Open Grants
Applications are always open
The Ford Family Foundation’s open grants invest in programs and projects across Oregon and Siskiyou County that are important to your community. Some grants are small; some are big. Sometimes funding is needed urgently; sometimes it’s part of a longer term plan. We are standing by to support the needs of your organization or rural community.
We’re here to help
We want our grantmaking process to be convenient and easily accessible to everyone. This open door approach reflects our commitment to meeting rural communities where they are and providing the right level of support at the right time, in the right way.
What’s the secret? Community
We look for evidence of strong community buy-in and support for all grants. Local and regional donors, individuals and businesses can show their support through cash and in-kind donations to your project.
“Coming from a background of running a small rural nonprofit, I know what it’s like to fundraise and work within a limited budget. If we can find a way to fund a project or program, we’d love to be supportive.”
— Levi Williams, Program Officer
Technical Assistance grants
Strengthen your organization’s internal capacity to make a positive impact with a Technical Assistance grant. These grants can be used to attend a conference, develop leadership expertise, engage in strategic planning or hire an outside consultant with specialized expertise.
- No match required
- We ask for one attachment: a scope of work from the outside consultant or the agenda for the conference or training
- You will typically hear from us in six to 10 weeks
Grant amount: Up to $5,000
Grant examples
- Paying for staff members to attend a training or conference that builds their skills and capacity or hiring a trainer for your board and/or staff
- Contracting with a consultant to develop a strategic plan, create a transition plan for outgoing leadership or set up new organizational financial systems
- Hiring a facilitator to carry out community engagement activities to inform your organization’s project or program
- Contracting with a consultant to develop a capital campaign plan
Good Neighbor grants
They’re called Good Neighbor grants for a reason. Good neighbors help each other, learn from each other and lift each other up.
Good Neighbor grants are designed to support the initiatives that matter in your community in a way that works for your organization, including unforeseen emergencies that interrupt programming or services. We fund both program and capital requests.
- 25% committed before applying (in-kind can play a role but strongest requests have other funding at the table)
- Can request up to 1/3 for programs/operations and up to 50% for capital
- Clearly need to see the community at the table where services will be provided
- We also look for a clear plan in place for sustainability
- You will typically hear back from us in six to 10 weeks
Grant amount: Up to $25,000
Grant examples
- Emergency repairs to essential equipment at a food bank, library, fire hall or other community service provider
- Updates to facilities at a beloved community gathering place, including ADA accessibility and technology
- Community events such as celebrations, clean-ups or summer festivals (Events and celebrations must be free to the public and multi-day or annual, such as a music or art series.)
- New or special programs for the children and families in your communities
- Studies or research on a community need
- Playgrounds or recreational facilities
- Translation of materials or outreach to special populations
- Basic needs for vulnerable children and families
- Feasibility studies for economic development projects (e.g., business incubator, makerspace, commercial kitchen)
Larger funding requests
For requests that exceed $25,000, applications should be aligned with our funding priorities. We fund programs, operations and capital projects. To apply for a larger grant, please contact our staff through the form below before submitting an application.
Applying for a capital project?
We offer support for large capital projects (usually up to $250,000) aligned with our impact areas. Capital grants can fund up to one-third of a project’s total budget. Successful applications include significant community support in the form of local or regional dollars. Fifty percent of the budget should be raised before applying. This process can take three to six months.
Capital projects aligned with our Community impact area are limited to the following:
- Community centers and gathering spaces
- Social services centers (when direct youth programming is provided)
- Libraries
- Children’s museums or children’s exhibitions
- Small business incubators
- Fire halls
- Rural health centers (Federally Qualified Health Centers)
- Art and cultural centers
In addition, we support capital projects aligned with our Family and Education impact areas.
Want to learn more about eligibility?
Read through our eligibility details, and view our list of grants awarded over the last five years to see the organizations and communities that have received support through our grantmaking.
Ready to apply?
Start by reviewing our application process and application tools, and sign up for a grant info session.
We serve rural communities in oregon and siskiyou county, california
Let’s talk
Want to learn more about The Ford Family Foundation’s grant programs? We’re here to lend a hand and answer your questions. Please feel free to connect with us through the form below, providing some details about your idea, and a member of our team will get back to you.
If you are seeking new funding, please note that we only fund grants that serve Oregon and Siskiyou County, California.
Grants contact form
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