Applicant Basics: Complete on behalf of Foundation

These are fixed-choice prompts that help us to understand your organization type, structure, and key operations. You will not need to craft your own custom response, but rather you will select the answer(s) that most accurately represent your organization..

• Entity Type: Please select whether your organization is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) public charity, a government entity, or a Tribal government.

• Confirming Eligibility: Review our eligibility requirements before proceeding with the preliminary application.

• Priorities: Which of our six priorities most align with your work?

• Oregon Focus: How much of your work occurs in Oregon?

• Oregon Impact: Where in Oregon is your geographic impact?

• Media & Public Perception: In the last five (5) years has your organization navigated any litigation, harmful media coverage, or significant turmoil?

• Subsidiaries: Does your organization have subsidiaries or affiliated entities?

• Stability: In the last twelve (12) months, has your organization considered closure, sought emergency funding, or conducted employee layoffs?

Impact & Strategy: Complete on behalf of Program or Initiative

These fixed-choice prompts help to us understand key constituencies, types of engagement, and areas of focus. You will not need to craft your own custom response.

• Age Demographic: Does your organization primarily serve young people or adults?

• Individuals Served: How many unique individuals did your organization serve directly last fiscal year (e.g. clients, patients, students, etc.)?

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): As it pertains to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which of the following best describes your organization’s commitment at this time?

• Constituent Input: In the last twelve (12) months, how many unique surveys or assessments have you conducted with those you serve?

• Critical Partners: How many Oregon nonprofit organizations, government entities, and/or businesses would you describe as critical or essential partners, such that they significantly impact the nature of your work?

• Constituent Focus: Does your work focus exclusively and specifically on any of the following demographic communities or groups? Options include communities such as BIPOC, Queer, Immigrant, Elderly, and more.

People & Culture: Complete on behalf of Foundation

Fixed-choice prompts help us to understand the organizational workplace, opportunities or challenges for personnel, and how the organization approaches its culture. You will not need to craft your own custom response.

• Employees: How many full-time employees work at your organization?

• Retention: We know that staff retention within the nonprofit sector has been extremely challenging. Tell us how you have experienced this over the past twenty-four (24) months.

• Benefits: Which of the following benefits are provided to full-time employees?

• Cost of Living: How often does your organization provide cost of living (or comparable) annual compensation adjustments for employees?

• Staff/Volunteer Training: How often does your organization conduct trainings or exercises for staff and/or volunteers that address diversity, equity, and/or inclusion?

• Professional Development: What types of professional development opportunities does your organization offer to personnel?

Leadership & Governance: Complete on behalf of Foundation

Fixed-choice prompts help us to understand operational management, board engagement, and applicable oversight. You will not need to craft your own narrative response.

• Executive Leadership: How long has your current Executive Director (or comparable executive) been employed by your organization?

• Board Members: How many people serve on your Board of Directors?

• Board Credentials: Do any of your board members maintain the following specializations or credentials?

• Board Representation: What percentage of your board identifies as being from the community or communities you aim to serve?

• Board Training: How often does your organization conduct trainings or exercises for the board that address diversity, equity, inclusion and/or belonging?

• Board Meetings: How often does your Board of Directors formally convene or meet together

• Financial Oversight: How does your board ensure the financial accountability of the organization?

Financial Position: Complete on behalf of Program or Initiative unless unable to do so

The following multi-type prompts help us to understand operational management, board engagement, and applicable oversight. You will not need to craft your own narrative response.

• Unplanned Deficits: In the last five (5) fiscal years, how many unplanned budget deficits has your organization reported?

• Recent Grants: How many foundation (private, public, or corporate) grants have you been awarded in the last twelve (12) months?

• Recent Grant Details: Enter the three (3) largest total grants committed to the organization by foundations in the last twenty-four (24) months.

• New Funding: Has your organization received any new sources of major funding (e.g. grants, donations, contracts) in the last twelve (12) months?

• Lost Funding: Has your organization lost any sources of major, reoccurring funding (e.g. grants, donations, contracts) in the last twelve (12) months?

• Individual Donors: How many unique individual donors did you report in your last complete fiscal year?

• Current Operating Budget: Please upload your current operating budget.

• Operating Revenues: What are your total anticipated operating revenues for your current operating year?

• Operating Expenses: What are your total anticipated operating expenses for your current operating year?

• In-Kind Percent: For organizations who include in-kind support in your budget, approximately what percentage of the revenues anticipated above are in-kind support?

• Importance of In-Kind: To what extent does your organization rely on in-kind support?

• Balance Sheet: Please upload a recent Balance Sheet, dated January 1, 2025, or later.

  • Cash Balance: According to your balance sheet, what is your organization's cash balance?

  • Unrestricted Percent: What percentage of your cash balance above is unrestricted?

Financial Position: Complete on behalf of Foundation

Since many applicants may not have updated public records (e.g. Candid profiles), the following helps us to understand your most recent filings with the IRS. You will not need to craft your own narrative response.

• 501(c)(3) Status: How long has your organization been an independent 501(c)(3) public charity

• Form 990: Please upload your most recent Form 990 or 990-EZ.

  • Total Revenue: Enter the total revenue reported in your most recent Form 990 (line 12) or 990-EZ (line 9).

  • Total Expenses: Enter the total expenses reported in your most recent Form 990 (line 18) or 990-EZ (line 17).

  • Total Assets: Enter the total assets reported in your most recent Form 990 (line 20) or 990-EZ (line 25).

  • Total Liabilities: Enter the total liabilities reported in your most recent Form 990 (line 21) or 990-EZ (line 26).

Grant Program & Design: Complete on behalf of Program or Initiative

The following fixed-choice prompts help us to understand the type of funding you hope to pursue and will inform our discussions and evaluations if your Preliminary Application (LOI) is approved.

• Project Name: Please enter a project name to be used as a unique identifier among your organization’s grant requests.

• Ideal Funding Level: What level of funding would you hope to receive as your annual award amount? Select a range.

• Preferred Distribution of Funds: If awarded, would you prefer a one, two, or three installments at the amount listed above?

• Award Type: Would you prefer to receive an outright award or matching award?

Narrative Responses: Complete on behalf of Program or Initiative

We recognize that much of this Preliminary Application (LOI) is fixed-choice or data-driven. The following prompts give applicants the opportunity to share their values, impact, and needs in their own words. While we accept the use of artificial intelligence tools to meet word count requirements, we remind applicants that they are ultimately responsible for the content submitted.

• Equity and Inclusion: How does your organization address the needs of underrepresented groups and ensure equitable opportunities and treatment in programs, policies, and practices? (1,000 character limit)

• Operational Impact: Describe your organization’s impact and community achievements. What data or figures can you share that capture your present-day and long-term impact in the community? If applicable, please also share impact narratives that data may not adequately capture. (1,000 character limit)

• Organizational Need: All of our applicants report a need for philanthropic support. What can you share with us that helps us to better understand and contextualize your need for financial support comparable to that of other applicants? If there are other organizations in your region or service area doing comparable work, how are you unique from them and how do you leverage that distinction to collaborate together? (1,000 character limit)

• Additional Context (Optional): Please use this space if you’d like to provide any additional context or information related to any of the prompts answered above. (1,000 character limit)