OVERVIEW: This funder awards grants mostly in Central Oregon in the fields of art, environment, social services, education and community leadership. It typically accepts unsolicited requests.
IP TAKE: This is a one of the few family foundations focused on Central Oregon and rural communities. The arts have been a big priority of the Roundhouse Foundation since its inception, but over time the Foundation has transformed into a well-rounded funder for rural Oregonians. This funder administered $15.5 million in total grants in 2024 and makes hundreds of grants per focus area annually, so rural nonprofits in the state should consider it a valuable philanthropic entity for small-to-medium-sized grants. The Roadhouse Foundation accepts unsolicited applications from nonprofits and supplies applicants with clear eligibility information and deadlines. New grantseekers should note that the Foundation recommends, but does not demand, that they apply for the Small Grants program as a “way to get to know each other,” as opposed to the Open Call program. This is a supportive and collaborative funder that wants to see rural organizations succeed.
PROFILE: The Roundhouse Foundation is located in Sisters, Oregon and was established in 2002. It seeks to support “creative solutions to the unique challenges associated with rural culture and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.” The driving force behind this family foundation is Central Oregon’s scenic beauty and support for the creative artists who call the region home. Roundhouse backs creative projects and organizations working in the fields of Art & Culture, Environmental Stewardship, Social Services, and Education. The foundation is also passionate about programs to prepare young Oregonians for lives of leadership.
The foundation serves its focus areas by making a few types of grants:
- Small Grants “support grassroots, innovative work and projects that may not have a need for a significant budget,” with totals between $500-$2,500.
- Open Calls for Proposals apply to organizations that fit within the Foundation’s focus areas and eligibility guidelines, offering grantees between $2,501-$30,000 single-year totals.
- While Small Grants and Open Calls generate the bulk of individual grants made annually, the Roadhouse Foundation also runs Capital Grants for Building Maintenance or New Construction, which supply eligible organizations between $25,000-$100,000 for repairs, renovations and new construction.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Roadhouse Foundation broadly supports the arts and artistic endeavors that relate to natural beauty and economically impact rural communities.
- The Foundation was initially established as an arts-only funder, and as its interests in rural communities have expanded in the last few decades, arts and cultural ventures remain of critical importance to Roadhouse.
- Recent arts grantees include Sisters Folk Festival, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, the High Desert Museum and Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Grants for Education
Roadhouse Foundation funds educational nonprofits and initiatives for “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.”
- The Foundation applies grants to number of kinds of educational settings, from early childhood education centers to higher education, in addition to other grants partners like camps, daycares, civic centers and libraries.
- Some educational funding overlaps with its funding for environmental stewardship, foregrounding environmental education for rural children and workers. For instance, the Artula Institute for Arts & Environmental Education received a 2024 grant to expand its community education programming.
- Recent grantees include Ashland High Arts Advocates, Camp Tamarack and Central Oregon Community College.
Grants for the Environment
Over the last decade, the Roadhouse Foundation has greatly expanded its environmental funding, “invest[ing] in opportunities that build collective responsibility for and/or improve the health of our life-sustaining environment.”
- The Foundation supports environmental stewardship from a few different vantage points, “from watershed and ocean health to sustainable agriculture, fisheries and food systems to accessible outdoor experiences.”
- Tax records indicate that environmental education represents a focal point.
- The Foundation occasionally funds large-scale capital campaigns for select, and recently, environmental initiatives have benefitted. For instance, Oregon Coast Aquarium has received a $1 million gift each year since 2021.
- Recent grantees include Blue Mountain Wildlife, Central Oregon LandWatch and High Desert Partnership.
Grants for Human Services
In recent years, social services grants represent the largest share of the Roadhouse Foundation’s total annual funding. The Foundation “funds efforts that support rural Oregonians in meeting their basic needs so that they are better positioned to pursue their passions, creativity and life dreams.”
- Tax records confirm the Foundation’s general interest in basic needs for rural Oregonians, making grants for food security, homelessness, elder care, public and mental health.
- The Foundation supports hyper-specific projects like new freezers for senior meals at Senior Centers in Oregon’s South Coast, as well as broader gun safety initiatives in various counties.
- Other recent social services grantees include Court Appointed Special Advocates of Central Oregon, Kemple Children’s Dental Clinic, Oregon Health Sciences University Foundation, After School Buddies and Bicycle Resource of Bend.
Important Grant Details:
Grants typically hover between $500 and $30,000 for two primary grants programs, Small Grants and Open Calls, however totals can increase for certain capacity-building projects as well as funding for new construction.
- The Roundhouse Foundation’s focus revolves around rural regions of Central Oregon. The town of Sisters, where the Foundation’s headquarters are located, is a priority, too.
- More rarely, groups in international locations are funded by trustee invitation. Roundhouse does not support political or faith-based groups, nor does it often fund capital campaigns.
- Upcoming deadlines are regularly posted on the funder’s website. Applications are accepted online. See a full grants history here.
- Small Grants typically are open to applications from January-November and review applications monthly.
- Open Calls have two cycles: the Spring cycle is open January-March, and the Fall cycle is open June-August.
- Direct general inquiries to the staff at inquiries@roundhousefoundation.org or by phone at (541) 904-0700.
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