Deadline: 21-Feb-21
The Oregon Parks Foundation Fund (OPFF) invites proposals from nonprofit organizations and public agencies at the community, district, county, or regional level.
The Oregon Parks Foundation was founded in 1975 with the primary purpose of creating and augmenting natural parks in the state of Oregon. For nearly fifty years, its mission has been to support the acquisition, preservation, and restoration of Oregon’s native landscape, and to assist with environmental, recreational, and educational improvements to Oregon’s public parks.
In 2009, the Oregon Parks Foundation became the Oregon Parks Foundation Fund (OPFF), a community advised fund of the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF). It continues with the same long-standing vision and invites proposals from nonprofits and public agencies at the local, community, district, county, and regional levels.
The Oregon Parks Foundation Fund seeks requests for funding that support the acquisition of natural parks and outdoor recreational and educational opportunities within parks. The following types of expenses will be considered:
- Land protection and acquisition.
- Habitat restoration.
- Enhancement of the outdoor experience, e.g., trail construction and interpretive signage.
- Park-related ecological education programs.
Funding Information
- Grants are generally in the range of $1,000 to $5,000; larger grants may be considered for unique or special applications.
Eligibility Criteria
The Oregon Parks Foundation Fund requests applications that support the acquisition of natural parks, the restoration of native habitat, and act to strengthen educational opportunities, such as ecological interpretive programs, within Oregon parks. Projects that enhance the outdoor experience, such as trail construction and interpretive signage, are also favored.
Competitive applications should demonstrate one or more of the following qualities:
- A strong connection to parks and/or publicly accessible and undeveloped native land.
- Strong park-related educational component for youth and/or adults.
- Promotes connectivity (land acquisition and trail projects).
- Strong community-based support (e.g., participation from other donors; volunteers; in-kind donations; collaboration with other agency partners, school districts, etc.).
- Provides park opportunities and access for underserved communities (e.g., low-income, minority and rural populations).
- Projects where a grant from OPFF will clearly make a difference (e.g., close the funding gap or leverage other sources of support).
- The committee accepts applications from private, tax-exempt nonprofits and public agencies within the state of Oregon, with a preference for smaller community-based organizations.
Required Attachments
Several additional items are requested to accompany an application:
- A cover letter providing a brief introduction and description of the intended project.
- A project graphic or photos.
- A copy of the applicant’s 501(c)(3) tax determination letter.
For more information, visit https://oregoncf.org/grants-and-scholarships/grants/oregon-parks-foundation-fund/