Ready to apply
for a grant?

The Next Gen Council Grant Program has one grant deadline each year on June 1st. They support organizations providing mental health counseling services, drug and alcohol addiction services, related crisis intervention services, and after-school education mentorship programs. Learn More

The Small Community Initiative has one grant deadline each year on April 1st. This initiative provides financial support to community groups in rural Oregon towns, working to help those communities create a better quality of life and build sustainable economic activities. Learn More

The Midsize and Fast Track grant programs have two deadlines each year on February 1st and August 1st. Please see the information below to learn more about these grant programs.

The Reser Family Foundation has established scholarship programs. Students at several schools have access to apply through their counseling office. Learn More

Responsive Grant Programs

While our Funding Priorities have a broad base, they all share a single purpose — to improve and strengthen communities throughout Oregon. In considering grant applications, we look for programs or projects that hold promise to accomplish a measurable impact in the area of Education, Health, Arts, and Environment. We provide funding to applicants that possess the ability to achieve uncommon results.

If you’ve reviewed our Funding Priorities and believe your organization might be a good fit for one of them, here’s what you need to know to get started:

Our grant portal includes a detailed eligibility form highlighting current priorities and exclusions. This form will help direct eligible organizations to an application. This is the first step for anyone with questions about applying.

General Eligibility to Apply for Fast Track and Midsize Grants

• Eligible organizations need to be established 501(c)(3) organizations for more than 3 years.
• The organization, operations, services and staff should be based in Oregon, conducting Oregon activities.
• Applicants who have applied to the foundation or been funded by the foundation for 3 consecutive years in a row need to take a one-year hiatus before applying again.
• Oregon municipalities and Tribal entities are also eligible to apply.
• Programming needs to be established & ongoing, with an implemented measurement tool or process.
• Before applying, other funding partners must be committed and listed on the application.
• A letter of support(s) from a partner or collaborator is required on the application. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) or contract can also be uploaded in lieu of a letter of support.
• Applications are accepted once per 12-month period, by the grant program deadline each year in our grant portal.
• Grant funding is expected to be spent within one year of disbursement to support ongoing programming.

Exclusions:

• Organizations affiliated with active litigation are not eligible for funding.
• Organizations with religious requirements are not eligible for funding.
• Overnight homeless shelters and schools are currently not eligible for funding.
• Food pantries without meal delivery programs for low-income elders and/or those impacted by domestic violence are not eligible for funding.
• New programs, pilot programs, pass-through foundations and research projects are not eligible for funding.
• One-time events or short annual events are not eligible for funding.
• Other specific exclusions are listed under our Education, Health, Arts, and Environment funding priorities.

Examples of what we look for in our applications:

• Requests with a broad impact relative to the communities served.
• Requests for community work in small populations.
• Requests with long-term impact.
• Established programs with measured results and ongoing tracking.
• Requests that fit with multiple funding priorities.
• Ongoing programs with established funding streams and strong partnerships.
• Capital fundraising campaigns that are at least 80% funded.

The first step for any interested applicant is our Eligibility Form.
Please complete the form before reaching out with eligibility questions.

Our grant portal includes a detailed form highlighting current priorities and exclusions. When a grant cycle opens online, this form is required before accessing an application.

Grant Renewal

Current grant partners can re-apply each year and follow the same process as new applicants. The Foundation will consider one grant request from the same organization in a twelve-month period. Final reports must be submitted before re-applying. If your organization has applied three consecutive years in a row, please take a one-year hiatus regardless of funding status.

Grant Notification & Reporting

We notify applicants of the Foundation’s decision via email and our grant portal. Those awarded grants receive instructions on how to access the grant agreement with the notification. The Grant Agreement is to be completed in our grant portal. Grants must be paid to a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit or to an eligible public entity, such as a town, public school or state agency. Grantee organizations are responsible for reporting on the use of the funds using the follow-up Grant Report, available on our grant portal.

Grant Report due dates are flexible so please contact us if you would like to change the due date.

Some grant opportunities require a site visit as part of the grant review process. If you have scheduled a site visit with the foundation, here is some helpful information about the process.

Where to Apply

When you’re ready to apply, access The Reser Family Foundation grant portal, which collects information to help you determine your current eligibility, and is where you will complete the application process.

If you have questions or issues while using the portal, please contact us.

How the portal works

Each grant applicant creates an account in the grant portal. Once logged in, you can submit your Eligibility Form to access the available grant program(s) and start a new grant request. An application can be saved as a draft and continued later. When you log on again it’s easy to return to that draft, saved on your Dashboard, to make edits and submit the application when ready. Each account maintains a record of your application history, accessible at any time using the Organization History feature.

Once an application is started, you can also invite coworkers or necessary contacts to help complete the application. This feature is accessed using the Collaborate button at the top of the application form.

Once a grant is awarded, the grant portal allows grant partners an easy way to quickly submit the electronic grant agreement form, as well as view their grant status, check report due dates and submit grant reports.

Creating your online account

All grant applicants are required to create an account — and we suggest doing this at least a few weeks in advance of the grant deadline to avoid any last-minute issues. Organizations, including past grant recipients, will want to submit the current Eligibility Form before working on a grant request to us. When you register, you are required to enter the following information:

• A username that is an email address
• Your contact information
• Your organization’s information, including the required EIN/Tax ID number (Important note: Grants must be paid to a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, qualified charity, or to a municipality or public entity, such as a town, public school or state agency.)
• Contact information for your organization’s executive officer

Once you create your account, a confirmation email is sent to you. Please check your spam folder.

You’ll see your account Dashboard on screen every time you log in. From the dashboard, you can:

• Edit your contact information;
• Begin the application process;
• Access application drafts and submitted applications; and
• View details and complete the report process for grant awards

Please note that a user account can only be connected to one organization at a time. Access the “Organization History” section to view all registered users for your organization and confirm correct contacts. Please contact us if you need assistance editing your information.

How to Reach Us

When you’re ready to apply, access The Reser Family Foundation grant portal, and complete the Eligibility Quiz which confirms your current eligibility. If you have trouble logging in or need assistance, please contact us. Please log in and complete the eligibility form before reaching out to our staff with eligibility questions.

Due to a high volume of grant requests, we are unable to meet with everyone in advance. Please log in and complete the Eligibility Form if you have concerns or questions about your request fitting into our current funding priorities. If you have further questions after completing the form, we are happy to provide a detailed response via email. Foundation contact information is listed here.

Please note that unless initiated by the Executive Director, personal communication with individual Foundation Board Members by representatives of any applicant organization is not encouraged.

The Reser Family Foundation adopted a stated policy of nondiscrimination in regard to all persons, irrespective of their race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual preference, gender expression, age, citizenship status, physical or mental ability, marital status, ancestry, disability, military obligations, or veteran’s status, or any other status protected by law, and compliance with all requirements of law and regulations.