Search Through Quality of Life Grants in Oregon in the U.S.

Vision

The Oregon Arts Commission envisions a future where communities celebrate creative expression, artists and arts organizations thrive through robust public support, the arts are recognized as an essential economic driver and Oregon is recognized as a leader for equity and inclusion in the arts.

Mission

To enhance the quality of life for all Oregonians through the arts by stimulating creativity, leadership and economic vitality.

Grant Overview

Arts organizations have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that their programs are accessible to people of all abilities. Accessibility means striving to provide all people regardless of ability with an equal opportunity to experience the programs and services offered by the organization. It also means providing any reasonable modification or accommodation necessary to achieve equal opportunity. 

The Arts Access Reimbursement Program supports:

• Offset of expenditures for specific accessibility related expenses;
• Public access to all individuals with disabilities who want to participate in arts activities offered by Oregon arts nonprofits
• Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42, USC Sec. 12101, et seq.; and
• Identification of best practices for accessibility throughout Oregon.

Ben B. Cheney Foundation Grant

The Ben B. Cheney Foundation makes grants in the communities where Mr. Cheney’s lumber company operated.

Within those communities, the Foundation will respond to a wide variety of requests. The Foundation’s main goal is to support efforts that help to improve the quality of life in those communities.

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.

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

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.

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.

About the Foundation

The Miller Foundation believes that the arts keep Oregonians of all ages creative and connected, and that holistic educational approaches keep our children engaged and inspired.

Mission

The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation was founded with the mission to enhance the quality of life of Oregonians through the support of classroom education and the performing, visual, and literary arts.

Who is eligible

• Oregonians: We fund organizations in Oregon with activities in arts or K-12 education.
• Established: Organizations can apply after providing programs or services to the community for 3 years or more.
• Charitable: Applicants can be 501(c)(3) organizations, public entities, tribal or municipal governments, schools, or school districts. We sometimes fund work that has a fiscal sponsor.

We provide operating support through our standard grant process. (Occasionally we also provide project support.) To help our grantees succeed, we offer a flexible partnership model with single- and multi-year grants.

We understand that for some of our applicants, the opportunity to apply for operating support is rare. The Miller Foundation has been prioritizing operating support for well over a decade because we want you to have maximum flexibility in your work. We know that to realize your vision, you need support that helps you keep the lights on, make payroll, and respond to unexpected challenges and opportunities.

Applications for Oregon Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) funds are reviewed by a committee on a quarterly basis in January, March, June, and September.

About CMP Funds

A CMP is a monetary penalty the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may impose against nursing homes for either the number of days or for each instance a nursing home is not in substantial compliance with one or more Medicare and Medicaid participation requirements for long-term care facilities. A portion of CMPs collected from nursing homes are returned to the states in which CMPs are imposed. State CMP funds may be reinvested to support activities that benefit nursing home residents and that protect or improve their quality of care or quality of life.

Funding Uses

The following examples of allowable uses of CMP funds are not all-inclusive. Please see the Allowable and Non-Allowable Uses of CMP Funds download for more information. CMP funds may be used for:

• Assistance to support and protect residents of a facility that closes or is decertified
• Time-limited expenses incurred in the process of relocating residents to home and community-based settings or another facility when a facility is closed or downsized pursuant to an agreement with the state Medicaid agency
• Projects that support resident and family councils and other consumer involvement in assuring quality care in facilities
• Facility improvement initiatives, such as joint training of facility staff and surveyors, or technical assistance for facilities implementing quality assurance and performance improvement programs
• Training to improve quality of care
• Activities to improve quality of life, foster social interaction, and movement and minimize loneliness
• In-person visitation aids
• Communicative technology for resident use

Goal

​The goal of the Forest Stewardship Program is to assist landowners in developing Stewardship and Tree Farm Plans.

How the Forest Stewardship Program Works

The Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) of the U.S. Forest Service works in partnership with state forestry agencies, cooperative extension, and conservation districts to connect private landowners with the information and tools they need to manage their forests and woodlands. Actively managed forests provide timber, fuel wood, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, recreational opportunities, and many other benefits. They also benefit adjacent National Forest System lands by creating healthier, more resilient landscapes overall.

What is a Forest Stewardship Plan?

FSP also offers resources to help landowners develop a forest management plan (also known as a Forest Stewardship Plan). As a private landowner, you may be concerned about keeping your land productive and healthy now and into the future. You may want to increase its economic value while protecting water and air quality, wildlife habitat, and natural beauty. You can accomplish all these objectives by using a Forest Stewardship Plan to identify your goals for your land and the management activities needed to meet them.

Background

The Small Grant Program is an easy-to-engage-in, competitive grant program that awards grant funding for on-the-ground restoration projects principally carried out on private lands across Oregon. This program responds to a need for local decision-making about watershed restoration opportunities on a shorter timeframe than is available under OWEB’s regular grant program.

The Small Grant Program enables landowners across the state to contribute to the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds and the Oregon Conservation Strategy by committing “small acts of kindness” on their properties for the benefit of water quality, water quantity, and fish and wildlife. From planting native plants along stream sides to reducing sedimentation and erosion from upland farms and ranches, citizens everywhere can make a difference.

Small Grant Projects

Small Grant Projects is an easy-to-engage-in, competitive grant program that awards up to $20,000 for on-the-ground restoration projects principally carried out on private lands across Oregon.

Offered: Small Grant Teams set the application window for their Small Grant Area. At a minimum, all Teams must conduct reviews on submitted applications four times in the state fiscal year (July 1 through June 30).

Eligible Projects

Project Sites

• Projects may occur on sites owned by private landowners, not-for-profit institutions, schools, community colleges, state institutions of higher education, independent not-for-profit institutions of higher education, or local, state, or federal agencies.​​​

Fish Passage

• Remove Irrigation or Push-Up Dams: Install alternatives (e.g., infiltration galleries, point-of-diversion transfers) or convert from gravity diversion to pumps
• Remove and/or Replace Culverts (as a condition of funding, such projects require Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) or Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) technical review and approval, or tribal government review and approval for projects on Tribal Trust Lands, using a standard OWEB form; and for culverts under state roads, a 50% Oregon Department of Transportation match)
• Remove or Replace Stream Crossings (as a condition of funding, such projects require ODFW or ODF technical review and approval, or tribal government review and approval for projects on Tribal Trust Lands, using a standard OWEB form)​

Urban Impact

• Install Storm Water Runoff Treatments (e.g., create bioswales, pervious surfaces, native plant buffers, green roofs) where vegetation has exceeded its design life;
• Employ Integrated Pest Management in conjunction with a restoration project.​

Riparian Process and Function

• Manage Nutrient and Sediment Inputs: Fence out livestock or develop alternative watering sites.
• Manage Vegetation: Control weeds (in conjunction with a restoration project), or plant native wetland species.
• Restore Wetlands: Excavate or remove fill, or eliminate drainage structures.
• ​Employ Integrated Pest Management in conjunction with a restoration project.​

Wetland Process and Function

• Manage Nutrient and Sediment Inputs: Fence out livestock or develop alternative watering sites
• Manage Vegetation: Control weeds (in conjunction with a restoration project), or plant native wetland species
• Restore Wetlands: Excavate or remove fill, or eliminate drainage structures
• Employ Integrated Pest Management in conjunction with a restoration project.​

​Instream Process and Function

• Improve Instream Habitat: Place large wood, boulders, or salmon carcasses.
• Manage Erosion: Bioengineer stream banks, slope stream banks, or develop water gaps, streambank barbs.
• Eradicate or control exotic aquatic species.​

Private Road Impact Reduction

• Decommission Roads.
• Improve Surface Drainage: surface road drainage improvements, gravel surfacing, stream crossings.​

Upland Process and Functi​​on

• Manage Erosion on Agricultural Lands: terrace land, employ laser leveling, create windbreaks, install sediment basins (WASCBs), develop filter strips/grassed waterways, manage mud (e.g., gravel high-use areas, develop paddocks), seed bare areas (OWEB may require a grazing management plan, if appropriate, prior to release of funds. For post-fire areas, seed only where natural regeneration is unlikely — e.g., on slopes of 30% or more — or where it can be demonstrated that seeding would retard or prevent the spread of noxious weeds), or reduce tillage.
• Manage Nutrient and Sediment Inputs to Streams through the management of grazing, vegetation cover, or animal waste.
• Manage Vegetation: prescribed burning, except when conducted as part of a commercial harvest; noncommercial thinning; control/remove juniper (except late seral/old growth); plant or seed (native upland species or native beneficial mixes preferred); or control weeds (in conjunction with a restoration project).
  • Projects for prescribed burning to reduce fuel loads require Oregon Department of Forestry technical review and approval, or tribal government review and approval for projects on Tribal Trust Lands, using a standard OWEB form.
• Manage Wildlife: install water guzzlers.
• Employ Integrated Pest Management in conjunction with a restoration project.​

Water Quantity/Irrigation Efficiency

• Recharge Groundwater, such as through infiltration galleries, infiltration basins, roof water harvesting, or similar practices;
• Implement Irrigation Practices (e.g., pipe existing ditch, install the permanent components of drip or sprinkler systems, install automated soil moisture sensors where water and electrical savings can be documented, or recover or eliminate tailwater).
  • Such projects must either not adversely impact the current level of groundwater in a Groundwater Management Area, or must measurably reduce the diversion of water at the point of diversion.
  • As a condition of funding, irrigation efficiency projects require local watermaster technical review and approval, or tribal government review and approval for projects on Tribal Trust Lands, using a standard OWEB form.
  • Landowner agreements with irrigation efficiency projects require affirmation that the landowner and/or irrigation district agree that water conserved with the project shall remain instream.
  • For projects involving the improvement of irrigation practices for the benefit of water quality, the application shall describe how sediment, nutrients, bacteria, or waste is entering a water body along with sediment and nutrient load calculations.​

Starseed Foundation seeks to provide opportunities and exposure to the arts and environment, to improve the quality of life for those in need, and support social programs that offer cultural and lasting benefit to deserving populations.

In furtherance of these goals Starseed Foundation shall:

• Make gifts to exempt organizations which focus on expanding and enriching the performing and visual arts through education and public performance
• Make gifts to exempt organizations which focus on the environment through education and environmental protection work
• Make gifts to exempt organizations in support of literacy
• Make gifts to exempt organizations to alleviate hunger and support social services;
• Make gifts to exempt organizations that support programs related to children and animal welfare
• Make gifts to exempt organizations, with board approval, in support of culture and community improvement
• Make gifts to exempt institutions of education that support the goals listed above.

Improving the quality of life for vulnerable children, animals, and communities

The Summer Lea Hillman Foundation is committed to protecting people, the environment, and animals by strengthening safety nets, advocacy initiatives, and direct services in the Portland metro area.

Priorities

The Foundation prioritizes:

• animal health and safety,
• foster care and adoption,
• child and youth development and advocacy,
• homeless services, and environmental sustainability and
• education.

Grant Funding Priorities

We aspire to a future where all  rural families provide childcare with a nurturing, safe, and stable foundation for life. A child’s early years are the most critical time for setting a positive trajectory for life. Research shows that trusted relationships with caring adults make all the difference. We want to help families access the supports they need.

What we prioritize:

• Parent and caregiver supports build nurturing and healthy attachments that allow children to thrive. Our communities have identified a need for programs that better match the demographics of families and the emotional needs of children. We prioritize home visiting, parenting education, early childhood mental health and other community supports for parents and caregivers.
• Family financial stability helps parents access programs that exist to assist low-income families, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. We also offer educational scholarships for parents.
• Child abuse prevention protects children and improves outcomes for future generations. We fund and partner with local organizations and regional and statewide networks to prevent abuse and neglect, build awareness and strengthen systems that bring stability and safety to the most vulnerable among us.Grants aligned with our Education impact area aim to ensure that rural children have the supports and opportunities they need to succeed in their education. Our emphasis is on early childhood education, helping children start strong in their early grades, and preparing students for the transition from high school to postsecondary education or a career.

We envision a future in which all rural young people experience educational success. Education has always been at the top of The Ford Family Foundation’s priorities. We invest in high-quality, affordable early childhood education all the way to our scholarship programs, which have helped thousands of aspiring college students achieve their dreams.

Our emphasis is on ensuring that children and their families benefit from targeted support across two key transitions — from the early years to the schoolroom, and from K-12 to educational and career opportunities after high school.

What we prioritize: 

• Early childhood education allows children to develop the habits, skills and healthy brains that will help them succeed academically as they enter their K-12 school pathway.
• P-3 alignment helps children and families transition from early childhood education settings to more structured classrooms. This ensures children can read independently, problem solve and manage their social-emotional needs.
• Supports and pathways build K-12 students’ knowledge, skills and awareness to plan for life after high school and to improve their long-term economic opportunities.
• Postsecondary completion for students, especially those who are the first in their families to attend and complete college, improves economic and social outcomes for them and their families.

We commit to a future where rural communities are vibrant places that provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.  The Ford Family Foundation is a community building organization. We support rural residents as they work together to develop a shared vision for their community’s future and implement plans that enable them to attract and retain a diverse population, especially working-age families.

What we prioritize:

• Community building catalyzes efforts by rural residents to address needs and improve their communities. Community building fosters leadership, relationships, capacity and collective action to create well-being for all, especially children and families. From scholarship alumni to business leaders, community builders are everywhere. Learn more about the rural Community Building Approach.
• Community economic development builds a vibrant rural economy, improves the economic well-being of families and makes the community a place where people choose to live. Rural business retention and expansion is at the heart of our work in this area.
• Organizational capacity building across the region supports a range of stable and effective organizations that contribute to more resilient rural communities. Nonprofits are the backbone of providing essential services to rural families.

Good Neighbor grants

They’re called Good Neighbor grants for a reason. Good neighbors help each other, learn from each other and lift each other up.

Good Neighbor grants are designed to support the initiatives that matter in your community in a way that works for your organization, including unforeseen emergencies that interrupt programming or services. We fund both program and capital requests.

For Good Neighbor Grants, applicants should note the following:

• 25% committed before applying (in-kind can play a role but strongest requests have other funding at the table)
• Can request up to 1/3 for programs/operations and up to 50% for capital
• Clearly need to see the community at the table where services will be provided
• We also look for a clear plan in place for sustainability
• You will typically hear back from us in six to 10 weeks

Grant amount: Up to $25,000

Grant examples

• Emergency repairs to essential equipment at a food bank, library, fire hall or other community service provider
• Updates to facilities at a beloved community gathering place, including ADA accessibility and technology
• Community events such as celebrations, clean-ups or summer festivals (Events and celebrations must be free to the public and multi-day or annual, such as a music or art series.)
• New or special programs for the children and families in your communities
• Studies or research on a community need
• Playgrounds or recreational facilities
• Translation of materials or outreach to special populations
• Basic needs for vulnerable children and families
• Feasibility studies for economic development projects (e.g., business incubator, makerspace, commercial kitchen)

Cultural Coalition of Washington County Mission Statement

The Cultural Coalition of Washington County (CCWC) is the re-granting board of the Oregon Cultural Trust in Washington County. The CCWC also promotes the cultural identity, quality of life and economic vitality of Washington County and its arts, heritage, and humanities organizations.

Community Cultural Participation (CCP) Grant Program

The Community Cultural Participation (CCP) Grant Program provides financial support for Washington County nonprofit arts, heritage and humanities organizations and activities.

Applicants can apply for activities or opportunities that address one or more of these five goals:

• Public Awareness and Participation
  • Build community through communication, audience development, and engagement.
• Support Cultural Organizations
  • Increase capacity, encourage professional development, and support adaptability.
• Increase Public Art and Performance Opportunities
  • Foster more impactful art, events, and cultural connections with increased accessibility for all.
• Support Diverse Cultural and Heritage Activities
  • Include cultural learning and cultural equity at the heart of our creative community.
• Increasing Access to Arts Education
  • Serve school-based arts and cultural opportunities and build arts awareness for youth, while encouraging life-long learning.

A strong grant application will explain how the grant addresses priorities of:

• promoting cultural diversity
• developing community and/or cross-cultural partnerships
• providing matching-fund or cost-sharing opportunities
• and/or promoting cultural tourism

Proposals in the CCP Grant Program should be geared toward a specific event, activity, or communication of the organization.

Funding

Three levels of Community Cultural Participation grants are available this year:

• Level 1: up to $1,000
• Level 2: up to $3,000

The Herbert A. Templeton Foundation is an Oregon charitable corporation founded in 1955 by Herbert A. Templeton (1883 - 1969).

The principal activity of The Herbert A. Templeton Foundation is the making of grants to tax-exempt organizations in the areas of education, social services, and the cultural arts and humanities. The Foundation endeavors to remain responsive to changing conditions, and perceptive to emerging and critical needs. Overall, the trustees feel a strong commitment to strengthening the quality of life for the total community with special emphasis on giving support to youth.

The Foundation processes grant requests in two cycles each calendar year. There are two submission deadlines in March for the Spring cycle and October for the Fall cycle. 

Our Vision

The Lane Cultural Coalition envisions a vibrant cultural life for the people of Lane County.

Our Mission

The Lane County Cultural Coalition advances its vision through the distribution of Cultural Opportunity Grants funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust in accordance with the Lane County Cultural Plan and the direction of the Oregon Cultural Trust.

Cultural Opportunity Grants provide recognition and support to significant cultural programs and projects, preserving and enhancing Lane County’s diverse arts, heritage, and humanities efforts.

Cultural Opportunity Grant

Cultural Opportunity Grants are funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust and administered by the Lane County Cultural Coalition. The intent of this grant program is to support and protect Oregon culture by:

• Protecting and stabilizing cultural resources, creating a solid foundation for the future.
• Expanding public awareness and improving the quality of arts, humanities, and heritage.
• Increasing access to and use of culture in Oregon.
• Ensuring that Oregon-based cultural resources are strong and dynamic contributors to quality of life in Oregon’s communities.

Funding Priorities

The Lane County Cultural Coalition has identified three priorities for funding.  Applicants will be expected to address one of the three priorities with their grant application. 

These priorities are:

• Access:
  • Cultural activities in Lane County will be affordable, accessible and inclusive throughout Lane County.
  • Project strategies may include, but are not limited to:
    • Subsidizing venue cost
    • Subsidizing tickets
    • Subsidizing artist fees
    • Subsidizing transportation cost
    • Creating traveling or online programming
    • Creating and maintaining electronic resources
    • Preserving historic properties.
• Awareness:
  • Residents of Lane County will have increased awareness of cultural activities.
  • Project strategies may include, but are not limited to:
    • Supporting marketing and public relations efforts
    • Supporting advocacy efforts
    • Reaching new audiences
    • Enhancing visibility and promoting cultural activities
• Education:
  • Encourage cultural education in Lane County.
  • Project strategies may include, but are not limited to:
    • Creating programs in schools and other community venues
    • Developing participatory workshops and activities
    • Establishing mentorships
    • Supporting subjects that are under-funded in traditional, public educational systems
    • Subsidizing instructor fees

Hoover Family Foundation Grant - Portland, OR

The Hoover Family Foundation was founded in 1992 to assist non-profit tax-exempt organizations in the social service and education areas to foster self-sufficiency and improve quality of life. The foundation focuses on funding organizations located in and providing services to the residents of the metropolitan areas where the foundation is located: Portland, Oregon, and Indianapolis, Indiana.

 Our Oregon location only funds organizations that provide services within the Urban Growth Boundary of the Portland metropolitan area. The Hoover Family Foundation in Oregon will consider grant requests from organizations based in and serving the Portland metropolitan area, which is generally within the guidance in the map, and includes all the cities noted on the map.

Our knowledge of organizations in these areas and the issues facing them is important to us, so we must stand by these geographic restrictions.

Priorities of Interest

• Programs that foster self-sufficiency.
• Effective providing of social services.
• Improvement of educational opportunities at all levels.
• Programs that aid low-income individuals.

With limited resources and a large number of applications, the foundation is able to fund only a small portion of the many worthwhile requests submitted. Those constraints also limit the size of particular grants and the ability to fund on an annual basis.

Our roots run deep.

The Ash Grove Charitable Foundation makes grants annually to support the work of public charities with tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the geographical markets that we serve.

As one of the largest cement companies in the United States and one of the oldest still in operation, Ash Grove plays an important part in the foundation and infrastructure of our country. And with plants from coast to coast, being a good neighbor in the communities in which we live and serve is a priority and part of our DNA.

Ash Grove territory is a lot of ground to cover. We believe in active participation to improve the existing and future quality of life in the communities we serve. This participation includes financial support to charitable activities. We aren’t just focused on building highways and buildings – we are also helping to build better communities.

Ash Grove is one of the largest cement companies in the United States and one of the oldest still in operation. Ash Grove plays a part in the foundation and infrastructure of our country. With plants from coast to coast, being a good neighbor in the communities we live and serve is a priority and part of our DNA.

The Ash Grove Charitable Foundation mission is to support communities today without compromising future needs, where nature is respected, minds challenged, opportunities created, and neighbors gather in the community. We stand together to build better communities. Communities that thrive today and for future generations.

Funding Priorities

The Foundation awards grants to charitable, educational, and scientific organizations, which are public charities.

The Foundation gives primary consideration to capital building and renovation projects for the following funding priorities:

• Nature – Protect or Preserve.
• Education – STEM
• Economic – Trade Skills
• Civic – Gather in Community
• Human Services – Shelter

Funding

The Foundation’s goal is to provide significant support to public charities for capital building and renovation projects. Grants for these projects generally are limited to $25,000. Consideration is also given to program grant requests. Grants for these projects are generally limited to $5,000.

About

Formed in 2011, the Zera Foundation provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and initiatives that focus on improving the quality and equality of life in Oregon.  

Funding Priorities

Primary areas of support: 

• poverty
• youth
• animals 
• Jewish-based organizations

Interest in supporting:

• new programs that will help an already existing organizations better reach their mission
• organizations that focus on direct services and leverage volunteer use

Better Nursing Home Care Fund Grant

The Better Nursing Home Care Fund supports projects that focus on improving care for nursing home residents in Oregon

Elevating the quality of life in the Portland region

The Henry Lea Hillman Jr. Foundation supports innovative ideas for making the Portland, Oregon region healthier, safer, and more equitable for all. Henry Lea Hillman Jr. FoundationThe Foundation encourages applications from qualified organizations in the Portland area with a demonstrated history of improving the regional quality of life through programs in the visual and performing arts, education, health, homelessness prevention and intervention, and human services.

Promoting Health Equity since 1992

The PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement is an independent, private foundation, not connected to any PacificSource entity. We are focused on finding ways to improve access to high quality healthcare for everyone—with an emphasis on helping underserved and vulnerable populations. We serve communities throughout Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and parts of Washington.

Equity Statement

At the PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement, we believe everyone should have opportunities for a healthy life and community—regardless of resources, circumstances, or identity. We seek to advance equity, honor diversity, and foster inclusion throughout our work. This, in alignment with our values, enables us to learn from, collaborate with, and foster the inherent power of the communities with which we partner. 

Our Work

Advancing health equity through strategies that increase access to healthcare and eliminate health disparities for marginalized people and communities.

Funding Priority Areas

• Access to healthcare services for vulnerable and underserved populations
• Direct Healthcare Services – Mental/Behavioral Health, Medical, Dental
• Indirect/Support Services – Peer Support, Traditional/Community Health Workers, Navigation, etc.
• Prevention of health inequities through clinical and community-driven solutions, including interventions that advance equity and improve the health and well-being for those experiencing health disparities. 
  • The areas noted below are examples of approaches that we believe to be well aligned; however, we look forward to exploring opportunities with community partners, as we learn and refine this new priority area
    • Infant and maternal health - i.e. home visiting programs, developmental screening promotion, lactation support, etc.
    • Early childhood and parent education – i.e. ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) prevention, developmentally appropriate parent education, protective factors
    • Supportive housing– Specifically focused on co-located services, permanent supportive housing (program, not capital), and services that aim to improve health within a housing context.
    • Nutrition access and education – i.e. nutrition support and education to promote overall health, prevent negative health outcomes, or treat disease.
    • Building resilience– Healing-centered, community driven solutions that strengthen the resilience of marginalized people and communities. i.e. non-clinical behavioral health, accessibility, LGBTQ+, youth development, social connection, and climate-related health impacts.

Funding

Provides one-year and multi-year funding to support organizations working to advance health equity, as described in the funding priority areas and examples shown above.

Generally speaking, one-year grant requests are appropriate for organizations that are new to the foundation. Multi-year grant requests may be suitable for organizations known to the foundation and in good standing with prior awards. There are no firm limitations on the level of a grant request but typical awards range from $10,000-$50,000.

Reser Family Foundation 

The Reser Family Foundation continues Al and Pat Reser’s decades-long commitment to giving back to Oregon communities. The Reser Family is passionate about strengthening Oregonians through charitable grants made to organizations doing broad-based, innovative, inclusive work across our state.

Our Cornerstones

To help create the broadest possible benefit to Oregonians, The Reser Family Foundation focuses on four Cornerstones—Education, Health, Arts, and Environment—to guide giving through our Fast Track and Mid Size grant programs. 

Education

Grants supporting student success and engagement

Education Funding Priorities:

• Support school-day academic and transitional programs that encourage student success.
• Provide after-school enrichment and support for extracurricular activities in middle schools.
• Support the basic needs of students with limited economic means on their path to a high school diploma or GED.

A closer look at our current funding priorities in Education:

• In-school programs in public schools or independent schools that serve children with special needs
• Programs that support Career Technical Education (CTE) initiatives, first-generation college students, and schools serving low-income youth

We accept grant requests that have clear letters of support, signed by the school administrator (e.g., superintendent) if applicable.

If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.

Health

Grants serving Oregonians affected by life-altering events

Health Funding Priorities:

• Serve children affected by a severe health diagnosis or life-altering event.
• Support the basic needs of children with limited economic means.
• Help underserved adults to achieve independence or improve quality of life after a severe health diagnosis or life-altering event.

A closer look at our current funding priorities in Health:

• We are not currently reviewing new requests for medical research funding, animal-assisted therapies, caregiver support programs, or child advocacy programs.

If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.

The Arts

Grants to engage communities with the arts and increase access

Arts Funding Priorities

• Engage youth through creative visual and performing arts programs.
• Support broad-based community arts programs that increase access and enrich communities.

A closer look at our current funding priorities in The Arts:

If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.

If your organization is a school, please apply under the Education Cornerstone.

Environment

Grants supporting either the natural environment or the built environment

Environment Funding Priorities

• Cultivate the long-term resiliency and vitality of our natural environment while engaging communities.
• Support community and economic development in the built environment that create sustainable community improvement.

A closer look at our current funding priorities in Environment:

• Funding for land acquisition, preliminary studies or preliminary research is outside of our current funding priorities. We are not currently reviewing requests from organizations with ongoing or pending litigation.

The foundation will consider capital fundraising requests when more than 80% of the funds needed to complete the project have been raised/pledged

The Fast Track Grant Program is for requests $12,499 and under. The Fast Track application process is designed to provide eligible organizations with streamlined access and support for projects or programs. 

Background

Benefitting communities where Nike employees live, work and play.

The Nike Community Impact Fund was established at Oregon Community Foundation in 2010. Through this fund, Nike employees work with OCF to award at least $550,000 per year to nonprofits and schools in the Metropolitan Portland region, the Northern Willamette Valley and in southwest Washington to give youth positive experiences in sport and physical activity, and advance healthier, supportive and more inclusive communities.

Nike believes in the power of sport to unleash human potential and build community. It fuels this belief through Made to Play, its commitment to getting kids moving through play and sport so that they can lead healthier, happier and more successful lives.

The Nike Community Impact Fund (NCIF) takes a collaborative approach to grant making by partnering with Nike employees to participate in the grant-making process and directly impact the local communities where they live and work.

NCIF helps local organizations bring the benefits of sport to their communities, giving kids an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of quality play and active lives, and creating stronger communities where sports and physical activity are a highly-valued part of everyday life.

Funding Priorities

• 75 Percent of grant awards support projects that promote sport or physical activity in the community.
• 25 Percent of grant awards support organizations and projects that address community challenges through innovative or proven community-based solutions

Emphasis is placed on inclusive programs that serve underrepresented populations.

Nike Community Impact Fund – Portland Metro And Northern Willamette Valley: 75% of grant awards support projects that promote sport and physical activity in the community. 25% of grant awards support organizations and projects that address community challenges through innovative community-based solutions.

Nike Community Impact Fund - Community Store – Northeast Portland Only: 100% of grant awards support projects that promote sport and physical activity in the community.

About The Roundhouse Foundation

What started in 2002 as a collaboration between Founder and Trustee, Kathy Deggendorfer, and her mother, Gert Boyle, has grown into a dynamic and unique private family foundation. The Roundhouse Foundation is dedicated to supporting programs that inspire creativity, connect people with each other and their sense of place, and ensure sustainability for the long-term economic success of Oregon’s rural communities.

Open Call for Proposals

Organizations that fit within our focus areas and eligibility guidelines may submit a proposal to one of our Open Call grant cycles. Preferred proposals span 12-18 months. Requested amount is not to exceed $50,000, and it is rare Roundhouse awards the maximum. The median award is around $20,000.

Following the end of the application period, eligible applications are evaluated by a panel of external reviewers. Review takes 6-8 weeks, with funding for selected proposals typically disbursed within 3-4 weeks following the decision announcement.

We do not fund capital requests for facility development or improvement through the Open Call process. However, program-aligned requests for infrastructure acquisition or enhancements (e.g. vehicles, coolers, software, or other equipment) can be considered in this process.

Focus Areas

We focus our work in and across four areas that are fundamental to thriving rural communities. We understand the interconnections of these focus areas and value opportunities that work at their intersections.

Arts & Culture

Arts and culture bring people together, expand hearts and minds and build vibrant communities. They cultivate, enhance and sustain a sense of community by helping people understand and respect who they are, who their neighbors are and the unique place they call home. Arts and culture also support the creative economy, providing important economic impact in rural communities.

We look for opportunities that harness the power and potential of arts and culture to build better rural citizens, communities and economies. We want to hear and amplify the voices of our rural communities, which we know can often be best heard and shared through art.

Education

Education opens doors, changes lives and strengthens our rural communities.

We support innovative educational programming, including programs for our children who are not best served in traditional educational settings and in career-technical areas that build skills of the builders, mechanics, craftspeople, plumbers and others we depend on to keep our rural communities­ working. We also support strategies that create equitable rural access to higher education, as well as youth literacy, libraries, and civic education.

Environmental Stewardship

The future of rural Oregon’s people and places are tightly intertwined. We depend on our environment to provide our water and food, nurture our spirits and offer us recreation. Our wise, steady and innovative stewardship, always paramount, holds increasing importance for our quality of life as the climate changes.

From watershed and ocean health to sustainable agriculture, fisheries and food systems to accessible outdoor experiences, we invest in opportunities that build collective responsibility for and/or improve the health of our life-sustaining environment.

Social Services

Rural Oregonians know that we depend on one another and how we take care of each other matters deeply. We understand that people cannot reach their full potential, contribute their best or be creative when they are in pain, hungry or don’t have a safe, stable home.

We fund efforts that support rural Oregonians in meeting their basic needs so that they are better positioned to pursue their passions, creativity and life dreams.

The Small Community Initiative Grant

This initiative provides financial support to community groups in rural Oregon towns, working to help those communities create a better quality of life and build sustainable economic activities.

Once a community is approved for SCI, we will partner with the community’s efforts, providing up to four annual grants of up to $10,000 each.

Program Goals

The SCI values input and participation from many community stakeholders, including town residents, local business and government leaders, and regional economic partners. Our overall goals are to:

• Promote a climate that encourages citizen involvement, open dialogue and innovation;
• Prepare leaders to more effectively plan and implement local economic initiatives;
• Support sustained revitalization as a critical component of success; and
• Encourage small towns to think beyond size limits and actively build connections with regional economic initiatives and a wide range of economic partners.

Community Enhancement Grant

The Community Enhancement Grant Program (CEGP) supports projects in Oregon City that improve our community’s overall quality of life by investing in people and places. The CEGP receives funding from Metro, which operates the South Transfer Station located in Oregon City at the corner of Highway 213 and Washington Street. Metro, through an Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Oregon City, compensates the City by distributing a $1.00 per ton surcharge for all solid waste collected at the station to be used for enhancement projects throughout Oregon City.

Projects that receive support through this program must meet at least one of the 10 goals listed below.

• Result in significant improvement in the cleanliness of the City.
• Increase reuse and recycling efforts or provide a reduction in solid waste.
• Increase the attractiveness or market value of residential, commercial or industrial areas.
• Result in the rehabilitation or upgrade of real or personal property owned or operated by a nonprofit organization having 501(c)(3) status under the Internal Revenue Code.
• Enhance new or existing wildlife, riparian zones, wetlands, forest lands or marine areas, and/or improve the public awareness and the opportunities to enjoy them.
• Preserve or increase recreational areas and programs within the City.
• Improve safety within the City.
• Increase employment or economic opportunities for City residents.
• Provide work or training opportunities to benefit youth, seniors and low-income persons or other underserved population.
• Enhance art and culture within the City.

The PGE Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Portland General Electric. Founded in 1997, the foundation was created through an endowment with the purpose of improving the quality of life for all Oregonians.

PGE Foundation welcomes applications from eligible nonprofits through three focus-specific grant cycles: Education, Creative Expression and Career Pathways. While the majority of grants support projects and programs that align with our funding priorities, we also award grants for operating expenses and new and existing capital construction projects.

Career Pathways

We are committed to helping individuals and communities overcome common barriers to economic mobility and generational wealth-building by increasing avenues to family wage jobs, entrepreneurship and small business ownership.

If you’re interested in submitting a proposal for a career-oriented program, consider:

• Programs that facilitate access to in-demand, family-wage jobs in the trades, sciences and green sectors
• Programs for adults focused on skill development
• Wrap-around services offering mentorship, transportation and other resources that impact workforce participation
• Proposals that offer entrepreneurship and business-ownership support for minority- and woman-owned small businesses

GO Grants

Collins is a responsive grantmaker. We award and fund arts and culture, child welfare and development, education, environmental protection, health equity, and a broad range of efforts to enhance the quality of life in Oregon’s communities.

A central priority for the Foundation is to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through our grantmaking. We support organizations at various stages in their pursuit of equity. Many successful applicants will have made efforts to learn about the root causes of social inequities, are actively thinking about how racial equity informs their work and operations, or have implemented policies and practices to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

We provide general operations grants.

Advancing Disability Justice Grants

Disability Justice

Disability Justice is a movement framework that centers queer and transgender disabled people of color. It has ten principles: intersectionality, leadership of those most impacted, anti-capitalist politic, cross-movement solidarity, recognizing wholeness, sustainability, commitment to cross-disability solidarity, interdependence, collective access and collective liberation. 

Disability Equity at NWHF

Too often racism, ableism, and the places we call home prevent us from living the life we deserve.

At Northwest Health Foundation, we are committed to ending this reality. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy life, however they define health. We also believe that, by advancing equity, we can improve the social, political and body/mind health of our whole region. Learn more about NWHF’s commitment to equity and our lens on disability equity.

In 2017, Northwest Health Foundation and the Collins Foundation convened the Disability Justice Leaders Collaborative (DJLC). The DJLC brought 16 disabled BIPOC together to build relationships, learn about the disability justice framework, and discuss how the voices and experiences of people with disabilities are (or aren’t) represented by decisionmakers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Members of the DJLC worked together to create a set of recommendations for supporting disability justice and addressing barriers faced by disabled leaders of color: Recommendations for Advancing Disability Justice in Oregon and SW Washington. 

These recommendations led us to launch our Advancing Disability Justice program with the Collins Foundation, which includes disability justice workshops for BIPOC-led and racial justice organizations, coaching, and Advancing Disability Justice Grants. During the 2021 grant cycle, six grants were awarded totaling $46,600.

Funding

The Advancing Disability Justice Grants will support disabled BIPOC leaders and groups in our region to build their capacity for community building and civic engagement. This can include, but is not limited to, leadership development, organizational or group capacity building around disability justice, cultural programming, movement building work, community organizing and/or policy advocacy. Funds can be used for staff time, stipends, food, gatherings, accommodations, travel, childcare, etc.

NWHF will provide one-time project grants for up to $5,000 or up to $10,000. Applicants will be asked to state their requested amount. We welcome applications with requests below $5,000 or $10,000. Grants can be for new or existing projects and can support short-term, long-term or one-time projects.

• Grants up to $5,000 could be a good match for new or shorter term projects, such as hosting a one-time event or gathering for community members, planning for a larger project, a project for a targeted geographic area, or a short-term need. There are four grants at $5,000 to award for this cycle.
• Grants up to $10,000 could be a good match for longer term or larger scale projects, maybe to implement or accelerate a plan, or to reach out to more communities or regions. Examples could include a multi-day conference or training for larger community or statewide groups, or implementing disability justice goals for a program or organization. There are two grants at $10,000 to award for this cycle. 

Accessibility Costs 

NWHF has set aside additional funds to support accessibility costs above and beyond your grant award. While these additional funds are limited, we hope to allocate these funds to the awarded projects based on the information included in your application and budget. 

For example, this might include:

• live captioning for an event,
• microphone and speakers,
• an accessible meeting space, and so on.

Funding Criteria and Decision Making  

Projects should be in alignment with the following priorities:

• Projects should be led by and focus on disabled, neurodivergent and d/Deaf Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC).
• Projects should focus on building capacity or work related to community building, civic engagement, community organizing, cultural work, leadership development, movement building or policy advocacy by disabled BIPOC.
  • Building capacity can mean learning, adapting and strengthening the skills, knowledge and tools of people and groups in order to create and achieve their goals. This might include (but not be limited to) training, leadership development, and building alliances across communities.
  • Civic engagement projects are those that work toward making a difference in the civic life of one’s community and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. Civic engagement improves the quality of life in a community through both political and non-political processes.
• Project values should align with the Disability Justice Principles. From Sins Invalid: longer descriptions and short descriptions.