The Oregon Community Foundation's Eastern Oregon Border Board Ready Workforce Mobilization Grant Program aims to bolster workforce and economic development in the designated Border Region of Eastern Oregon. The program's core mission aligns with enhancing economic vitality and opportunity by providing loan or grant funding to eligible applicants. This initiative reflects the Foundation's strategic focus on empowering regional growth through targeted investments in education, workforce development, and economic capacity.
The primary beneficiaries of this program include local governments, institutions of higher education, private and nonprofit businesses, small business development centers, economic development organizations, school districts, and other entities dedicated to promoting housing, workforce, or economic development within the Border Region. The overarching impact goal is to significantly enhance the region's education, workforce, and economic development capabilities, fostering a more prosperous and competitive environment.
Key priorities and focuses for grant awards include projects that enhance prosperity, improve the region's property tax base, increase its competitiveness with Idaho, augment workforce availability and skills, and uplift the region's overall image. Additionally, priority is given to programs that demonstrate the ability to leverage funds with complementary outside funding, ensuring a broader and more sustainable impact.
Expected outcomes include a more skilled and readily available workforce, improved economic competitiveness for the Border Region, and a strengthened property tax base. Measurable results would stem from the impact on education, workforce development, and economic capacity, such as increased employment rates, new business growth, and improved infrastructure related to housing, childcare, transportation, and accessibility.
The program's theory of change posits that by strategically investing in these areas, the Foundation can directly contribute to mobilizing a ready workforce and stimulating economic growth. This approach addresses critical needs in the Border Region, ultimately leading to enhanced economic stability and opportunity for its residents and businesses, thereby fulfilling the Foundation's broader strategic priorities of community development and regional prosperity.
