational excellence.
• Culture and Arts:
  • Contributions made in this area are intended to encourage high standards of excellence and provide a pool of creative resources in the visual and performing arts for the enrichment of our employees and the community. This category includes support to orchestras, museums, theaters, performing arts programs, cultural arts programs, public radio and television, and non-academic libraries.
• Civic and Community:
  • Support for organizations and/or programs addressing civic and community needs demonstrates our commitment to increasing citizen awareness and participation in the management of community life. This commitment extends to supporting organizations that provide services for adequate housing and neighborhood improvements, local civic and community projects, conservation activities, and the support of groups desiring to develop workable solutions to community issues.
• Environment and Recreation:
  • This category provides contributions to organizations and projects that support environmental stewardship, including clean and renewable energy. It also supports the expansion and preservation of recreation opportunities.
• Other:
  • This category includes support for organizations not included in the four preceding categories, but which have a benevolent or philanthropic purpose relevant to IPC and its communities. 

IPC intends to respond to requests for contributions in a timely manner, and generally not more than 60 days following submission of the completed application.

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Mission

Our mission is to empower the lasting conservation of our fish and wildlife and citizen enjoyment of our natural resources. One of the ways we pursue our mission is through grant awards to projects in Oregon that align with our values, priorities, and conservation objectives.

Focus Areas

The Oregon Wildlife Foundation offer small grant awards to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), tax-exempt organizations, volunteer groups with a fiscal sponsor, and qualified individuals for projects that fall within the following areas:

• fish and/or wildlife habitat restoration or protection
• public access preservation, restoration, or improvement
• natural resource or outdoor education
• pollution prevention or reduction
• invasive species removal or control
• studies that support improved fish/wildlife management
• Environmental research

Your proposed project may be a stand-alone project or part of a larger or ongoing project. Projects that conserve or restore an Oregon Conservation Strategy habitat or Strategy species are given priority.Guidelines

• We make cost reimbursement grants only.
• Requested funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar, in cash, or in-kind from other sources. It’s appealing to the Foundation if the applicant's organization is a cash contributor to the project. 
• Grant funds must be expended in the way outlined in your original application. If you need to reallocate expenditures for any reason, our office must be contacted first.
• As requested in our application, a statement of support from a local, state, or federal biologist is required for fish, wildlife, or habitat-related projects. The same may be required for access projects if the need isn’t clearly demonstrated.
•  Other disallowable uses of Foundation funds include fundraising or advocacy activities, ongoing operating expenses, and pass-through grants.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education
• entrepreneurship
• enrichment of community
• environment

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities

Mission

The mission of Burning Foundation is to protect our region’s rivers, forest, native fish and land.

Environmental Programs:

We supply financial assistance to organizations that engage in the preservation of habitat that supports biodiversity and quiet remote recreation in Washington or Oregon. We believe that it is most important to preserve habitat that is part of a larger functioning ecosystem. 

Funding

Grants range from $5,000 to $15,000. Approximately $650,000 is granted each year.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

What is Metro?

Metro works with communities, businesses and residents in the Portland metropolitan area to chart a wise course for the future while protecting the things we love about this place.

Where is Metro?

Metro serves more than 1.7 million people in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. The agency's boundary encompasses Portland, Oregon and 23 other cities – from the Columbia River in the north to the bend of the Willamette River near Wilsonville, and from the foothills of the Coast Range near Forest Grove to the banks of the Sandy River at Troutdale.

Nature in Neighborhoods Grants

Nature in Neighborhoods grants support community projects and programs across the region, from local park improvements to stream restoration to hands-on nature education for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Grant programs under Nature in Neighborhoods include:

• Nature education
• Restoration and community stewardship
• Capital
• Community choice

Grants are designed to support communities of color and other communities who have experienced barriers to accessing Metro grant funding in the past.

Community Stewardship and Restoration Grants

Metro's Nature in Neighborhoods grants provide opportunities to support and create partnerships in local communities that improve water quality, fish and wildlife habitat and connect people with nature.

Potential Projects

Funding is available for projects that:

• preserve and restore local fish and wildlife habitat
• create, support and/or deepen partnerships in local communities
• address inequities in the conservation movement
• support larger conservation initiatives
• increase people's awareness of the need for protecting and managing natural areas
• engage people in protecting and managing natural areas at the community level
• increase the expertise and capacity of organizations to lead habitat restoration and land management activities
• provide environmental resources and economic opportunities to communities of color and other historically and continually marginalized groups
• offer direct access to protected natural areas and the positive impacts of clean land, air and water to communities of color and other historically and continually marginalized groups.

Funding

Funding for the community stewardship and restoration grants funding cycle is set at $750,000. The final slate of proposals recommended for funding will include a mix of small, medium, and large grants. Small grants have a maximum award of $50,000, medium grants have a maximum award of $75,000, and large grants have a maximum award of $100,000.

Program Purpose and Goals

Community stewardship and restoration grants support and create partnerships in local communities that improve water quality, fish and wildlife habitat and connect people with nature.

All applications must clearly meet the grant program’s overall purpose. Priority will be given to applications that meet each of the grant program’s three goals.

Goal 1: Improve water quality, fish and wildlife habitat

These grants will preserve and restore fish and wildlife habitat in local communities and support larger environmental justice and conservation initiatives.

Examples of project strategies and activities:

• Increase the health of the overall urban landscape for native species and people. Address environmental justice and our region’s history of displacement.
• Promote stewardship of wildlife on urban landscapes and reduce human-wildlife conflicts.
• Reduce hazards to wildlife and humans.
• Remove invasive species and enhance native vegetation.
• Support climate change adaptation and climate resiliency initiatives.
• Improve regional habitat connectivity.
• Restore ecological processes and functions in natural areas.
• Engage and support a variety of local approaches, and ways of knowing and being.
• Focus on multiple key habitats and species

Goal 2: Community partnerships, collaboration and accountability

These grants create, support and/or deepen partnerships in local communities. Strategies for community engagement fall on a spectrum from deep, personal engagement to outreach via mass media, but should aim for transformational partnerships rather than transactional information sharing.

Examples of project strategies and activities:

• One-on-one personal connection (e.g. involve multiple community members in project design, implementation and/or outreach, community participation in hands-on restoration projects, organizing, workforce development, and mentoring).
• Outreach and/or marketing (e.g. social and mass media, group discussions, interpretive signs, mailings, project and/or site tours).
  • Collaboration with communities of color and other historically and continually marginalized groups to develop shared learning about environmental justice priorities and practices, and follow their direction to restore, experience and connect with nature and the region’s natural areas.
  • Provide information, advertising or other promotions so that residents can more easily learn where natural areas are located, how to access them, and what to do there.
• Increase the capacity of, and support for, organizations or businesses that are led by, organize with and/or employ people of color and other historically and continually marginalized communities in habitat restoration or local park and natural area land stewardship activities. Examples of capacity and support building activities include technical assistance, professional or leadership development, or stipends/compensation to participate in project design and/or implementation.
• Expanded partnerships with local and/or regional community-based organizations to support increased stewardship of local natural areas, fish and wildlife habitat.
• Intentional involvement of the community in restoration and stewardship efforts, contributing to community members’ sense of connection back to natural areas, providing opportunities to learn from and educate local users, residents and nearby school populations.
• Training on trauma informed care for natural and water resource professionals and community members who interact with people experiencing houselessness. Learn from houseless communities about their needs and desires to be in nature. Facilitate transformational, equity centered, trauma-informed approaches to address safety and provide resources for houseless communities to be in nature. 

Goal 3: Economic and environmental equity

The community stewardship and restoration grants help address inequities in the conservation movement. The grants provide outdoor, environmental, and natural resources; economic opportunities; direct access to protected natural areas; and the positive impacts of clean land, air and water to Indigenous communities, Black communities, communities of color and other historically and continually marginalized groups in greater Portland.

Examples of project strategies and activities:

• Provide social and economic benefits to Indigenous communities, Black communities, communities of color and other historically and continually marginalized communities beyond the specific project scope or original design.
• Increase the number and improve the experience of visitors, staff and programs at natural areas representing diverse racial, ethnic and cultural groups and other historically and continually marginalized groups. Provide opportunities to communities of color to learn about, guide, and have decision-making power in how agencies and communities manage and care for the land and create opportunities to care for trails, harvest seeds or plant native plants. Improve accessibility to and within natural areas for the elderly, people with disabilities and communities of color.
• Include workforce development goals for partner organizations or programs, including internships or career pathways programs. Shift power to create possibility for equity in career pathways, hiring, retention, and educational opportunities.
• Work with and shift power to Indigenous communities to protect, preserve and access culturally significant land; salmon, steelhead and lamprey habitats; and native plants.
• Include work with Black communities, Indigenous communities, and/or communities of color on anti-displacement and housing security
• Provide economic opportunities for communities of color and other marginalized communities in the construction of natural area improvements, restoration or community stewardship projects by working with COBID-certified firms and hiring and training a local workforce.

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Our Mission

The Clabough Foundation aims to promote and improve the conservancy and stewardship of natural resources, and to promote and foster regional arts and cultural offerings, by aiding public and private organizations involved in such activities specifically in the areas of North Carolina and Oregon described below.

Areas of Focus:

We like to fund projects and groups who create positive change that encompass the broadest public benefit within their communities in these areas:

• Social Services
• Community-based Programs
• Arts & Culture
• Education
• Environmental Stewardship

The Clabough Foundation is a private foundation that distributes grants in support of nonprofit organizations whose activities promote the mission of the Foundation. The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting recreational and educational endeavors with a cultural, environmental or other similar focus.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

OR Feasibility Study Grants

Background 

Across Oregon, every place has its water challenges that, if left unaddressed, may increase in the future. As recommended in Oregon’s 2012 Integrated Water Resources Strategy, the Water Resources Development Program seeks to help individuals and communities address instream and out-of-stream needs now and into the future. The program includes three components, which fit together as key steps in the water development process: Placed-Based Planning, Feasibility Study Grants, and Water Project Grants and Loans. Feasibility Study Grants provide match funding for project planning studies performed to evaluate the feasibility of developing water conservation, reuse, or storage projects. 

What is a feasibility study? 

A feasibility study is an assessment of a proposed project. Feasibility Study Grants fund qualifying costs of studies that evaluate the feasibility of a proposed conservation, reuse, or storage project that appears to have merit but is lacking important details necessary to determine whether or not to proceed with implementation. The feasibility study focuses on helping to answer the essential question of, “should we proceed with the proposed project idea?” All activities of the study are directed toward helping answer this question. ​

Funding

OWRD anticipates there will be approximately $750,000 in funding for the 2023-2024 funding cycle of Feasibility Study Grants. Because the source of funding for the studies is General Fund all funded studies must be completed by June 30, 2025.  

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board

Vision

OWEB is a leader in the conservation of Oregon's natural resources and enjoys strong public support for its contributions to community-based conservation, watershed health, and local economies.

Mission Statement

To help protect and restore healthy watersheds and natural habitats that support thriving communities and strong economies.

Natural and Working Lands Program

House Bill 3409 was signed into law by the Governor on July 27th, 2023. The Bill established a Natural and Working Lands (NWL) fund to provide financial incentives and technical support to help Tribes, landowners, land managers, and environmental justice communities adopt practices that support natural climate solutions. Incentivizing natural climate solutions is part of Oregon’s comprehensive strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Distributing these funds builds on OWEB’s longstanding commitment to watershed health, while also allowing for greater emphasis on community co-benefits such as air quality improvements from urban reforestation to job creation in under-resourced rural areas.

Eligible Practices

Projects with one or more of the following natural climate solutions are eligible for funding.

• Blue Carbon
  • Tidal wetland conservation and restoration
• Rangelands
  • Prevent conversion of grasslands, shrublands, and savannas to juniper woodlands or invasive annual plant-dominated systems
  • Restore deep-rooted perennial grasses to areas impacted by invasive species
  • Restore functioning riparian areas
• Forest Lands
  • Afforestation/Reforestation
  • Improved forest management to reduce wildfire risk, increase overall age of forest, etc. (including prescribed or cultural burns)
  • Increase the proportion of harvested wood products used for durable building materials
• Agricultural Lands
  • Increase riparian buffer areas beyond the edge of the field
  • Stormwater runoff control
  • Improve nutrient management and reduce nitrogen application
  • Increase woody plant coverage
  • Encourage no-till and reduced-till residue management
  • Implement edge-of-field herbaceous (non-woody) conservation practices
  • Improve grazing and pasture-based management, including rotational grazing
  • Cover crops
  • Prescribed or cultural burns
• Urban Lands
  • Maintain and expand forest vegetation cover
  • Improve fertilizer use in urban and suburban lands to reduce excess nitrogen releases​​​​

Conservation Management Plan Grants

Conservation Management Plan grants to support the development of Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) on agricultural land through the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program. It will also fund payments-for-practice to provide per-acre payments for ecosystem services.

Maximum award is $200,000. (5% cash or in-kind match required from non-OWEB sources)

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board

Vision

OWEB is a leader in the conservation of Oregon's natural resources and enjoys strong public support for its contributions to community-based conservation, watershed health, and local economies.

Mission Statement

To help protect and restore healthy watersheds and natural habitats that support thriving communities and strong economies.

Natural and Working Lands Program

House Bill 3409 was signed into law by the Governor on July 27th, 2023. The Bill established a Natural and Working Lands (NWL) fund to provide financial incentives and technical support to help Tribes, landowners, land managers, and environmental justice communities adopt practices that support natural climate solutions. Incentivizing natural climate solutions is part of Oregon’s comprehensive strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Distributing these funds builds on OWEB’s longstanding commitment to watershed health, while also allowing for greater emphasis on community co-benefits such as air quality improvements from urban reforestation to job creation in under-resourced rural areas.

Eligible Practices

Projects with one or more of the following natural climate solutions are eligible for funding.

• Blue Carbon
  • Tidal wetland conservation and restoration
• Rangelands
  • Prevent conversion of grasslands, shrublands, and savannas to juniper woodlands or invasive annual plant-dominated systems
  • Restore deep-rooted perennial grasses to areas impacted by invasive species
  • Restore functioning riparian areas
• Forest Lands
  • Afforestation/Reforestation
  • Improved forest management to reduce wildfire risk, increase overall age of forest, etc. (including prescribed or cultural burns)
  • Increase the proportion of harvested wood products used for durable building materials
• Agricultural Lands
  • Increase riparian buffer areas beyond the edge of the field
  • Stormwater runoff control
  • Improve nutrient management and reduce nitrogen application
  • Increase woody plant coverage
  • Encourage no-till and reduced-till residue management
  • Implement edge-of-field herbaceous (non-woody) conservation practices
  • Improve grazing and pasture-based management, including rotational grazing
  • Cover crops
  • Prescribed or cultural burns
• Urban Lands
  • Maintain and expand forest vegetation cover
  • Improve fertilizer use in urban and suburban lands to reduce excess nitrogen releases​​​​

Restoration and Technical Assistance Grants

Restoration and Technical Assistance grants to plan and implement a wide range of natural climate solutions on Natural and Working Lands. 

Maximum award is $500,000. (5% cash or in-kind match required from non-OWEB sources)

Liberated Paths Grantmaking Program

Building a More Just and Sustainable Outdoor and Environmental Movement Together

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations are on the frontlines of the grassroots work being done to build a better planet but our work is chronically overlooked and underfunded. We know that when our voices are left out, our communities suffer, and our planet does too. With the Liberated Paths Program, we envision a way to bridge that gap.

Through this program, we are working to create a more just and sustainable outdoor and environmental movement by shifting resources to and building power with Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color. The Liberated Paths Program supports outdoor initiatives and organizations that cultivate and celebrate the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color and affirm the many experiences and identities our communities hold, through grantmaking, capacity building, and network building.

Through our Liberated Paths regional grants, we support organizations and initiatives of all sizes located in California, the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), the Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico), and the Delaware River Watershed that work at the intersection of racial justice, outdoor experiences, and the environment. In 2023, we will also launch grantmaking in North and South Carolina. Our Liberated Paths: Youth Access to Nature Fund supports efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area that increase safe and equitable access to the outdoors for Young People of Color.

We work with leaders and organizations who are rooted within their communities with the lived experiences to understand how to best advance justice and center the needs of the community. We support Leaders of Color to design and lead the types of joyful outdoor experiences and environmental efforts that are most meaningful to them and their communities. 

Liberated Paths support looks like:

• Relationship-driven and trust-based support
• Multi-year grants of $1,000 to $20,000 per year when possible
• Long-term, deep engagement in financial, operational, and fundraising capacity building
• Network building with a cohort of grantees to facilitate shared learning and systems-level changes
• Eligibility that is not hinged on organization size, ability to do impact reporting, or 501(c)(3) status
• Support for organizations and initiatives of all sizes and in all stages of their development
• Prioritized funding for organizations and initiatives led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
• Capacity building trainings and workshops for grantee partners

Capacity Building

Our model offers financial grants, as well as consistent coaching and mentorship. We want to connect our grantee partners with the tools and resources they need to sustain their vital work. To that end, in addition to trainings and workshops for all grantee partners, we work with each partner to identify areas where they want to grow and tailor our support to their needs. These areas could include: board recruitment, financial sustainability, staffing and hiring considerations, executive leadership coaching, budget planning, program design, insurance and liability considerations, safety, guidance on applications for additional grants, and more.

Network Building

Through Liberated Paths, we seek to bring together organizations and leaders working at the intersection of environment and racial justice. We do this through virtual get-togethers and information sessions. We facilitate network building within each cohort of grantees to facilitate shared learning and systems-level changes.

We also bring together funders and partners through a webinar series to connect, share information about the Liberated Paths Grantmaking Program and to also hold critical conversations regarding topics such as the explicit role of race in Liberated Paths, the racial funding gap, and racial bias and its impact in philanthropy.

Mission

Our mission is to protect and enhance Oregon's fish and wildlife and their habitats for use and enjoyment by present and future generations.

Conservation and Recreation Grants

The Oregon Conservation and Recreation Advisory Committee is pleased to announce funding for conservation and recreation projects. 

Approximately $800,000 will be granted to projects that address the impacts of drought on Oregon's fish, wildlife and their habitats. The maximum allowable grant request for drought projects is $100,000. Projects seeking this level of funding must address an aspect of drought AND have a significant, measurable impact/benefit in alignment with the OCRF Program Priorities. (The OCRF received Drought Package funds from the State legislature mandated to fund projects that will have an impact on drought for the State of Oregon. The majority of funding for the Spring 2025 RFP comes from this funding source). 

Based on available funds, approximately $250,000 will be granted to projects in conservation/recreation that have a significant impact in alignment with the OCRF Program Priorities, and do not address an aspect of drought (therefore can’t be funded from the Drought Package). The maximum allowable grant request for these projects will be $50,000. The OCRF Program seeks to continue its support for smaller, newer organizations particularly those arising from underserved, environmental justice communities.

Pacific Power Foundation

The Pacific Power Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Pacific Power. Its mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of local communities.

Together with our foundation and employees, we've given $13 million to local communities since 2019 to lend a helping hand and spur economic development.

Grant Focus

The foundation manages its grants in four cycles. This helps the foundation carefully review similar requests to ensure maximum benefit.

Community Enhancement

Affordable housing, community resilience, community and recreation centers, economic development, libraries, monuments, memorials and science centers.

Environmental Respect

Animal and wildlife biodiversity; carbon and methane emissions; conservation of natural resources; environmental management systems; parks, trails and gardens; resource stewardship; waste management reduction, and water usage management.

Philosophy

John and Nancy Schwemm, lived outwardly their core beliefs that compassion and personal integrity should serve as the guiding principles of life’s endeavors, and that our lives are more meaningful if we participate in bettering our communities.

Based on those principals, the Schwemm Family Foundation seeks to promote programs and initiatives that connect people to the past, help improve the way we live in the present, and identify and promote healthy land stewardship far into the future.

Goals

Enhancing natural environments

The Foundation seeks to promote programs and initiatives that strengthen communities through the enhancement of natural environments.  

The Foundation will consider grant requests that sustain and protect resilient, local ecosystems and related biodiversity by focusing on proactive conservation, and/or comprehensive restoration.

Funded Projects Will:

• Target environmental protection/enhancement efforts at local scales that contribute to ecosystem resiliency
• Have clear, measurable goals with long-term ecological benefits
• Be based on scientific principles of ecology and/or ecosystem restoration

Preserving local history and culture

The Foundation seeks to promote programs and initiatives that help instill a sense of connection and belonging to one’s community through the preservation of local history and culture. The Foundation will consider grant requests that better communities by preserving and sharing history and cultural heritage through literature, digital archiving, and/or other interpretive means.

Funded Projects Will:

• Document or interpret some portion of pre-1935 community history or culture
• Focus on a specific local community
• Speak to a wide audience
• Provide an enduring component accessible to the general population

Promoting healthy communities for all

The Foundation seeks to foster thriving communities by supporting projects that build healthier and more equitable communities.

Funded Projects Will:

• Promote local communities in the planning and implementation of environmentally focused land use decisions and/or support parks, green spaces, urban trail corridors, community gardens, and urban farms.
• Integrate with ongoing community efforts aimed at enhancing equitable access of resources to individuals in underserved communities.

Background

The OWEB water acquisition program supports the planning and implementation of the acquisition of an interest in water from a willing seller across the state. Water acquisition grants can support a range of project activities from permanent transfers and temporary leases of instream water rights to incentive-based voluntary curtailments by irrigators. The purpose of this program is to increase instream flow to address the conservation needs of habitats and species and to improve water quality.

Definition of Water Acquisition Project

• "Water Acquisition Project is a program or project that plans for or implements, or both, the acquisition of an interest or interests in water from a willing seller for the purpose of increasing instream flow to do either or both of the following:
• Address the conservation needs of habitats and species;
• Improve water quality in a water-quality-limited area as determined by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
• A water acquisition project may include the following activities:
• Strategic planning and development, project design, landowner outreach, and other activities associated with water acquisitions in a given basin or other defined area;
• Acquisition of an interest in water and associated due diligence;
• Monitoring and other associated activities to ensure the interest is maintained through time.

Nature of Application

In accordance with Section 4(b) of Article XV of the Oregon Constitution, OWEB may consider grant applications in partnership with other funders for projects that plan or implement the acquisition of an interest in water from willing sellers for the purpose of maintaining or restoring watersheds and habitat(s) for native fish or wildlife. Interest in water includes, but is not limited to, instream leases (including split season use instream leases), water use agreements that result in protectable instream flows, conserved water projects as determined by the Oregon Water Resources Department’s Allocation of Conserved Water Program, and permanent and time-limited instream transfers. These projects must be designed to increase instream flow to do either or both of the following:

• Address the conservation needs of habitats and species; or
• Improve water quality in a water-quality-limited area as determined by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Applications must address the conservation and restoration needs of habitat(s) and species consistent with ecological priorities and principles identified by the Board.

Corporate Contributions

Community involvement and corporate citizenship are an example of Insperity’s mission in action. We are committed to helping the communities where we live and work because together, we know we can make great things happen.

Grants

Philanthropic grants are a strong part of our community outreach and aid institutions needing financial support to meet important service goals.

Event Sponsorship

Fundraising events are an important part of nonprofit support. Insperity provides event sponsorships to approved charities to assist them in meeting their financial and community goals.