MEDFORD, Ore. – Healthy meals for kids in Grants Pass. Wildfire resilience education. Expanded services to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. These are just a few of the projects and programs in Southern Oregon receiving a $545,000 boost from the 2024 Fall Cycle of Community Grants from Oregon Community Foundation. The statewide funder has distributed 26 new grants in Southern 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.
“Community Grants are OCF’s ‘open door’ for nonprofits working to improve the lives of people in Southern Oregon in so many ways,” says OCF Board Member and United Way of Jackson County CEO and Executive Director Dee Anne Everson.
“Sometimes that’s wildfire resilience programs or a kitchen that serves kids in need. And other times, what’s needed is a vehicle that helps a program reach rural communities. The goal is to support what’s working.”
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.
REACH | Klamath Falls | $25,000
To purchase a vehicle for the Recycling and Landscaping Programs.
“REACH provides paid job training to adults who experience intellectual and or developmental disabilities. Our goal is to empower people with transferable job skills to gain meaningful paid community integrated employment. Our landscaping crews provide commercial and residential lawn care services to Klamath County many to veterans, elderly or others who experience a disability and cannot care for their own yards/property.”
~Jessie Oates, Executive Director
Direct Line: 541-887-8660/Cell: 509-554-8821
Email: joates@reachkfalls.com
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley | Grants Pass | $25,000
To renovate the kitchen at the Grants Pass location.
“Since 1970, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley has been a constant in the lives of children and teens, remaining committed to doing whatever it takes to support the youth in our communities. Our mission is to empower young people by providing safe spaces where they can thrive. A key part of this effort is serving nutritious meals, which is crucial for the well-being of our Club members. With over 76% of the youth we serve coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, many face food insecurity. By providing healthy meals, we help reduce this burden, lower stress, and give kids the chance to simply be kids!”
~Alison Cavaner, Director of Resource Development & Marketing
(541) 479-5258 x1019/cell: (541) 570-9358
Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative | Jacksonville | $20,000
To expand wildfire resilience education and outreach programming.
“Most of my students reside in underserved, fire-prone areas, such as Gold Hill and the wildland urban interface of Central Point, Oregon. Not only has the FireBright program provided my students with career mentoring and field work experience, it has also prepared them to be more adapted and prepared for wildfire and smoke.”
~Caroline Burdick, Science Teacher, Crater High School, Central Point
Contact: Jennifer Payne, Education Program Director
jpayne@sofrc.org www.sofrc.org (530) 521-2260
Total for Fall 2024: 248 grants of $5,789,074
- Southern Oregon: $545,000
- Central Oregon: $394,562
- Southern Willamette Valley: $965,200
- South Coast: $206,000
- Eastern Oregon: $322,617
- 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.