Community Grants Program for Nonprofit Organizations

The Oregon Community Foundation is offering flexible funding to organizations addressing pressing needs across Oregon. This grant program aligns with the foundation's mission to foster equitable access to resources, particularly for communities historically experiencing bias, discrimination, or underinvestment. The foundation encourages a wide range of nonprofits to apply, seeking to support initiatives that deepen, enhance, or grow work within their communities. The program specifically targets several Oregon populations who have historically faced significant challenges. These include Black, Indigenous, Latino/x, and communities of color (encompassing various ethnic and racial groups), people in under-resourced areas or those lacking critical infrastructure, immigrants and refugees, individuals with disabilities, people with low incomes, those experiencing homelessness, LGBTQ+ individuals, and survivors of domestic violence and/or child abuse. The impact goal is to clearly address community-identified needs and reduce systemic inequities for these populations. Funding priorities are categorized into three grant types: new or expanding programs or projects, capacity-building, and small capital. New or expanding programs should address a gap or need and demonstrate a significant increase in impact, reaching new populations or substantially more of the same population. Capacity-building focuses on organizational development through activities like strategic planning, board development, or marketing. Small capital grants support new or expanded construction, renovation, or equipment, with a total cost limit of $500,000. The expected outcomes are to strengthen organizations and enable them to better serve their communities through enhanced programs, improved organizational capacity, or updated infrastructure. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed in the provided text, the emphasis on addressing community-identified needs and "significant expansion" implies a focus on quantifiable improvements in service delivery, reach, or the well-being of target populations. The foundation's strategic priority is clearly to support equitable access and address historical disparities through community-driven solutions.