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What We Support

The Reser Family Foundation continues Al and Pat Reser’s decades-long commitment to giving back to Oregon communities. The Reser Family is passionate about strengthening Oregonians through charitable grants made to collaborative organizations continuing established, broad-based, and inclusive work across our state.

Learn more below about the types of organizations, projects and programs we currently support through our twice-yearly responsive grant cycles, open to any non-profit in Oregon that aligns with the Foundation’s eligibility requirements and funding priorities. Our funding priorities have been updated for 2025-2028.

A separate program in support of economic development in rural Oregon communities is available to those outside of metropolitan areas. This program is focused on rural economic and community development and is not limited to the priorities below.

Next Gen Council Grant Program. The Next Gen Council seeks to support organizations providing direct services to those in need of: mental health counseling services, drug and alcohol addiction services, related crisis intervention services, and after-school education mentorship programs. Learn more.

Our Cornerstones

To help create the broadest possible benefit to Oregonians, The Reser Family Foundation focuses on four Cornerstones—Education, Health, Arts, and Environment—to guide giving through our Fast Track and Midsize grant programs. The Foundation also funds many organizations through other funding initiatives.

We have refined the scope of our two responsive grant programs – Fast Track and Midsize grants – to target specific projects we are seeking to fund alongside our other funding initiatives. To help better understand which projects will not be competitive applications, exclusions are listed below under each Funding Priority. Many exclusions are currently funded through other initiatives affiliated with The Reser Family Foundation. Select + below for specific exclusions under our Education, Health, Arts, and Environment funding priorities.

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Education

Grants supporting student success and engagement.
Select + below for examples and exclusions.

Education Funding Priorities

1. Supporting campus-based or school-day academic and transitional program requests from nonprofit organizations for high school students that encourage student success, including career technical education. Select + above for specific examples and exclusions.

EXAMPLES                                                                             

  • community based organizations partnering with schools
  • school-based student and family engagement & wraparound mentoring with measurable outcomes and tracking
  • opportunities for rural students
  • career technical education programs (CTE) and vocational education

EXCLUSIONS
Not currently accepting applications for our Fast Track or Midsize Grant Program funding for the following types of programs:

  • Requests directly from schools, school districts or ESDs
  • adult education, early childhood education, graduate and professional education
  • STEM/STEAM extracurriculars, robotics teams
  • after school childcare, after school activities, and sports
  • requests from individual classrooms/schools for general operating costs or personnel expenses
2. Supporting the basic skills of K-12 youth with limited economic means. Select + above for specific examples and exclusions.

EXAMPLES 

  • school-day programs provided by nonprofit partners focused on basic needs (food, clothing, shelter)
  • social service programs with evidence-based measures of success
  • proven in-school educational and/or academic skills gaps programs provided by nonprofit partners with measurable outcomes and tracking
  • requests that have clear letters of support, signed by a school administrator (e.g., superintendent) if applicable.

EXCLUSIONS
Not currently accepting applications for our Fast Track or Midsize Grant Program funding for the following types of programs:

  • garden programs & summer camps
  • requests directly from schools or school districts
  • adult education programs, nutrition training, parent training
  • rental assistance programs
  • education focused on specific health diagnosis
  • programs where religious activities are required

A closer look at our current funding priorities in Education:

Letter(s) of support, or the MOU, are required to be uploaded before the application can be submitted.

If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.

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Health

Grants serving vulnerable Oregonians.
Select + below for examples and exclusions.

Health Funding Priorities

1. Providing basic needs for low-income K-12 youth, elders and those impacted by domestic violence. Select + above for specific examples and exclusions.

EXAMPLES                                               

  • grocery shopping and meal programs for elders
  • supports helping seniors to achieve independence
  • programs leading to employment and self sufficiency
  • supports helping low-income youth achieve positive mental health, educational outcomes, and stability
  • shelter and wraparound services for those impacted by domestic violence
  • Required: no cost to access or sliding scale payment options

EXCLUSIONS
Not currently accepting applications for our Fast Track or Midsize Grant Program funding for the following types of programs:

  • food pantries and gleaners programs
  • rental assistance & housing
  • ride share programs
  • hospice care or related end of life programs
  • programs that include required religious activities
2. Supporting day shelters that provide job skill-building services leading to successful employment. Select + above for specific examples and exclusions.

EXAMPLES 

  • Skill-building services increasing an individual’s ability to achieve employment
  • Workforce development programs with proven connectivity to stable employment
  • Digital literacy programs
  • Day shelters that provide resources such as professional clothing, showers, access to technology, etc.

EXCLUSIONS
Not currently accepting applications for our Fast Track or Midsize Grant Program funding for the following types of programs:

  • overnight shelters
  • projects or programs with narrow reach
  • projects or programs without quantifiable outcomes
  • required religious components or faith-based organizations

A closer look at our current funding priorities in Health:

We are not currently reviewing new requests for medical research funding, animal-assisted therapies, caregiver support programs, or  child advocacy programs.

If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.

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The Arts

Grants to engage communities with the arts and increase access.
Select + below for examples and exclusions.

Arts Funding Priorities

1. Supporting arts programs that enrich communities. Alignment with the foundation’s education, environment, or health funding priorities is required. Select + above for specific examples and exclusions.

EXAMPLES                                               

  • community art displays with educational components
  • arts programs promoting health and wellness in alignment with health funding priorities
  • programs bringing visual and performing arts to young learners
  • programs with long term measurable outcomes
  • programs with tracking metrics and broad engagement
  • requests from regional, broad-based community art programs

EXCLUSIONS
Not currently accepting applications for our Fast Track or Midsize Grant Program funding for the following types of programs:

  • one-time, non-sequential activities
  • art supply kits
  • ticket donations
  • one-time performance or event sponsorship

A closer look at our current funding priorities in The Arts:

If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.

Funding for individual artists is outside of our Arts guidelines.

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Environment

Grants supporting the vitality of the natural environment.
Grants supporting the built environment & community development.

Select + below for examples and exclusions

Environment Funding Priorities

1. Cultivating the long-term resiliency and vitality of our natural environment while engaging communities. Select + above for specific examples and exclusions.

EXAMPLES

  • ongoing natural restoration projects in collaboration with neighbors
  • community involved nature programs with long term impacts
  • projects adding a robust addition to natural areas for public access
  • regional collaborators & public/private partnerships as long-term stewards

EXCLUSIONS
Not currently accepting applications for our Fast Track or Mid-Size Grant Program funding for the following types of programs:

  • gardening programs & summer camps
  • nature projects that are one-time events, including plantings
  • acquisition of land; pilot projects & research projects
  • organizations involved in litigation
2. Supporting new or expanding community spaces that result in sustainable improvement. Select + above for specific examples and exclusions.

EXAMPLES

  • priority will be given to projects intersecting multiple foundation funding priorities
  • natural disaster recovery with long term impacts
  • capital construction campaigns more than 80% funded
  • long term assets for community building opportunities, such as libraries, community rooms & community collaborations
  • construction innovations seeking to grow rural economic development opportunities

We welcome requests for community-focused work where the impact is long term or improves community livability, including requests for programs and activities that will affect change, increase efficiencies and create new opportunities for community engagement & collaborations.

EXCLUSIONS
Not currently accepting applications for our Fast Track or Midsize Grant Program funding for the following types of programs:

  • projects with limited scope or limited reach
  • projects with narrow or niche focus with only short-term impacts
  • projects in the built environment that do not connect with any other The Reser Family Foundation Funding Priorities

A closer look at our current funding priorities in Environment:

Funding for land acquisition, preliminary studies or preliminary research is outside of our current funding priorities. We are not currently reviewing requests from organizations with ongoing or pending litigation.

The foundation will consider capital fundraising requests when more than 80% of the funds needed to complete the project have been raised/pledged.

Learn more about applying

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“The Reser Family Foundation is exemplary in how they show up to support their fellow Oregonians. At Rose Haven, we feel a true partnership. This is not simply a financial transaction. Their Board goes to great lengths to know us, to understand root issues women and children served by Rose Haven face, and to use their collective voice to advocate for marginalized individuals and the non-profit agencies that serve them.”

— Katie O’Brien of Executive Director, Rose Haven

“Working with the Reser Family Foundation has not only been transformative for Kinship House, but deeply inspiring. Through the site visits, we’ve seen the Foundation’s values and intentionality firsthand. Their thoughtful decision-making was matched by a desire to learn and understand the whole of our organization and its needs. We are incredibly grateful to call the Reser Family Foundation true partners in creating the stability children in foster care need and deserve.”

— Natalie Wood, Executive Director of Kinship House

“Transformational change, elevating youth voice, and strengthening our community are just part of the ripple effect created by REAP’s partnership with the Reser Family Foundation. Their community dedication is real and has furthered our work to develop the next wave of leaders in our region. Reser Family Foundation continues to be a critical partner that has helped expand our work across the Portland Metro area and for this we are grateful. Their community investments serve as a “north star” of what it means to transform people and communities across the state.”

— Mark Jackson, Executive Director of REAP

“Sitka Center for Art and Ecology’s mission of providing ‘arts and nature access for all’ is flourishing, thanks to the ongoing support of the Reser Family Foundation. Their partnership is instrumental in expanding Sitka’s K-8 Create youth program, bringing high-quality arts education to 5,000 rural Oregon students and making a lasting impact on their lives. Together, Sitka and the Reser Family Foundation are inspiring the next generation of creative Oregonians, empowering them to connect with their communities and contribute to a vibrant future for our state.”

— Alison Dennis, Executive Director of Sitka Center for Art and Ecology

“We’re incredibly grateful to The Reser Family Foundation for their continued support and shared passion for creating cleaner, happier neighborhoods. Their funding has allowed AdoptOneBlock to empower thousands of community members to care for their neighborhood block by providing free clean-up kits, resources, and connections. Together, we’re inspiring a movement of environmental stewardship and community pride, one block at a time.”

— Frank Moscow, Founder of AdoptOneBlock