Grants for Nonprofits Serving Disabled in Oregon

Ben B. Cheney Foundation Grant

The Foundation is open to a wide variety of programs serving the communities where we give. If you have any questions about the eligibility of your community or the Foundation's level of giving in your community, please see our Where we give page.

Type of Grant

The Foundation is open to a wide variety of programs serving the communities where we give. We prefer to focus on project grants rather than ongoing operating support. However, we know the needs in the nonprofit sector are anything but typical right now. At this time, we will consider requests for both project and operational grants.

A project has three distinguishing features:

• A specific time period with a beginning and an end,
• Specific accomplishments for the project, and
• A specific budget that outlines both what resources the organization needs to achieve the stated accomplishments and where the organization plans to obtain those resources.

Project Grants

We prefer to fund projects that:

• Invest in equipment or facilities that will have a long-lasting impact on community needs.
• Demonstrate local community support with a base of local community funding.
• Develop new and innovative approaches to community problems.
• Expand existing programs to serve more people and/or areas.

Project grants are generally given on a one-time basis. The Foundation will evaluate an organization's plans for sustaining the impact of project grants, especially those for program expansion or starting new programs. That evaluation will include these questions:

• Are there identified sources of support capable of sustaining the program?
• Is the organization committed to a strategy to gain those sources of support?
• Does the project plan include activities towards gaining that sustainability?

While the Foundation understands that fund raising is a part of many organizations' budgets, we feel that this approach allows us to respond to needs that go above and beyond the annual operating budget. As a result, projects for one-time capital or equipment needs often gain priority.

Through this approach the Foundation is able to make grants to a number of first time grantees every year. Since 1975 the Foundation has supported 1,200 organizations.

Program Areas

The Foundation organizes its grant making into eight categories. They are displayed here for information purposes only. The Foundation does not budget to categories in advance and grant seekers are not required to apply by category.

• Charity - Programs providing for basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing.
• Civic - Programs improving the quality of life in a community as a whole such as museums and recreation facilities.
• Culture - Programs encompassing the arts.
• Education - Programs supporting capital projects and scholarships, primarily for six pre-selected colleges and universities with a record of service to Pierce County.
• Elderly - Programs serving the social, health, recreational, and other needs of older people.
• Health - Programs related to providing health care.
• Social Services - Programs serving people with physical or mental disabilities or other special needs.
• Youth - Programs helping young people to gain the skills needed to become responsible and productive adults.

The Coca-Cola Foundation is our company's primary international philanthropic arm.

Since its inception in 1984, The Foundation has awarded more than $1.4 billion in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world.

Giving Back to Communities

The Coca-Cola Foundation, the independent philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, is committed to a charitable giving strategy that makes a difference in communities around the world. In 2021, The Coca-Cola Foundation contributed $109.2 million to approximately 350 organizations globally.

Read more about our priorities in the 2021 Business & Environmental, Social and Governance Report.

NOTE: For nonprofit organizations new to U.S. Bank Foundation, a Letter of Interest is available. Community Affairs Managers will review Letter of Interest submissions periodically to learn about new and innovative programs and organizations in their regions and markets. After reviewing a Letter of Interest, a Community Affairs Manager may reach out with a request for a full application. You can access the Letter of Interest by clicking the “Submit a letter of interest” link at the bottom of this page. Letters of Interest may be submitted at any time during the year.

Community Possible Grant

Through U.S. Bank’s Community Possible® grant program, we invest in efforts to create stable jobs, safe homes and communities.

Funding Types

Within these general guidelines, we consider the following funding request types:

Operating grants

An operating grant is given to cover an organization’s day-to-day, ongoing expenses, such as salaries, utilities, office supplies and more. We consider operating support requests from organizations where the entire mission of the organization fits a Community Possible grant focus area.

Program or project grants

A program or project grant is given to support a specific, connected set of activities, with a beginning and an end, explicit objectives and a predetermined cost. We consider highly effective and innovative programs that meet our Community Possible grant focus areas.

Capital grants

A capital grant is given to finance fixed assets. The U.S. Bank Foundation considers a small number of requests for capital support from organizations that meet all other funding criteria, whose entire mission statement fits a Community Possible grant focus area, and with which the Foundation has a funding history. All organizations requesting capital funding must also have a U.S. Bank employee on the board of directors. U.S. Bank does not fund more than 1% of the non-endowment total capital campaign fundraising goal. All capital grant requests are reviewed and approved by the national U.S. Bank Foundation Board or by the U.S. Bank Foundation President.

Focus Area: PLAY

Creating vibrant communities through play.

Play brings joy, and it’s just as necessary for adults as it is for kids. But in low-income areas there are often limited spaces for play and fewer people attending arts and cultural events. That’s why we invest in community programming that supports ways for children and adults to play and create.

Access to artistic and cultural programming and arts education

Our investments ensure economic vitality and accessibility to the arts in local communities, as well as support for arts education. Examples of grant support include:

• Programs that provide access to cultural activities, visual and performing arts, zoos and aquariums and botanic gardens for individuals and families living in underserved communities
• Funding for local arts organizations that enhance the economic vitality of the community
• Programs that provide funding for arts-focused nonprofit organizations that bring visual and performing arts programming to low- and moderate-income K-12 schools and youth centers

Supporting learning through play.

Many young people across the country do not have the resources or access to enjoy the benefits of active play. Supporting active play-based programs and projects for K-12 students located in or serving low- and moderate-income communities fosters innovation, creativity, and collaboration and impacts the overall vitality of the communities we serve. Funding support includes:

• Support for organizations that build or expand access to active play spaces and places that help K-12 students learn through play and improves the health, safety and unification of neighborhoods in low- and moderate-income communities
• Programs that focus on using active play to help young people develop cognitive, social and emotional learning skills to become vibrant and productive citizens in low- and moderate-income communities

Focus Area: WORK

Supporting workforce education and prosperity.

We know that a strong small business environment and an educated workforce ensure the prosperity of our communities and reducing the expanding wealth gap for communities of color. We provide grant support to programs and organizations that help small businesses thrive, allow people to succeed in the workforce, provide pathways to higher education and gain greater financial literacy.

Investing in the workforce.

We fund organizations that provide training for small business development, as well as programs that support individuals across all skill and experience levels, to ensure they have the capability to gain employment that supports individuals and their families. Examples of grant support include:

Small business technical assistance programs

Job-skills, career readiness training programs with comprehensive placement services for low- and moderate-income individuals entering or reentering the labor force

Providing pathways for educational success.

To address the growing requirements for post-secondary education in securing competitive jobs in the workplace, we support:

• Organizations and programs that help low- and moderate-income and at-risk middle and high school students prepare for post-secondary education at a community college, university, trade or technical school and career readiness
• Programs and initiatives at post-secondary institutions that support access to career and educational opportunities for low- and moderate-income and diverse students

Teaching financial well-being for work and life.

Financial well-being is not only critical for financial stability, it’s crucial in helping individuals be successful in the workplace. Examples of grant support include programs that positively impact:

• K-12 and college student financial literacy
• Adult and workforce financial literacy
• Senior financial fraud prevention
• Military service member and veteran financial literacy

Focus Area: HOME

Working to revitalize communities one neighborhood at a time.

Children and families are better positioned to thrive and succeed in a home that is safe and permanent. Access to sustainable low-income housing is increasingly challenges for low-moderate income families. In response, our giving supports efforts that connect individuals and families with sustainable housing opportunities.

Access to safe, affordable housing

We provide financial support to assist people in developing stability in their lives through access to safe, sustainable and accessible homes. Examples of grant support include:

• Organizations that preserve, rehabilitate, renovate or construct affordable housing developments for low- and moderate-income families, individuals, seniors, veterans, and special-needs populations
• Organizations that provide transitional housing as a direct steppingstone to permanent housing
• Organizations that focus on Veterans housing and homeownership
• Construction of green homes for low- and moderate-income communities
• Energy retrofit programs for low- and moderate-income housing developments

Home ownership education

Owning and maintaining a home requires significant financial knowledge, tools, and resources. We support programs that assist low- and moderate-income homebuyers and existing homeowners. Examples of grant support include:

• Homebuyer education
• Pre- and post-purchase counseling and coaching
• Homeownership-retention programs designed to provide foreclosure counseling

Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – 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.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general 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.

Immigrant & Refugee Funders Collaborative

In early 2016, we shared our three-year equity plan, identifying increased engagement and investment in immigrant and refugee communities among the Foundation's priorities. Since then, Federal actions on immigration -- including executive orders that restrict visitors, immigrants, and refugees to the U.S; detentions of DACA youth, their parents, and others in Oregon and throughout the country; and a series of ICE raids in the Northwest -- have served as catalysts for several foundations in Oregon, urging us into action. We're pleased to share one way we're moving forward together: by launching the Oregon Immigrant & Refugee Funders Collaborative in partnership with Meyer Memorial Trust, MRG Foundation, and The Oregon Community Foundation. The purpose is to create a coordinated, collaborative, and nimble funding approach to address emerging and urgent issues impacting immigrants and refugees in the state, and to support local organizations responding to these issues.

Funding Structure and Process

“No Wrong Door”

Nonprofit and community groups are encouraged to reach out to any of the representatives from each of the participating funders by email or by telephone. Representatives from participating funders communicate with each other and make any information and documents available to the rest of the representatives. Funders will also coordinate their efforts when communicating and/or requesting information from community groups to lessen the burden on answering to different people on similar issues.

Shared Application | Funding Process | Application Review

The funders collaborative share a common application form. A submitted application does not guarantee a grant award. The collaborative does not have established funding cycles or a formal "request for proposals" process. The intent is to offer a nimble and responsive process that reduces the wait time for grantees; the collaborative expects to make decisions within four weeks of receiving a proposal, with funds dispersed shortly after that. The collaborative member who receives the application will make it available to other members for joint review and discussion. If additional clarifying questions arise, a member of the collaborative will contact the applicant to secure the answers. The members may choose to fund an application using various methods: a pooled fund, where a grantee will receive one grant check; aligned funding, where the grantee will receive separate checks and letters of award if multiple funders are supporting the project; or a combination of pooled and aligned funds.

What We’ll Fund | Areas of Interest

Collectively the funders collaborative will consider requests for projects that provide:

• Legal information, advice, services, or representation for immigrants and refugees
• Outreach and education about policies, programs, services, and preparedness
• Information gathering, research, and analysis on immigration and refugee issues
• Basic human needs for immigrants and refugees
• Community organizing, civic engagement, and advocacy

Individually any collaborative member may choose to invest more in some areas than others, but the response to the organizations and community will be coordinated among participating funders. 

Reporting

At the end of the grant period, grantees will be required to submit a single report in a format supplied by the collaborative. Even if a project is supported by multiple funders aligning their funding, grantees will only need to submit one common report.

Critical Response Fund

The funders collaborative may consider small requests that need an especially quick turn-around time. The collaborative has established a small fund to respond to critical needs. Broadly defined, critical response means a response needed within 48-72 hours, for small, planned or unanticipated expenses related to funding eligible activities. This may include materials and expenses for education and outreach, training and capacity fees. Requests under this fund cannot exceed $4,000 and will receive a response in 48-72 hours, with funds dispersed within a week.

Community Grant Program

Working together to advance opportunities for our neighbors to thrive.

OCF Community Grant Program, with strong donor support, invests in community livability and vitality by listening and responding to the people closest to the problems we’re working to address.

Funding Priorities

OCF will award at least $7 million through Community Grants for 2023. Approximately $3.5 million will be made available for small rural and culturally specific organizations seeking general operating support in the Spring Cycle. We recognize the needs of communities they serve will far exceed the funding available through this grant program. A broad range of nonprofits are eligible to submit a letter of inquiry. We will prioritize funding for work that is clearly addressing community-identified needs in support of the following populations across urban and rural regions of Oregon (populations are listed in alphabetical order): 

• Black, Indigenous, Latinx and people of color
• Immigrants and/or refugees
• People experiencing disabilities
• People living on low incomes
• People living in under-resourced communities and/or communities lacking critical infrastructure
• People who are homeless/unsheltered
• People who identify as LGBTQIA+
• Survivors of domestic violence and/or child abuse  

Highlights for 2023

• The spring grant cycle is for general operating support (March - June)
• The fall cycle is for organizational enhancement - capacity building, capital and project funding (July - November)

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

Bolstering middle school attendance and academic success among Oregon’s students of color, rural students and low-income students.

Fund supports community-based programs that offer best-practice after-school and summer academic support, positive adult role models, and parent engagement programming. Best-practice programs increase student attendance and academic achievement, and decrease risky behaviors, particularly for our target population.

OCF and The Ford Family Foundation (TFFF) have identified middle school as a key transition point and an opportunity to combat socio-economic, geographic and racial inequities in student success. Research has shown that quality out-of-school time programs support positive youth development and increase engagement with school, thus improving attendance, boosting academic performance and increasing the likelihood of high school graduation and postsecondary attainment. Successful programs are also positively associated with social-emotional skills such as creativity, resiliency and problem-solving, which are known to contribute to the likelihood of success in school and life.

Request for Proposals: Participation in a Program Quality Improvement Learning Community

OCF and TFFF seek proposals from out-of-school time programs in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, that wish to participate in a three-year, highly structured Learning Community focused on improving program quality and building evaluation capacity. Grants ranging from $25,000 to $60,000 per year will be awarded to out-of-school programs that currently serve middle school-aged youth and are focused on promoting academic success for low-income youth, youth of color and/or rural youth.

OCF does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disabilities, age, status as a veteran, national origin or any other protected class. Applicants for the Student Success Initiative must hold similar standards in the provision of services.