OVERVIEW: This funder supports the arts, education, the environment, and health throughout the state of Oregon. It awards grants through an open application process and through donor-advised funds.
IP TAKE: This is an expansive community foundation with many offices, staff members, and funds. The Oregon Community Foundation accepts applications for certain grants. Nonprofit grant seekers should be sure to check OCF’s Grants Overview, as it contains a thorough directory of available grants alongside relevant application deadlines and guidelines. Filter by region, as some funds only direct resources to nonprofits located in certain regions and counties. Grant seekers should keep in mind that some funds listed under Impact Areas do not accept unsolicited applications, so be sure to focus on the Grants Overview.
Nonprofits should be encouraged that OCF doesn’t seem to prioritize a certain area of grantmaking over others. According to annual reports, as well as tax filings, OCF does not tend to give more than 25% of its total annual funding to any single focus area, so eligible grant seekers can expect a wide range of available opportunities.
PROFILE: The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) is a large grantmaker in Oregon with offices in Portland, Bend, Eugene, Medford and Salem. William Swindells, the founder of Willamette Industries, established OCF in 1973. It seeks to “improve lives for all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy.” The foundation reports more than $1.5 billion under management through 1,900 charitable funds. It is in the top ten community foundations based on total assets, as of at least 2022.
While OCF awards most of its funding through donor-advised funds, it hosts robust competitive open application processes for nonprofits, which comprised roughly 20% of total giving in a recent year.
The foundation backs nonprofits and programs for Arts & Culture, Education and Scholarships, Community Engagement, Community and Economic Vitality, Health & Well-Being, Land & Nature and Housing Stability.
Grants for Community Development and Economic Mobility
The Oregon Community Foundation awards millions in annual grants to “foster thriving communities” and “support quality of life and a healthy environment” for all Oregonians.
- The Community Grant Program, the largest grantmaking program hosted by OCF, is a statewide program with a broad focus, but most closely invests in “organizations that serve communities who have experienced historical underinvestment due to systems, practices, and policies.” Community grants fund small capital, capacity building and new or expanding programs and projects across Oregon.
- Community grants support a diverse range of nonprofits as long as they serve under-resourced communities. OCF funds food security initiatives,
- East County Food Hub, Polk Community Development Corporation and Columbia River Institute for Indigenous Development Foundation.
- A number of other funds open to applications target various regional and state-wide community-centered initiatives, including the Latino Partnership Program, the Thriving Entrepreneurs Program and the Douglas Community Fund.
Grants for Arts & Culture
OCF hosts a number of grantmaking programs dedicated to arts and culture in Oregon. The Foundation takes a broad approach to its funding, administering “annual support for essential arts and arts education programs in communities across the state.” In recent years, OCF has prioritized the recovery of artistic institutions and arts education in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- For instance, the Arts and Culture Rebuilding Program supports “the adaptive capacity of the arts and culture sector, which was disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.”
- Over the three-year course of the program, which began in 2024, OCF will administered $21 million in funding to arts organizations. Grantees include the High Desert Museum, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Symphony, Portland Art Museum, Portland Center Stage and Portland Opera.
- Small Arts and Culture Grants are part of a five-year initiative to support small, community-driven arts and culture organizations statewide.
- Discover more arts & culture grantmaking programs here.
Grants for Education and Youth Development
OCF education grantmaking supports early childhood through higher education, as well as career development, especially for “low-income families, communities of color and rural areas lack[ing] opportunities to advance.” The foundation hosts a number of funds open to applications, as well as a robust scholarship program.
- Black Student Success Community Network Grants “bring together community organizations rooted in the Black community to strategize and provide direction on best practices for advancing Black Student Success.”
- Grantees receive $20,000 and membership into the network as long as they contribute findings or strategies with fellow network members to increase Black student outcomes.
- See a full listing of the 20+ member network here.
Other funds support youth development and enrichment in various regions of the state.
- The Nike Community Impact Fund Program awards at least $550,000 annually to 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.”
- Organizations must service at least one of Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill counties in Oregon, and Clark County in Washington.
- Explore program guidelines and recent grantees.
- Meanwhile, Reed and Carolee Walker Fund Grants are awarded in Jackson County and focus on disadvantaged children and families.
- See a full list of Education and Youth Development funds here.
Grants for Health and Human Services
The foundation’s Health and Well-Being area focuses on children’s health, especially their dental health, as well as services for the homeless. Additionally, food banks, child welfare services, sexual health centers, shelters for victims of spousal violence, and immigrants advocacy organizations receive funding annually.
- The Life Center Fund awards “two-year grants to provide food, clothing, household items, prescription and hygiene assistance, and school supplies to people in critical need in North, Northeast and Southeast Portland.”
- Past grantees include My Father’s House, A Community Shelter and JOIN.
- The Better Nursing Home Care Fund “supports projects that focus on improving care for nursing home residents in Oregon,” focused solely on nursing homes rather than assisted living facilities or other kinds of elder care facilities.
- See a full list of Health and Human Services funds here.
Important Grant Details:
Most grants range between $1,000 to $50,000, although certain grants for pre-selected institutions can rise into six and seven figure totals. In recent years, the foundation awarded over $100 million in grants and scholarships.
- Community Grants tend to award $15,000-$20,000 totals per grantee, although it will accept proposals for up to $40,000. These grants must be used within 12 months of the award date.
- Read through the Community Grants FAQ for further details.
- OCF encourages grantseekers to reach out directly to the Community Grants Program officers for further questions not covered in the FAQ.
- For other funds, be sure to check the website for application details, as they vary by program. Most require an application form and required attachments
- OCF does not accept letters of inquiry or pre-applications for most programs.
- Follow the funder’s news section to learn about where grants have been going lately.
- Direct questions to the staff at grants@oregoncf.org or by phone at (503) 227-6846.
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