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Spring 2022

Dear friend,

Welcome to the spring edition of ‘In Community’ – Oregon Community Foundation’s
quarterly newsletter for nonprofits with a fresh list of funding opportunities
and highlights from our impact areas. We continue to be incredibly inspired by
the breadth of incredible work led by and in support of communities across our
state. Thank you for all you to do to support a better, stronger Oregon.

Sonia Worcel, Chief Community Impact Officer

Niyati Desai, Director of Community Engagement

 

 * February 14 - March 30: Community Grants, supporting the most pressing needs
   of communities throughout the state 

 * March 1 - April 28: Trail Blazers Foundation Fund, supporting historically
   underserved and marginalized communities with a focus on youth where they
   live, learn and play 

 * March 4 - 30: Black Student Success Community Network Renewals, eligible
   applicants will receive direct communication from OCF 

 * May 2 - June 15: Student Success: Out-of-School Initiative, bolstering middle
   school attendance and academic success among Oregon’s students of color,
   rural students and low-income students 

 * June 1 - July 15: D.E. & Jane Clark Fund, supporting the general operations
   of nonprofits in Baker County and the town of North Powder 

 * June 1 - July 15: Lilja Family Fund, grants and scholarships supporting
   communities in South Douglas County 

 * June 1 - July 15: Ben Serafin Fund, scholarships and grants for recipients in
   Douglas County, primarily in the community of Glide 

 * Accepting applications year-round: DACA, Immigrant and Refugee Fund,
   supporting organizations addressing issues of immigration and refugees in
   Oregon

 

Oregon Child Care Alliance Hires Inaugural Director

Since 2020, OCF has provided funding for the design and development of a
statewide pilot project aimed at strengthening the child care sector by
providing business supports to small child care programs. Last year, the
Portland-based Neighborhood House was selected by a team of stakeholders to
serve as the backbone organization for the project, now known as the Oregon
Child Care Alliance. Neighborhood House has a long history of providing coaching
and resources to family child care providers in the Portland area and looks
forward to leveraging that experience to build the alliance.  

This exciting project hired its inaugural director, Lisa Tynan, in January!
Lisa, who is based in Bend, has a strong background in early childhood
education, accounting, and business coaching. OCF is thrilled to have Lisa on
board and staff are excited to see the growing momentum of the project, which is
currently accepting applications from child care providers in Crook, Deschutes,
and Jefferson counties (Central Oregon); Jackson and Josephine counties
(Southern Oregon); and Multnomah County. 

Addressing the Opportunity Gap With The Out-of-School Time Initiative

The Out-of-School Time Initiative supports student success by funding programs
that provide high-quality out-of-school time experiences to middle school
students of color, students from under-resourced rural communities, and students
from low-income families, thereby narrowing the opportunity gap experienced by
these students and ultimately mitigating related educational disparities. It is
an ongoing partnership between OCF and The Ford Family Foundation. 

Participating programs engage in a robust learning community facilitated by the
Institute for Youth Success at Education Northwest, which supports program
quality improvement using an Oregon-specific adaptation of the nationally
recognized, research-based Youth Program Quality Intervention and Assessment. It
also provides a safe and supportive space for practitioners to share ideas, work
through challenges and develop as professionals. 

The Initiative centers the experiences and perspectives of program staff and
students, and positions foundation staff as learners alongside program leaders
and staff. As a result, insights from the learning community shape the
Initiative to better meet program needs and to strengthen the out-of-school time
field in Oregon. 

Last spring, OCF concluded a multi-year evaluation of the Initiative and shared
the learnings on our website.  The application window for this program is May
2-June 15.

 

Higher Education Report: "Helping or Hindering?"

The 2019 Latinx in Higher Education Summit brought together key stakeholders and
college- and university-level student success advocates to discuss and engage
Latinx student success. The event, hosted by Latino Partnership Program (LPP)
and OCF Education Program staff, became the catalyst for the development of a
multi-phased plan that includes research, convenings, and technical assistance
across the Oregon higher education system. 

While the pandemic momentarily slowed progress, LPP contracted with Excelencia
in Education to lead the implementation plan. We unveiled the in-depth report,
Helping or Hindering: Analysis of Higher Education Policies and Latino/x Student
Success in Oregon, at Conexiones Summit 2021. The report, which you can read in
full here, paints a vivid picture of the demographics of Latinx students in
Oregon and digs deep into how each public policy area supports or hampers
success for Latinx students. 

GO Kids Grantees Expand Programming and Services

OCF published an interview with Senior Research Officer, Jean-Marie Callan,
about the relevance of the TOP Report and the opportunity gap in Oregon,
Research with Relevance: How Recent Crises Reinforce OCF Findings About the
Opportunity Gap Facing Oregon Kids. The last two years have been challenging for
organizations that serve children and families, especially if their programming
was dependent on in-person connections and services. However, through the
multiple crises and challenges, GO Kids grantees have been able to expand
programming, provide services and continue to work in their communities with
kids and families experiencing the opportunity gap. Here are a couple of
highlights from our grantees: 

The Pendleton Children’s Center officially received the previous Active Senior
Center building in Pendleton. They will be renovating the building to serve as a
new child care facility. (Eastern Oregon) 

The Independence Public Library has received new furniture, computers and
backpacks to create their early-learning and after school hub in the children’s
section of the library. (Northern Willamette Valley) 

In the coming months OCF will offer trainings and resources to the GO Kids
grantees with the goal of community building and bringing awareness to the
opportunity gap. 

Youth Engage in Grantmaking with Community 101

Have you ever had the opportunity to work with students in Community 101?
Community 101 (C101) is a youth philanthropy grant program run through OCF in
partnership with PGE Foundation. Guided by their teacher and a curriculum,
participating classes identify a community need, ask nonprofits to submit grant
applications, assess the applications, and award grants totaling $5,000.
Statewide, there are 42 groups of students ages 8-18 who volunteer, connect with
nonprofits, and make grants to support their communities.  

One of the participating classrooms is at De La Salle North Catholic High School
in Portland, with support from the Joseph E. Weston OCF Public Foundation. They
recently completed their grantmaking, which focused on addressing mental health
and domestic violence. They awarded grants to Bradley Angle, Raphael House,
Morrison Child and Family Services, and Northwest Family Services, as well as to
their school’s own resource center.  

Katie Dearing, Community 101 Coordinator at OCF says, “students have such
brilliant insight into the needs of their communities. C101 provides hands-on
experience in philanthropy and a peek into the future of grantmaking.” Classes
can apply to participate in the 2022-2023 school year when applications open in
April. Nonprofit application invitations will be sent Fall 2022. Contact Katie
Dearing for more information: kdearing@oregoncf.org 

 

Direct Deposit Grant Payments 

As part of ongoing efforts to streamline grant payment systems, OCF is pleased
to offer direct deposit payments on most grants. 

Direct deposit payment allows your organization to receive funding in your bank
account as soon as possible. That means no checks, no waiting on the mail to
arrive, and no lag time between when you receive funds and when they can be put
to work. All you need to sign up is information about your organization's bank
account, a bank letter or voided check, and access to email. Learn more and sign
up for direct deposit here. 

Electronic Award Letters 

Last fall, OCF began sending electronic award letters for all grants in addition
to hard copy letters sent in the mail.  This transition provides our grantees
with information about their grants as soon as possible.  Award letters arrive
to the executive director of each grantee from grantnews@oregoncf.org; please
add this email address to your email safe sender list to ensure your
organization receives information in a timely manner.

 
 
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Oregon Community Foundation
1221 SW Yamhill St.
Suite 100
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 227-6846

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