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The Small Community Initiative funds economic development and community development groups supporting Rural Oregonians.
Current Program Participants:
Main Street Cave Junction was the recipient of SCI funding in 2022. They are working to beautify the downtown area and are transforming a 200-year-old black oak tree into a piece of art representative of their region.
For 2021, the Applegate Valley was added to the SCI cohort. A Greater Applegate is building community by sustaining and enhancing local connections that promote the environmental, economic and social vitality of the Applegate Valley.
The town selected for funding in 2020 was Milton-Freewater. The Milton-Freewater Downtown Alliance is working to create Freewater Square, a community gathering space with business incubators.
In 2019, Warrenton was selected as our first SCI grantee. We are championing the motivated group of citizen volunteers who have assembled as the new nonprofit Spruce Up Warrenton.
Applications are prioritized using the following criteria:
Our application also allows submissions from towns or organizations that feel like they are a close fit for the program priorities, but who are perhaps on the cusp outside of the eligibility criteria above; we understand that there are varying definitions of rural and unique circumstances around Oregon. We are open to listening to any rural organization who feels like the program goals below are exemplified in their work.
Interested? The SCI application is open from 2/10 to 4/1, apply here.
When communities of every size do well, our state becomes even stronger. To bring greater prosperity and better quality of life to Oregon’s small towns, The Reser Family Foundation is proud to introduce our Small Community Initiative (SCI) in support of rural Oregon communities outside of metropolitan areas.
In addition to our currently available grant programs, small communities outside of metropolitan areas may also be eligible to apply to the SCI. Activities in the SCI may be outside of our annual grant cycles’ specific funding priorities; a wider scope will be considered. Through the initiative, the Foundation will support the community as desired for up to four years, by way of:
Once a community is approved for SCI, the Foundation will partner with the community’s efforts, providing up to four annual grants of up to $10,000 each.
The SCI values input and participation from many community stakeholders, including town residents, local business and government leaders, and regional economic partners. Our overall goals are to:
We support the approach of each unique community. Organizations participating in SCI include analysis and planning in their work to ensure that each community is equipped to succeed beyond the 4 year grant partnership. Strategies throughout the grant include:
Communities in our SCI program are responsible for providing a report to the Foundation annually, in advance of their annual grant renewal. We encourage the community to track and evaluate benchmarks and outcomes, as well as to make refinements and adjustments along the way to improve effectiveness. We seek to connect grantees with other grant opportunities for future success!