Eastern Oregon Nonprofits Receive $322,617 Funding Boost (Photo) -12/03/24
EASTERN OREGON NONPROFITS RECEIVE $322,617 FUNDING BOOST
Oregon Community Foundation Distributes Record Investments in 2024, Announces New Grant Opportunities for 2025
PENDLETON, Ore. – A bicycle repair kiosk in Elgin. A sleep center for people experiencing homelessness in Hermiston. Accessibility upgrades to the library in Joseph. These are just a few of the projects and programs in Eastern Oregon receiving a $322,617 boost from the 2024 Fall Cycle of Community Grants from Oregon Community Foundation. The statewide funder has distributed 17 new grants in Eastern Oregon to support capacity building, small capital and new or expanding projects by nonprofits.
The announcement comes on #GivingTuesday, an international day of generosity that follows Thanksgiving.
Statewide, the new round of funding includes 248 grants for nearly $5.8 million. That brings the total awarded in Community Grants by OCF to a record $11.1 million for the year, including funding previously announced in the spring.
“Our nonprofit partners across Eastern Oregon are doing the hard work it takes to provide for the needs of our communities, on issues like food insecurity and increased access to services,” says OCF Board Member Bobbie Conner, Director of Tamástslikt Cultural Institute near Pendleton. “These Community Grants are OCF’s ‘open door’ for any program upgrade and expansion aimed at making life better for Oregonians, one step at a time.”
The grants are possible because of the generosity of Oregon Community Foundation donors.
Just as the new funding reaches Oregon nonprofits, OCF has opened the next round of Community Grants to be distributed in spring 2025. The deadline is Jan. 14, 2025. Find details here. The goal is to provide equitable access to flexible funding for organizations serving communities’ most pressing needs throughout Oregon.
Find the full list of fall 2024 grantees here. The list below of representative grants demonstrates the breadth of impact the funding has on nearly every aspect of life for Oregonians.
Stepping Stones Alliance | Hermiston | $30,000
For a shelter to complete the new outdoor kitchen and common space.
“Without the ongoing support, like that of Oregon Community Foundation’s Community Grants, we would not be able to serve and help those needing our overnight shelter at the Sleep Center, resources at the Navigation Center, and Individual Shelter Units. The mission of Stepping Stones Alliance is to provide stepping stones – shelter, basic needs and supports that can lead to stability – to people experiencing houselessness. Thanks to OCF, we will be able to add a permanent cover over the patio and picnic tables in our members’ community outdoor space, allowing better protection from the elements throughout the day. We are grateful!”
~Jesalyn C. Cole
Executive Director, Stepping Stones Alliance
(541) 371-1425
ExecutiveDirector@Stepping-Stones-Alliance.org
Elgin Stampeders Association | Elgin | $15,000
To install a digital emergency reader board and a bicycle repair kiosk.
"As a 77-year-old staple in our rural community, a new digital sign and bicycle kiosk on the Elgin Stampede grounds would further serve not only our locals, but the thousands of visitors who travel through our small town each year. Publicity and marketing for local events will be even more visible with the new digital sign, catching the eyes of daily travelers. The bicycle kiosk will further support our cyclists who see their way through our town who depend on bicycle safety and continued maintenance, as cycling serves as their main mode of transportation and for leisurely purposes too. As a host to Cycle Oregon for more than four summers now, our organization wants to offer more accommodations to our bicyclists beyond the Cycle Oregon event."
~Kyle Evans, President
Contact: Lori Roach, (541) 910-7482, lori@studiosixconsulting.com
Total for Fall 2024: 248 grants of $5,789,074
- Eastern Oregon: $322,617
- Central Oregon: $394,562
- Southern Willamette Valley: $965,200
- South Coast: $206,000
- Southern Oregon: $545,000
- Portland Metro: $2,349,889
- North Coast $265,806
- Northern Willamette Valley: $700,000
- Out of State: $40,000
About OCF’s Community Grants Program
For 27 years, OCF’s Community Grants program has invested in community livability and vitality by listening and responding to people closest to innovating opportunities they want to advance. As Oregon has grown, so too has the complexity of issues facing so many Oregonians. Compounding these challenges is a history of systems that have not benefited everyone equitably. OCF recognizes this reality. The Community Grants program continues to provide funding for nonprofits addressing the pressing needs of communities across Oregon, informed by the voices of people who know their communities the best.
Since 1973, Oregon Community Foundation has worked to improve the lives of all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy. In partnership with donors and volunteers, OCF strengthens communities in every county in Oregon through grantmaking, scholarships and research. In 2023, OCF distributed $225 million in grants and scholarships. Individuals, families, businesses and organizations can work with OCF to create charitable funds to support causes important to them. To learn more, please visit oregoncf.org.
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